ISO recommendations on spaghetti/marinara

[stallard]

I have no interest in starting from scratch on a sphagetti sauce, I just need to add onion, mushroom and ground meat to a store bought bottle of sauce. To that end, does anyone have a reccomendation for the 'tartiest', tomato sharp bottled sauce with a strong marinara bite?

[Hammster]

My wife and I aren't fans of sweet spaghetti sauces, so I think we are on the same page as you. We found a pretty good one at Trader Joe's. I don't know where you are located, maybe you have a TJ's near you and can check it out.
It doesn't have any sugar or sweetener of any kind in it. I tweaked mine with a bit of homemade Italian sausage and have also tweaked it with ground beef. Both worked well with it.
If you drink red wine, a splash of red wine works well in it too.

[stallard]

Southeast Texas and I don't think that we have a Trader Joes. Thanks for your response.

[jennyema]

Whole Foods brand, by far. Im not a huge fan of their stuff but their jarred sauce is great. Perfect for adding your own special touches.

Store brand would be Barilla. Avoid Prego, it's like syrup.

[Aunt Bea]

If you are going to make additions to a basic sauce I would use a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes for less than a buck.

[MostlyWater]

Contadina but it's not cheap.
A 2nd vote for Trader Joe's sauces, even though I have to hand carry them home, and they're in glass jars.

[FrankZ]

While it is not a jarred sauce you could just get a can of crushed tomatoes and add what you will.

I use the 28oz can and add what seems right after browning the meat.

[PrincessFiona60]

I like Bertolli jarred sauces.

[merstar]

I like Classico Tomato Basil (NOT their Sweet Basil - they make 2 kinds), as a base sauce.
Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce - Classico Pasta Sauce

[Claire]

What I like is a Del Monte product, not sold as spaghetti sauce/marinara, but canned tomatoes with basil & garlic.

[salt and pepper]

I'm sorry to have to say this, but why bother to add anything? If your going to go through all the trouble to cut mushrooms, onion ,garlic,and meat, your half way there! Just make a sauce to fit your taste!
Use crushed tomatoes instead of jar sauce , add a teaspoon of vinagar (tart)to it. Put some Italian spice in with your meat and combine.
If you must use "jar sauce" I reccomend San Marzano.

[chopper]

Originally Posted by salt and pepper

I'm sorry to have to say this, but why bother to add anything? If your going to go through all the trouble to cut mushrooms, onion ,garlic,and meat, your half way there! Just make a sauce to fit your taste!
Use crushed tomatoes instead of jar sauce , add a teaspoon of vinagar (tart)to it. Put some Italian spice in with your meat and combine.
If you must use "jar sauce" I reccomend San Marzano.

Spicy Spaghetti seasoning from SAMs would go good here.

[Whiskadoodle]

I like the convenience of jarred sauce, No, it is not home-made. Yes, you can still make it taste good. I like ones that have some texture in them usually with mushrooms included, as I don't often have fresh mushrooms. I don't expect a jarred sauce to equate the same as open-and-ready-to-use. I also think there is some flavor loss when making a big batch of home made sauce and then freezing it in portions. I add back in more herbs after defrosting and before finishing it in a dish.

[Caslon]

I'm endeavoring to make my own hamburger spaghetti sauce from scratch. Not made it before. If I want to make it more flavorful, can I buy one of those 1 lb. Jimmy Dean ground sausage rolls and mix it in with the hamburger? I want to end up with 1lb. total ground meat. Would adding the ground sausage affect the taste favorably?

Do you have your own homemade spaghetti sauce recipe? I have a well stocked spice rack. I don't want to get too extravagant making spaghetti sauce tho (chopped shallots), but don't want Hamburger Helper simplicity either.

If it goes ok, I will make a lot and freeze it in portions.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by Caslon

I'm endeavoring to make my own hamburger spaghetti sauce from scratch. Not made it before. If I want to make it more flavorful, can I buy one of those 1 lb. Jimmy Dean ground sausage rolls and mix it in with the hamburger? I want to end up with 1lb. total ground meat. Would adding the ground sausage affect the taste favorably?

Do you have your own homemade spaghetti sauce recipe? I have a well stocked spice rack. I don't want to get too extravagant making spaghetti sauce tho (chopped shallots), but don't want Hamburger Helper simplicity either.

If it goes ok, I will make a lot and freeze it in portions.

Remember Jimmy Dean is loaded with seasoning. You would be better off buying sweet Italian sausages from the meat department, removing the casings and saute'ing it after breaking it up manually. Saute' it first then drain off most of the grease. You want some to flavor the sauce.

[Caslon]

Originally Posted by Addie

Remember Jimmy Dean is loaded with seasoning. You would be better off buying sweet Italian sausages from the meat department, removing the casings and saute'ing it after breaking it up manually. Saute' it first then drain off most of the grease. You want some to flavor the sauce.

Will do. What proportion of ground sausage to hamburger? I read somewhere make it 50-50 %

Some make it from 100% ground sausage. Which begs the question whether adding it would make any difference in taste.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by Caslon

Will do. What proportion of ground sausage to hamburger? I read somewhere make it 50-50 %

Some make it from 100% ground sausage. Which begs the question whether adding it would make any difference in taste.

Check the weight of the sausages and add the same amount of ground beef. Look for ground chuck. It has more flavor. Cook the sausage meat first, then do the beef in the reduced sausage fat.

[giggler]

Stallard in SE TX. prob. has an HEB (chain) grocery store..

I really like the HEB Brand Tomato & Basil jarred sauce. (they prob. have their high end brand, Central Market on the same shelf)..

good jarred sauces and not sweet...

also check the frozen veg section for frozen Artichoke Hearts. I think those add a real tang to my sauce.

Eric, Austin Tx.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by salt and pepper

I'm sorry to have to say this, but why bother to add anything? If your going to go through all the trouble to cut mushrooms, onion ,garlic,and meat, your half way there! Just make a sauce to fit your taste!
Use crushed tomatoes instead of jar sauce , add a teaspoon of vinagar (tart)to it. Put some Italian spice in with your meat and combine.
If you must use "jar sauce" I reccomend San Marzano.

San Marzano is a variety of tomato grown in Italy, not a brand of jarred sauce.

I make homemade sauce all the time both from my garden and from canned tomatoes but I also sometimes enhance jarred sauce. The latter is faster and easier.

Also, I use jarred sauce and not a can of chopped or pureed tomatoes for my fast and easy sauce because you need to simmer canned tomatoes fir quite awile to get rid of the canned taste.

[Soma]

for my tomato sauces, I like to roast tomatoes, even canned ones, in the oven, along with onions, peppers, mushrooms.....then puree, cuz it gives SUCH a deep and delicious, and sometimes sweet taste to tomato sauces.

I wonder if it would work with canned or jarred sauces? If you insist on not chopping or adding any fresh veggies, nor meat to a canned or jarred sauce, maybe simply roasting the sauce in the oven for 20-30 minutes would make it more flavorful?

Good luck!