How to thicken spaghetti sauce? Sounds easy or not? Have you ever wondered how you can improve your spaghetti sauce? Is your sauce always too diluted? Or is it too thick? Either way, there must be something to be done and change to achieve that exquisite taste of your spaghetti sauce that is way too good on any occasion!
Homemade spaghetti sauce is one of the things a housewife finds hard to master or even to try in every home’s kitchen. Although this type of food is typical in most book recipes, containing numerous different styles of making it, there are still instances where your sauce turns out much more watery than the one you are expecting.
To start with your spaghetti sauce, some main ingredients are mixed with other ingredients to enhance its flavor and texture somehow.
The majority of the people opt to buy ready-made sauce, a sauce that you can buy easily in any store. This is very advisable for those whose time is quite restricted with some other things to be done. But for those housewives out there who are always ready to explore their cooking skills, making one of your own is highly recommended. There are many ways in how your spaghetti sauce can be done. And also many ways on how to thicken it, too, by simply adding some thickening ingredients. To achieve that thick pasta sauce of your desired spaghetti, you can follow some things that are listed below. Some may be as easy to do, but it quite takes a lot of effort to do so. Whatever way you choose, you are always free to adapt it or go and look for other ways.
In this article, different ways to thicken your spaghetti sauce are already laid down in front of you. Advantages and disadvantages accompany each way. More so, some tips on improving your cooking magic as the queen of the house!
To get us started, here is the gist of all the things that you should bear in mind to thicken your spaghetti sauce:
- Use the boiled water from your pasta!
- Add cornstarch.
- Add mashed potatoes
- Adjust the ratio of Solid-liquid ingredients
- Egg yolks can also be added
How do you thicken spaghetti sauce with boiled water from your pasta
If your spaghetti sauce needs thickening, the first option that you might add to achieve this is the water from your boiled pasta. YES! No doubt that the water you use from boiling your pasta is the number one conventional step to thicken your pasta sauce. Technically speaking, water is the best and effective agent to thicken your sauce.
Why can you make use of this water? This is because as your pasta is being boiled, starch is being released. Once you notice that your pasta is almost cooked or near to be cooked, you can start scooping some teaspoons and adding them to your pan where you are making your sauce simultaneously.
Although you might notice that by adding this water to your sauce, it might start to get slippery at first, the moment you start mixing and mixing until you notice that it is turning too heavy to stir already, it is a good sign now that it is starting to thicken. Continue to do the stirring process until you reach the level of thickness you want from your sauce.
One good thing about maximizing its resource is that you don’t have to add an extra penny for this since it is readily available already. Small resources are just to be considered too, whenever you opt for this first choice of thickening your spaghetti sauce.
Pros
- All the tools needed are already available at hand, the pan, the water, and many other resources needed.
- The flavor out of the water form your boiled pasta can add an extra flavor to your spaghetti sauce.
Cons
- You can’t make use of this first option if your pasta is a gluten-free one, since there will be no starch to come out of it.
How to thicken your pasta sauce with cornstarch?
Cornstarch is one of the common ingredients to any thickening process of any menu on the table. It may come from any source like corn, rice, etc., and is highly recommended as the main thickening agent.
Why is starch also advisable to be used to thicken your spaghetti sauce? This ingredient undergoes a process that whenever it is heated, its molecules expand and absorbs the water in any liquid solution or mixture, thus turning the liquid into a thick texture.
A desirable amount of starch is actually needed depending on the thickness you want from your spaghetti sauce. If you want something too thick, you can start adding little by little only. But if you want something that is only fair enough, then add a teaspoon amount only. Anyway, as a housewife, you should vary this amount to be added whenever you want.
One thing to be reminded of every time you choose this second option is to be very careful when exposing this to too much heat and overexposure because this might burn or thicken your sauce that can’t be undone already.
Pros
- Adding this to your spaghetti sauce will not ever change its flavor, texture and appearance.
- You will always achieve the thickness you want to your spaghetti sauce, with the right and exact amount only.
Cons
- If you can’t predict the result of adding too much starch, you might end up having a very thick sauce. That is why it is advisable to add little by little only so as to reach exactly the desired thickness you want to your sauce.
Make the spaghetti sauce thicker by adding mashed potatoes
This might shock you, but potatoes can also be added as an alternative to thicken your spaghetti sauce! Yes, it is, and this is primarily because potatoes also contain lots of starch that is considered a thickening agent.
However, adding mashed potatoes can somehow alter the taste and the texture of your spaghetti sauce. So for those housewives out there who are not fond of eating potatoes, you might not think of adding this, but you can always give it a try.
The first is that peel your potatoes. Then you can either boil them or microwave them before mashing them through, after which it may be your preference to add some milk or butter to your mashed potatoes before adding it as other ingredients to your spaghetti sauce.
You will just be needing potatoes for this, mashing equipment, and a fork for this third option.
Pros
- Whenever you have leftover potatoes, you can maximize it by adding this to your spaghetti sauce. No waste at all!
Cons
- Pasta already contains high carbohydrates and calories, and still adding more mashed potatoes. multiplying its content.
Adjust the ratio of solid-liquid to make the sause thicker
Making homemade spaghetti sauce is very versatile. Adding even a small amount of water can already change its texture and taste. Adding sugar can also add a different taste, and too many additives can also alter its taste. So, whenever you are stuck on this particular scenario of making your pasta sauce, always adjust the amount of solid-liquid ingredients you have.
In increasing the solid contents of your sauce, you may start adding some vegetables. Vegetables like minced or blended carrots, other ingredients such as onions and garlic. This is advisable if there is a large amount of water in your sauce. By doing this, you are trying to balance its content from that liquid ingredient.
In reducing the liquid content of your spaghetti sauce, there is one clear way to d this, extend the amount of boiling and simmering time of your spaghetti sauce. But be very careful on this one because you might end up burning your saucepan. You can simply be doing this by boiling your sauce to go further than 20 minutes or more, depending on the amount of water you want to lessen and your preference of its water content.
Pros
- Adding vegetables to your sauce can also add some taste and flavors to your spaghetti in general. And also you can add your favorite veggie in your ingredients.
- Reducing the water content is a great option because it does not need any other materials. You just simply boil it until there is already less water i your sauce pan.
Cons
- Adding vegetables can change your sauce flavors since some of them contain overpowering taste. Like when you add too much garlic or onion, it can turn your sauce to quite spicy flavor already, which you don’t want to achieve.
- The process of lessening or removing the water content of your sauce is rather time consuming and excessive use of your gas.
Add egg yolks to thicken the spaghetti sause
The last thing you can add to your spaghetti sauce to thicken it is to add some egg yolk, and egg yolks are also an effective sauce thickener. First, one tip is to mix a small amount of egg yolk with the sauce instead of adding it directly to the boiling mixture. By doing this, you can balance its texture with the texture of the sauce itself. And also, it will prevent your yolk from being easily cooked whenever you start putting your pan in the fire.
Pros
- Adding this yolk will not change the taste and flavor of your sauce
Cons
- You should know how to mix it carefully so as to avoid cooking it like an scrambled egg.
As you technically see, there are alternative ways on how to thicken your spaghetti sauce. Listed above are only some of the advisable and easy-to-do things while making your homemade sauce. Like the housewife, it is always your creativity to excel on how to turn this simple yet very complicated recipe to be worthy of being placed on top of anybody’s plate.
