Spaghetti Sauce Help?

Question

I am a vegetarian, so I tend to eat a great deal of pasta. I am getting sick of just regular Prego pasta sauce. Does anyone have any good ideas of herbs or spices that taste great in pasta sauce? I just want to add some flavor to the sauce!

Answer 1

Add grilled vegetables (onion, pepper, hot or mild, mushrooms) to your sauce for a flavor enhancement.  But you can also add garlic, basil, oregano, or bay leaf or some of all of that.

And Prego is definitely not the only sauce out there.  Try different company's sauces.  Most will not be as SWEET as prego but they have different flavors and texture.  

Just consider the jarred sauces as starting points for your own creativity.

Answer 2

I add fresh tomatoes from my garden and red and green peppers to my Spaghetti Sauce!! If you eat seafood (my sis is vegan, but she eats seafood.) you can also add shrimp to it. That is hella good!!  

Answer 3

You can add bolognaise mix and mixed vegetables to it.It can meat because it tastes better.Eating meat one day will not make you fat.

Answer 4

Try Bertolli sauce. It taste almost like homemade.

Answer 5

i add veggies, such as zucchini , squash and egg plant to my sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil  

2 small onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/4 cup zucchini, sliced

1 Tbsp oregano, dried

1 Tbsp basil, dried

1 8 oz can  tomato sauce  

1 6 oz can  tomato paste

2 medium tomatoes, chopped  

1 cup  water

  

In a medium skillet, heat oil. Sauté onions, garlic, and zucchini in oil for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Serve over spaghetti.

Answer 6

Try making your own sauce.

Here is how I do my sauce. I just eyeball it so I will try to give as close as I can to what I do.

1 small onion or 1/2 lg onion chopped

1 med clove garlic chopped

1-2 tbsp butter

1 lg can (family type size) stewed diced tomatoes

1 reg sized can tomato sauce

1 cube chicken bullion

apprix 1 tbsp sugar

Here is wher it gets to the extra eye ball part.

Sea Salt (just a tiny bit say 1/4 tsp or less. You can use reg salt as well)

A couple good dashes....

Celery salt

Onion Powder

Granulated Garlic (I know there is already onion and garlic in the sauce but the powder versions are def needed)

Italian seasoning

Dried chives (optional)

extra basil, dried or fresh parsley, oregeno

Stir everything and simmer on low heat for about 20-30 min. Then boil the noodles and drain. Serve tha sauce over the pasta.

If you like a smooth sauce then only use tomato sauce. You could also add some chopped bell peppers, zucchini, crooked neck squash, and carrots.

Also you could add sliced mushrooms, parmesan cheese, chicken (for best chicken version make the sauce then add bone in chicken thighs and simmer for a couple of hrs unitl they are fall off the bone tender), ground turkey, vegan sausage etc... It's endless the possiblities you have.

****Not sure if you do turkey and chicken so that's why I threw in those ideas as well.

Answer 7

Garlic & Dill weed, pepper (any kind), bay leaves (2 or 3 whole ones). Could try a 1/4 cup of flavored barbecue sauce or marinade.

Answer 8

Add approx. 2 tablespoons each of freshly grated parmesan-reggiano cheese, chopped fresh basil and Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves.  Or quantities to taste.  It is important to add these ingredients during the last 10 minutes of cooking only.  You could even add 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.  Enjoy!

Answer 9

try adding a little cayenne pepper- just a little if you don't like spicy food. It adds an interesting flavor. Also try fresh oregano, garlic, or parsley. I don't know if your vegan, but if your not you can add some parmesean cheese or even motzerella cheese. MMMmmmm....

also you can try different pastas- spinach flavor, tomato basil

Answer 10

red pepper flakes add spice.  Garlic adds some flavor also.  If you saute some onion, garlic and bell peppers, then stir in your pasta then sauce it this will give the whole thing a different fresh taste.

Answer 11

add apple sauce or apple butter to the sauce. Its a way to flavor the sauce without using sugar. And alternative is Pre cooked pear also.

I had a recipe for FRESH Sauce using canned tomatos in additon to the prego.  Use something like Hunts Fresh tomatoes. Add Mccormacks Italian Spices to it. Tablespoon or so. Its a mixture of Oregano, Parsley, basil, and a touch of rosemary. Saute up some vegetables and then add to the sauce to make it chunky. Onions and Carrots get sweet from their natural sugars if you brown them before adding to the sauce. And of couse if you like heat - add 1/2 Teaspoon of red pepper flakes to add an undercurrent of spicyness to the sauce. those are all italian flavors of sauce. Prego has sugar in it to offset the tomato spiceyness. You also have the Mexican dirty rice or rice and beans with tomato sauce in it.

with summer upon us, you also have Roasted Tomatos  

Answer 12

just try fresh herbs with olive oil and garlic.crush it all a little in the food processor.

Answer 13

Why don't you make your own sauce?  Just buy a can of diced tomatoes in garlic and olive oil, add mushrooms, peppers, onions, salt, oregano etc..  Much healthier than that canned stuff, which is usually high in sugar and/or salt.

Answer 14

Ingredients

3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2-1/2 ounces pancetta, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

2 cups (12 ounces) cherry tomatoes, halved

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 box (16 ounces) BARILLA Thick Spaghetti

HEAT oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, pancetta, rosemary and sage; cook 7 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently.

ADD tomatoes, salt and pepper until thoroughly heated.

COOK Spaghetti according to package directions; drain and return to pot.

ADD tomato mixture to hot Spaghetti; toss. Transfer to serving platter

Substitute ½ teaspoon each dried rosemary and sage for fresh.

HERB'S SPAGHETTI SAUCE

2 lbs. ground round

1 c. chopped onion

3 cans tomato soup

1 lg. can tomatoes

1 can mushroom stems and pieces

2 tbsp. yellow mustard

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. powdered marjoram

1 1/2 tsp. rosemary leaves

Generous pinch of oregano

1 tsp. basil

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. salt

1/3 c. sugar

Brown meat and onion and drain fat. Add all other ingredients in large pot; add meat and onions; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours until al dente. Serve over thin spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Answer 15

Pasta with fresh Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta

8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup Italian dressing

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the penne pasta in the pot, cook 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the tomatoes, Italian dressing, basil, red onion, and Parmesan cheese.