The Easiest Way To Add Richness And Homemade Flavor To Jarred Pasta Sauce

Jarred pasta sauce is a kitchen pantry staple that's hard to beat for pulling together a quick, simple meal — even celebrity chefs have their favorite pasta sauce brands for when they're not making it themselves. But if you want to make the jarred stuff taste richer and more homemade, there's an easy way to do it using an ingredient you likely already have in your refrigerator: butter.

The late chef and author Anthony Bourdain revealed the secret of how much butter restaurants use in their sauces — and nearly everything they serve — in his essay, "Don't Eat Before Reading This" (per New Yorker). You can apply the same trick at home, even with jarred pasta sauce. Stirring butter into the sauce as a finishing touch makes it smoother and richer with a glossy sheen. It also balances the tomatoes' acidity, and mellows the overall flavor. This technique works for homemade pasta sauce, too.

To try out this tip, heat a standard-sized jar of your favorite pasta sauce on the stove, then stir in a couple of tablespoons of butter. Give it a taste to judge its flavor and mouthfeel, and add more butter if needed — but don't overdo it, as too much butter can overpower the sauce. Opt for unsalted butter, since jarred sauce can be pretty salty — you can always adjust the seasoning if necessary.

There are other ingredients besides butter that can help take your meal to the next level. For a creamier pasta sauce, stir in a little bit of heavy cream, milk, or ricotta cheese. Alternatively, mix in olive oil to achieve that same lusciousness without dairy. Simmering the sauce with a piece of parmesan cheese rind or adding chopped olives or capers can provide a salty, umami flavor.

Fresh or dried herbs like basil, oregano, or parsley can bring brightness to the sauce, while red pepper flakes add some spice. For more depth, stir in a small amount of red wine or a squeeze of thick tomato paste — then use a simple hack to store leftover paste from the tube. You can also concentrate the sauce's flavors by simmering it for 15 to 30 minutes rather than just heating it up.

If you have a little more time, cook some ingredients before adding them to the jarred sauce. Saute garlic, onions, or vegetables like peppers, mushrooms, or carrots. Brown bacon, sausage, or ground meat such as beef or pork, and stir it in for a heartier sauce. To bring out even more flavor from tomato paste, saute it in olive oil before incorporating it into the sauce.