Make Store-Bought Pasta Sauce Taste Homemade With This Chef Pro-Tip

If you're anything like most foodies, pasta likely has a regular spot in your weeknight at-home dinner rotation. From mac and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, to lasagna, there's nothing more crowd pleasing and comforting than whipping up a meal by boiling some boxed noodles and popping open a jarred sauce, plus adding some variety of cheese and veggies on top. While easy pasta dinners will always be a staple, we all know there's a big difference between the usual at-home meal you're making from store-bought ingredients and the most elevated, memorable, restaurant-made pasta sauces you've enjoyed. 

Luckily, if you don't have time to make your own homemade red sauce, there are a few doable tips and tricks to dress up your basic jarred sauce into something that tastes as professionally made as what you'd get from an award-winning restaurant. In Chowhound's interview with Chef Jasper J. Mirabile Jr., owner and chef at Jasper's Restaurant and Host of Live! From Jasper's Kitchen Radio, he exclusively breaks down how you can easily elevate any basic store-bought jarred sauce with a few basic add-ins. These ingredients, which you probably already have in the kitchen, lend the complexity and depth of flavors you'd expect from restaurant-quality sauce without having to leave the house. No matter the starting point of sauce you're working with, be it a low-end grocery store brand or a higher-end jarred option, it's all about the additions. Chef Mirabile recommends fresh basil and pepper, explaining that you'd be surprised what these two powerhouse ingredients do to liven up any basic red sauce.

Chef Jasper J. Mirabile Jr. knows a thing or two about authentic Italian flavor. In addition to being a renowned chef, Chef Mirabile is a celebrated cookbook author and radio host, and regularly speaks and shares his extensive knowledge of cooking and ingredients. He's the head chef at Jasper's restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, where he oversees the family-run establishment that's been serving the community with award-winning Italian fare since the 1950s.

In Chowhound's exclusive interview, Chef Mirabile said, "I'm not going to lie, in a pinch, I'll grab a couple of jars of my own sauce, found in local grocery stores and add some basil leaves, and a pinch of red pepper, and to be honest, I've even fooled members of my family who thought the sauce was just fantastic." Many store-bought jars contain some basil, but by the time you pop it open, the basil is a far cry from fresh or fragrant, so the herbs add a needed vibrant, aromatic boost. Pepper the sauce to add a bit of a savory kick. 

If your sauce still needs a little something, extra salt, garlic, acid, or parmesan all go a long way in giving sauce a glow-up. Follow other tips like finishing your pasta in a pan, and adding the correct amount of salt to your water, and you're well on your way to a pasta night that tastes chef-made.