Want to make jar spaghetti sauce taste homemade? You can, and it’s super easy with just a few extra ingredients! Next time your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce goes on sale, stock up!

The recipe I’ve included here is great for a quick weeknight meal. The secret is in the spices and other things you add! If you want your next batch of jar spaghetti sauce to taste better than ever before, try some of these tips. It’s good to have a few simple tricks up your sleeve to make dinnertime less stressful. This is one of mine.

Remember that cooking is an ongoing process. As you discover tips and techniques along the way, your meals will become more and more delicious.

Note: The recipe I used is at the bottom of this post. If you want, you can click the jump-to-recipe button beneath the title.

Quick Tips

There are times when I’m in a hurry, and I don’t have the time to put much effort into cooking dinner. That’s when I use these simple tips:

• First, start by adding a pinch of salt to the sauce. This will help to bring out the flavors and make it taste more like homemade. 
• Next, add some garlic powder or fresh minced garlic for extra flavor. If you want your sauce to be a little bit spicier, try adding some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
• Pour in a splash of wine. Red wine adds a richness of flavor to elevate any kind of spaghetti sauce.
• Read the ingredients on the jar and add more of something that’s already in the sauce. This helps to enhance the flavor even more.
• Add sautéed vegetables. This works best with onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic.
• Stir in some tomato paste. Since tomato paste is concentrated, a little bit goes a long way. Start with a teaspoon of it and add more if needed.
• Simmer for a few extra minutes. The longer you cook the sauce the more concentrated the flavors become. So each bite is loaded with deliciousness.
• Add meat. Most of the time, we like browned hamburger meat. But there are other times when we use ground sausage, chicken, turkey, or even seafood.

Ingredients

Last time I made spaghetti sauce, I started with a generic jar of spaghetti sauce and added more ingredients.

Here’s what I used:

• Jar of spaghetti sauce
• Ground turkey
• Can of diced tomatoes
• Sautéed diced onions
• Diced bell pepper
• Minced garlic from a jar
• Can of sliced mushrooms (or more if you like)
• Italian seasoning
• Dash of cinnamon (Yes, I’m serious. Cinnamon is really good in almost everything!)
• Small pinch of red pepper flakes

My husband and I enjoy mushrooms and spicy hot seasonings. If you don’t care for them, you can leave them out. Or substitute whatever you do like, such as sliced olives or even chopped artichokes.

Directions

Here is my latest version of improving jarred spaghetti sauce. There is nothing difficult about it. First, brown the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat. There was very little fat, so I didn’t need to drain it. But if you wind up with a lot of fat, drain the meat so the sauce doesn’t come out greasy.

Add the onions to the ground meat and sauté until they are translucent. Feel free to add a little oil if you need to.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir until everything is well mixed. Turn the burner down to low heat and simmer the sauce until the flavors have a chance to blend.

You’ll be amazed by how good you can make jarred sauce taste. In fact, most people who taste it will probably think it’s scratch sauce.

I added a printable recipe card to the bottom of this post for your convenience.

More Ways to Make Jar Spaghetti Sauce Taste Homemade

There are so many other things you can add to your sauce. In my opinion, the best sauce is whatever you like. Here are some ingredients that can elevate the flavors of yours to make it taste homemade:

• Fresh herbs (fresh basil is my favorite!)
• Red wine
• Fresh garlic cloves, chopped
• Tomato paste
• Italian sausage
• Sweet onion
• Cream cheese (for a creamy sauce)
• Bay leaf
• More meat (for a thick meaty sauce)
• Spoonful of sugar (for a sweeter sauce)
• Squirt of lemon (for a tangy flavor)

Types of Pasta

There are many different types of pasta to choose from, but they can be broadly divided into two categories: dried and fresh. Dried pasta is the most common type, and you can find it in almost any grocery store. Fresh pasta is made with flour, eggs, and water, and it has a more delicate flavor than dried pasta.

You can make fresh pasta if you have the time. This recipe for homemade pasta is from the Gimme Some Oven blog.

Fresh pasta is a great choice if you want something special, but it can be hard to find outside of specialty stores or Italian restaurants. I used to love fresh pasta, but now that I have to be gluten-free, I just use the dried gluten free pasta I can find in the stores.

After you determine whether you want fresh or dried pasta, you’ll need to consider the shape that’s best for whatever dish you’re making.

Ways to Use Spaghetti Sauce

You can make your spaghetti dinner the traditional way with the spaghetti pasta topped with sauce. Or put all of the ingredients into your Dutch oven or casserole dish, sprinkle cheese over the top, and pop it into the oven until the cheese melts. If you do this, I highly recommend spraying the bottom of the pan with nonstick cooking spray to make cleanup easier.

Cooking Pasta 

Fortunately, dried pasta is just as delicious and it’s easy to cook at home. All you need is a pot of boiling water and some salt!

Simply add the pasta to the boiling water and cook it according to the package directions. Once it’s cooked, drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Then, add your desired sauce and stir until everything is evenly mixed. You can also add some Parmesan cheese or olive oil for extra flavor.

Pasta is a classic dish that everyone loves, and it’s easy to improve the flavor of jar sauce. By following these tips, you can make jar spaghetti sauce taste better than ever before. So what are you waiting for? Get cooking!

Frequently Asked Questions About Spaghetti Sauce and Pasta

Here are some questions you may have when using jarred spaghetti sauce.

Q: How long does spaghetti sauce last in the jar?

A: Spaghetti sauce will typically stay fresh for about two years if left unopened. Once it is opened, you should eat the spaghetti sauce within one week.

Q: Can you freeze leftover spaghetti sauce?

A: Spaghetti sauce can be frozen for up to 4 months if you put it in an airtight container.

Q: Can you freeze spaghetti with sauce if you’ve already combined them?

A: Yes, you can freeze spaghetti with sauce for a couple of months. Allow it to thaw before heating it back up. I like to sprinkle cheese on top and bake it in the oven if it’s been frozen.

Share Your Tips

If you’ve ever had jarred spaghetti sauce, you know it usually doesn’t quite taste like the homemade variety. You can make your jar of pasta sauce taste more homemade by following some of the tips above!

Do any of these suggestions sound good? Be sure to share what has worked best for you in the comments section below so I can try them out!

Important to Remember When Using Jarred Sauce

To sum it up, the most important thing to remember is to add the ingredients your family enjoys. Don’t be afraid to try something different because that’s the way you’ll discover your favorite method of improving the sauce.

Adding more seasonings and other ingredients that you like can make a huge difference in the flavor of the sauce. And if you hide the jar, no one will know where it all started.

Here are a couple more ways to improve jarred pasta sauce:

How to Make Jar Alfredo Sauce Better – You’ll discover a similar concept to the spaghetti sauce, only this sauce is extra creamy!

Dutch Oven Pasta and Meatballs – Combine some unlikely ingredients to make this amazing one-pot dinner!

Please feel free to share!