14 Fast & Easy Hacks for Premade Pasta Sauce to Spice Up Spaghetti

Turn a jar of premade pasta sauce into something much more spectacular with our yummy & easy pasta sauce hacks.

Published January 30, 2025
Woman making homemade pasta with tomato sous and cheese over old wooden table

Pasta sauce that comes in a can or jar is super convenient and fast — perfect for when you need a quick meal and all you feel like doing is boiling pasta. And it's pretty good on its own, but it isn't great. But we have all kinds of pasta sauce hacks to turn meh pre-made pasta sauce into amazing pasta sauce, and all of them are super easy.

Simmer It With a Parmesan Rind

Next time you're in the cheese section at the grocery store, pick up a wedge of parmesan cheese. You can use the parmesan for all sorts of stuff, but the rind on the back is an amazing pasta sauce flavor enhancer, and you can't really grate it up with the rest of the cheese. But when you cut off the rind and toss it in a simmering saucepan of premade red sauce, it adds rich, umami flavors that turn average pasta sauce into something really special. Simmer it for about 10 minutes on medium-low (stirring occasionally), remove what's left of the parmesan rind and throw it away, and enjoy your tasty sauce over your favorite noodles. 

Stir in Pre-Made Pesto

glass jar of pesto sauce with ingredients on rustic white wooden table

When you have a jar of marinara, it probably already has basil and garlic flavors in it. So, stirring in a container of premade pesto supersizes those flavors and adds the umami bite of cheese and the richness of olive oil. It's so easy to do. Simmer your red sauce on the stovetop for about five minutes before stirring in the pesto. The simmer, stirring, for another five minutes, and you're good to go.

Add Grated Lemon Zest 

If you're having premade pesto on your noodles, stirring in finely grated lemon zest adds some zip and bright acid that complements the flavors in the pesto. Just use a rasp-style grater to grate the zest off of one lemon (make sure you only get the yellow parts — not the white part, which is bitter), and stir the zest into the pesto before you toss it with the hot noodles.

Stir in Cream Cheese

Love a creamy red sauce? Yep. Me too! And adding a few tablespoons of cream cheese or mascarpone cheese while the jarred red sauce simmers on the stove is a great way to introduce a creamy element to a typical premade spaghetti or marinara sauce. Continue cooking and stirring until the cream cheese is totally melted into the sauce, sprinkle in some grated parmesan, give it another stir, and toss it with your hot pasta. 

Create a Sauce Base Before Adding the Sauce

You can give jarred red sauce or Alfredo sauce a homemade flavor by quickly creating an aromatic base for the sauce. Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add some minced onions or shallots. Cook until they're transparent (just a few minutes), and then add one or two cloves of minced garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the sauce. Bring it to a simmer, stirring, and then reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes more. The aromatics will make the sauce even tastier.

Add Heat With Red Pepper Flakes

You can add anywhere from a pinch of hot red pepper flakes to a teaspoon (which, by the way, is a LOT and will make your sauce very spicy). I usually settle on about ¼ teaspoon. Bring the sauce to a simmer, add the pepper flakes, stir them in, and simmer for another five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Helpful Hack

To get the spice level just right, start with a pinch. Simmer for a minute, taste it, and adjust. Gradually add the flakes until you get to your desired heat level.

Make Any Sauce Richer With Butter, Garlic, and Cheese

Whether you're having a creamy Alfredo-style sauce or a red sauce, adding butter, garlic, and cheese will take it to the next level. Start by melting a few tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add minced garlic (a clove or two, or to taste) and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add your sauce and simmer for five minutes. Then, remove it from the heat, stir in some grated cheese like Asiago or Parmesan, and toss it with your hot pasta. 

Finish With Some Fresh Herbs

Pasta spaghetti with tomatoes, sauce bolognese, cheese and basil

Adding freshly chopped herbs after removing the pasta sauce from the heat imparts aroma and some fresh flavors. Try chopped fresh basil, oregano, or Italian parsley (or a combo of those) in tomato sauce, or add some chopped fresh chives or parsley to an Alfredo-style sauce. Just a few tablespoons will do.

Add a Little Anchovy

I know anchovies are pretty controversial, but the truth is they mostly add umami and salty flavors (not fishy taste or aroma) that will enhance the flavors the sauce already has and make them seem somehow deeper. This works best in red sauce. Mince an anchovy filet and cook it in a saucepan in a little bit of olive oil or butter — just for a minute or two. Stir in the sauce and bring it to a simmer. 

Add Umami With Mushrooms

Mushrooms are one of my secret weapons when it comes to adding umami flavors to a lot of different foods. I actually use dried porcini powder, which I stir into sauces if I don't want to have big bites of mushroom. Add a tablespoon or two of porcini powder and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes. 

If you want pieces of mushroom in your pasta sauce, slice about 8 ounces of mushrooms and cook them in 2 tablespoons of butter until they brown, about 7 minutes. Add a clove of minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add your sauce and simmer for five minutes.

Helpful Hack

There are two tricks to getting the best flavor out of fresh mushrooms. First, don't wash the mushrooms by running them under water, which will water them down. Instead, wipe them clean with a paper towel. Then, when the mushrooms are in the pan, only stir occasionally so they can get really brown.

Amp Up the Flavor With Dried Herbs

You'll need to simmer your sauce for a bit when you work with dried herbs in order to allow the flavor to blend with the tomato sauce. For one container of sauce, add one teaspoon of any of the following dried herbs (or a combo of them): garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried Italian herbs, or dried thyme. Don't bother with dried basil — I find that it's virtually flavorless and doesn't do much for the pasta sauce.

Mix in Some Meat

Bolognese Sauce

This is one of the most obvious and easiest ways to enhance pasta sauce. Cook and crumble some hot or sweet Italian sausage or ground beef, and then simmer it with the pasta sauce. Easy peasy.

Or, if you're using an Alfredo or another cream-style sauce, try chopping some pancetta or ham and cooking it in a little oil until it's crisp before pouring the cream sauce over the top and simmering it for a few minutes. You can also use bacon, although I typically find that it's so smoky the smoke flavors overpower the delicate flavors in the cream sauce.

Related: Mac Hacks: 10 Fast & Easy Mac & Cheese Upgrades

Add a Splash of Red Wine and Simmer to Concentrate the Flavors

A splash of red wine goes well with red sauces, while a splash of white wine mixes well with cream sauces. Add the wine to the pan off the heat (no more than about ¼ cup), and then simmer it on medium heat for a minute or two. Add your sauce and simmer for five to 10 minutes on medium-low, stirring occasionally, to concentrate the flavors in the sauce. 

Toast Fennel Seeds

Fennel seed goes so well with Italian pasta sauces — both red and white. Put the whole seeds in the bottom of the pan you'll be cooking the sauce in and toast over medium heat for two minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the fennel seeds to a spice grinder and grind into a powder. Return to the pan with your pasta sauce and heat on medium. Once it simmers, reduce it to low and simmer for five minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Fast & Fab for Pasta Night

All these pasta sauce hacks are quick and easy and don't require a ton of cooking know-how. But they do turn your basic pasta night into a memorable meal that you'll want to make again and again. 

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14 Fast & Easy Hacks for Premade Pasta Sauce to Spice Up Spaghetti