Spiffed Up Jarred Spaghetti Sauce

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kitchenelf

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OK, my secret when making a quickie spaghetti sauce is to use ground pork (it's more moist and has a smoother flavor). But, the key to making it taste more homemade is to put about 1/2 cup or so of red wine into it and let it reduce a bit. It adds a depth of flavor that certainly fools everyone. Takes 30 minutes or less and definitely tastes like it's someone's grandmother's recipe. I do use Hunt's Traditional - it's the least processed tasting and has some good herb flavor to it.

OK, I have even done this when I'm not in a hurry (where is the ashamed emoticon) "blush"
 
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Do you mean red wine vinegar or red wine?

Lee

Just red wine Lee - I just use some of the boxed Burgundy or Cabernet I have to cook with.

I have put red wine vinegar in spaghetti sauce before but more like 1 TBS or so...it was quite good.
 
If you like the taste of Italian sausage, ground fennel seed is a great herb for your spaghetti sauce with pork.
 
ROBO!!! - how could I forget that - I always use fennel seed!!!!! Thanks for posting it for me! :LOL: That's another little secret to spaghetti sauces IMHO.
 
elfie, heinz sauce rocks! and red wine really does add a whole extra dimension. my fave to use if gallo burgundy.
and of course, there's something special about pork, fennel, and tomato sauce.

the heinz sauce is really easy to doctor up and make excellent quck sauces.

i like to toast a half head of peeled/sliced garlic in a healthy amount of evoo, then sorta "fry" the can of sauce for a few seconds, finally adding freshly torn basil. great with shellfish.

to make a quick fra diavolo, toss in some red pepper flakes into the hot garlic oil before adding the sauce, then add capers and simmer.

btw, try browning some boneless pork rib ends in garlic oil, then simmering in your sauce till they're falling apart.

my god, i'm hungry!
 
Thats how I learned to cook, by using a jarred sauce, adding a little here and there until i was adding more than the jarred sauce provided. Just substituded the jarred sauce for tomatoes + anything I added and called it my own;)

That was when i was 15 or 16 ;)

I did the same things with canned soups also, adding mushrooms, wine, noodles ...
 
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, the "Heinz Traditional" is the SAUCE!! LOL! k.e., I thought you were talking a brand of either wine or vinegar in your post!

Don't believe I've ever heard of that sauce, but I'll keep an eye out.

I use Barilla Green and Black Olive. Love it!

Lee
 
Thats how I learned to cook, by using a jarred sauce, adding a little here and there until i was adding more than the jarred sauce provided. Just substituded the jarred sauce for tomatoes + anything I added and called it my own;)

That was when i was 15 or 16 ;)

I did the same things with canned soups also, adding mushrooms, wine, noodles ...

I did it up to a month ago, and I'm triple that age :LOL:
Everytime I brought up jazzing up jar sauce someone would say I might as well start from scratch, so I'm just starting to learn how.
There's some great tips here I'm reading that should work for any sauce, jar or scratch. :)
I think I found a new use for pork ribs :)
 
The wine sounds good (why wouldn't it??)!
I've always just put browned italian sausage in it, put that would sure help it alot!
Thanks.
 
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, the "Heinz Traditional" is the SAUCE!! LOL! k.e., I thought you were talking a brand of either wine or vinegar in your post!

Don't believe I've ever heard of that sauce, but I'll keep an eye out.

I use Barilla Green and Black Olive. Love it!

Lee

LOL Lee - I'm glad I saw this because I was trying to figure out how to clarify without sounding like a :smartass: :LOL: I guess if you've never heard of it it certainly wouldn't have made sense to connect it to the name of the jarred sauce! ;)

The Heinz Traditional comes in a can, as do the other Heinz "flavors". They are all pretty good but the Traditional is seriously good!

Bucky - when you make your fra diavolo try adding about 2 oz. of vodka to it as it cooks. Interesting flavor layer.
 
I used to buy Prego then saw the Heinz cans were about half the price so got two to try. I always add stuff anyway. It was the best thing I ever did! I never buy anything else. My boys like the Four Cheese as a base and then I always add some kind of meat (hamburger, smoked sausage, Bob Evans Original Sausage, shredded chicken, whatever I have). I like to carmelize some diced onions, peppers and mushrooms to add sometimes and I usually add more garlic somehow, either minced or powdered depending on what's readily available. I'll put the red wine on the list. I have a small bottle of Sutter Home Merlot in the fridge that I want to use up. Into the sauce it goes!
 
I used to buy Prego then saw the Heinz cans were about half the price so got two to try. I always add stuff anyway. It was the best thing I ever did! I never buy anything else. My boys like the Four Cheese as a base and then I always add some kind of meat (hamburger, smoked sausage, Bob Evans Original Sausage, shredded chicken, whatever I have). I like to carmelize some diced onions, peppers and mushrooms to add sometimes and I usually add more garlic somehow, either minced or powdered depending on what's readily available. I'll put the red wine on the list. I have a small bottle of Sutter Home Merlot in the fridge that I want to use up. Into the sauce it goes!

Let me know how the Merlot does. Merlot wouldn't be a choice for me due to the herbal/dill quality in most. Not sure how it would work in the sauce. Certainly worth a try to use it up though. I am curious so do let us know! Thanks. I was a Prego girl too until I found Heinz. I can't really brag on it enough! :chef:
 
I am confused about this Heinz sauce. Is it a spaghetti sauce like their Classico brand or is it something else altogether?
 
OK so we are just talking regular tomato sauce, not jarred spaghetti sauce. got it, thanks IC.
 
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