How to use Store-bought Pasta Sauce at Its Best [Cooking Class Series]

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

Choose a good quality store-bought pasta sauce, preferably from Italian brands like Barilla, Granoro, Agnesi, or Cirio.

While the pasta is cooking, let the sauce simmer in a large frying pan, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Cook the pasta without adding oil to the water, gently pushing long shapes like spaghetti into the pot.

Drain the pasta a couple of minutes before it reaches al dente, reserving some starchy pasta water.

Transfer the pasta directly into the frying pan with the sauce using a strainer, or drain it with a colander and then add it to the pan.

Mix the pasta and the sauce, adding reserved pasta water until the pasta is just al dente, allowing the sauce to cling to the pasta.

Add freshly grated Parmigiano for a mild flavor or Pecorino for a saltier taste, but avoid adding cheese to fish-based dishes.

Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to enhance the flavor.

Top the dish with the reserved sauce and garnish with fresh basil leaves for presentation.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens