Whenever there is any party, I always cook spaghetti for guests. It looks really odd if the sauce is runny and watery.
I also tried sauce from super-shop, but it also didn’t work out. At first, I struggled a lot to make the sauce thicker. Then I research it, and finally, now I know the trick. So, here I am sharing some tips that will definitely help you.
Sometimes you may need to thicken spaghetti sauce. Whenever you brought sauce from the grocery shop, those are not thickened enough. For thicken spaghetti sauce, there are many ways.
But some ways can change the taste of the sauce. Which type of thickening option you choose will define the ingredients you have on hand, the available time you have, and the flavor you are trying to achieve.
How to thicken spaghetti sauce
Here are some options to thicken your spaghetti sauce, without changing the taste and thickening with flavor booster.
Without changing the flavor-
1. Reduce by cooking at a low heat:
Bring your sauce for a boil and reduce the heat a little bit. Do not cover the sauce. Allow it to simmer until it became thick. To prevent burning, stir the sauce often. This will reduce the water by respiration of extra water and will thicken the sauce.
Thickening the sauce in this way will not change the taste, but it will take little extra time. Time depends on how much water you want to reduce—the reduction in the natural way to thicken the spaghetti sauce or any sauce.
2. Using cornstarch for thickening spaghetti sauce:
Mix water with cornstarch and pour it in a small amount into the sauce. Cornstarch has a rich amount of starch and no flavor.
It will not change the taste of the sauce. But it will improve the texture of the sauce. It works as a really powerful thickening agent. You might need a very little amount for a large pot of sauce.
3. Adding roux for thickening spaghetti sauce:
By mixing flour and melting butter together, you can make a roux. In French cooking, roux is used as a thickening liquid. Cook the sauce at least 30 minutes longer after adding roux in it.
Otherwise, it will taste like the grainy flour texture. The flavor of the sauce can be changed for the additional cooking of the roux.
4. Using reserved pasta water:
Pasta water contains lots of starch on it. Use pasta water when you are making the sauce. It will make your sauce really thick, and it will not change the flavor of the sauce.
5. Cook spaghetti in the sauce:
After cooking the spaghetti drain the water and cook it in the sauce. Cook for two or three minutes.
It will not change the taste and mixed up with the spaghetti really well. The starch from spaghetti will make the sauce thicker, and your spaghetti will be well coated.
By changing the flavor or boosting the flavor-
6. By adding breadcrumbs:
Add breadcrumbs to the spaghetti sauce. It is like a roux. It is a primary flour. So it is really good for thickening the sauce. You might taste a little flavor of breadcrumbs, but the thickness will make you avoid the flavor.
7. By adding mashed potatoes:
May it sounds a little odd, but mashed potatoes are really good at thickening the sauce. Potato is loaded with starch. Add some mashed potatoes on your sauce, and mix them really well.
Cook the sauce in medium heat and keep string. It will change the taste a little. It will add potato flavor in your sauce. Otherwise, it is a good substitute.
8. By adding tomato paste:
Tomato paste work as a thickening agent; You can add it when you want your sauce becomes thicker. You can add it at the beginning when you are starting to make the sauce. If you add the tomato paste at the beginning, it will easily be mixed up with the spices. It may change the flavor a little bit.
9. Add cheese to thicken the sauce:
Shredded cheese will help to thicken the sauce. Parmesan and Romano have a high amount of salt. So careful when you use it. The cheese will change the taste of sauce slightly. But thick the sauce really quick.
10. Add vegetables:
Vegetables add starches and nutrition on the sauce. It adds richness to your sauce.
- You can add onions (grated or ground) and peppers to the sauce. It will make your sauce thicker. But it will change the taste of the sauce.
- Carrots are also useful as a thickening agent. They soak water and nicely mix up with sauce. Add carrots and cook them till they become soft and mushy. It also helps to reduce the acidity of the sauce.
- You can use eggplant after removing the outer skin. It also changes the taste, but it works well.
- Mushrooms also help to add extra thickness to the sauce. Add shredding mushroom or sliced mushroom. Mushroom also soak the extra mushroom
11. Add heavy cream:
Heavy cream is also good for thickening sauce. It will change the taste a little bit. Heavy cream makes the sauce tastier. It adds an amazing smell, and the taste is fantastic. You would love it.
12. Ground meat:
Ground meat and tomato paste are best when you cook it with sauce for a long time. It blends best and adds an amazing flavor. Spaghetti with ground meat is delicious.
How you will do these tricks:
- First, place the saucepan on the stove. Add the sauce carefully.
- Set the fire at low heat. Make sure the temperature is okay. Otherwise, the sauce will burn.
- Heat the sauce and stir it.
- You need to put it on the stove according to how runny your sauce is.
- You can add the things I discussed to make the sauce thicker, or you can thick it by reducing the water.
- Keep stirring the sauce, or it will boil and mess up your kitchen
- Remove the pan from the heat
- Now you can add it on spaghetti, or you can mix the spaghetti in it.
Well, spaghetti is common for the occasion and special time or gatherings. You can have it warm and save it for later. It is a dish that you will never get bored. But is the sauce is really runny, it doesn’t make the spaghetti that tasty. But you can easily thick the sauce by reducing its water. Otherwise, you can add the other
