I’ve got quite a bit of pasta and jarred pasta sauce from Whole Foods to eat over the next month or so. I’ll definitely add crushed red peppers to the pasta sauce when I heat it up, what else would you suggest? Basil? Oregano? Garlic?
I feel like I’m back in college when I used to eat tons of meals like this.
Garlic and onion for sure. I like to add meat, depending on what you’re serving it with. Basil is a good add too. I’ll sometimes toss in pine nuts or mushrooms.
Marjoram and bay are nice too. Also fennel, but try it first in a small batch to see how you like it (I definitely do but some folks find it a bit offputting). I agree with the crushed red peppers. If you have some capers toss 1/2 tsp of those in.
Basil. And good pepper.
Oregano. Lots and lots of oregano. Even if you don’t like the taste of oregano your house and maybe even the whole neighborhood will smell wonderful.
Basil and black pepper and garlic and onion.
Not a herb or spice, but I have added balsamic vinegar for a little depth and sweetness.
smoked paprika
just a pinch or two of cinnamon or allspice
crumbled fried bacon
Anchovy paste adds a hit of umami. A little lemon juice can brighten up the flavor of a dull sauce.
Any of the above-mentioned flavors, and then a pinch of instant coffee so it tastes as if stewed all day.
For dried herbs and spices, I stick with basil and oregano plus salt & pepper. Personally, I don’t care for onion or garlic powder or chile flakes in red sauce. OP is probably trying not to buy much fresh stuff but just in case:
Finishing with fresh parsley can help make good pasta great. It lasts a decently long time in the fridge, especially compared to other leafy herbs like cilantro. When I buy a bunch, I shake as much water from it as possible and loosely wrap in a kitchen napkin, then back in the produce bag. This keeps it damp but not too wet.
I really enjoy little green olives in red sauce. The cheap pimento stuffed ones are fine. Capers, too.
Grated cheese like romano or asiago is good and also lasts a while.
Brown a coil of Italian sausage, then set to the side. Saute some onion till translucent, then stir in some chopped garlic and anchovy if you like. Put the sausage back in and cover with the boring sauce (or just passata) and a few ounces of red wine. Let it simmer for about 45 minutes until the sausage is cooked through. Hot giardienera pairs well with this.
Get a jar of pesto to change things up. Aldi has inexpensive jars of green and red, not bad.
Oregano and basil have been mentioned. I’d use dried oregano and fresh, minced basil. Mash a single anchovy and mix that in as well.
I find that when I make a dish that tastes like it’s “missing something” but I can’t put my finger on it, it’s usually garlic.
Basil is a classic combination with tomatoes, but I find that most sauces, even the relatively boring ones, already have enough of it. I’m rather fond of oregano, though, and usually want to add more.
And crushed olives add a nice zing to almost anything you add them to.
Commercial sauce (used when Mrs. J.'s homemade sauce is unavailable) benefits greatly from the addition of basil and oregano, pepper and garlic (especially fresh, or chopped garlic in olive oil from a jar - powdered garlic from the spices section is a pale, bland substitute for the real thing).
I frequently steam vegetables (particularly eggplant) to add to spaghetti sauce.
Basil, oregano, onion, garlic, pepper - the usual suspects. I might add a spoonful of grated parmesan cheese. Maybe adding a few things to the dish itself, hot Italian sausage, leftover chicken, sauteed peppers and mushrooms?
Beef Bullion can round out the thin flavor.
Cumin is a great add.
Fennel seed is the absolute must have if it’s a meat sauce. I don’t know if it’s good for veg, but how wrong could it be? It’s delicious.
Not a spice, but try adding a pound of cheap immigration crab meat to a boring jar of Alfredo sauce. Yum!
Also not a spice, but if you aren’t adding meat, try stirring in a big dollop of olive oil for richness and depth.