Weight Watchers Marinara Sauce Recipe - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

Do Italians put sugar in their marinara sauce? ›

It is widely held that Italian immigrants began adding sugar to their sauce to make up for the overly acidic tomatoes they were forced to work with in their new home. But the history of sugar in pasta sauce actually goes back to Italy itself.

You may lose weight.

While a serving of alfredo sauce contains 100 calories per 1/2-cup serving, red marinara sauce contains just 70 calories. While it doesn't seem like much, a 30-calorie difference can be a big help when it comes to weight loss if you're consuming pasta on a regular basis.

When you make home-made tomato sauce with fresh or tinned tomatoes, it can sometimes turn out to be too acidic. Add a little milk to tomato sauce for a sweeter taste to offset the acidity of the tomatoes. This is a well-kept secret amongst Italian grandmothers.

🍅 Tomato Transformation: Elevate marinara to spaghetti sauce by adding depth. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until aromatic. 2. 🌿 Herbal Alchemy: Infuse flavors with Italian herbs like basil, oregano, and thyme.

Grated Carrots

You know how your grandmother's recipe for spaghetti sauce calls for sugar? Try grated carrots instead. Their natural sugars bring just the right amount of sweetness (and a dose of vitamin A and beta carotene)—with no added sugar.

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

If you are buying a jarred or canned sauce, choose a tomato-based (marinara) sauce rather than a creamy sauce. Creamy sauces usually have more saturated fat and calories. Eating too much saturated fat has been linked to heart disease. Tomato-based sauces also contain more nutrients like vitamin A and lycopene.

Similar to creamy sauces like Alfredo, or meaty sauces like ragu, tomato sauce is naturally low in fat, and as a result, sometimes becomes too thick and too starchy when it's been tossed with pasta. The addition of butter helps to loosen and emulsify the sauce, making it smooth and creamy.

Great tomato flavor is all about balancing acidity and sweetness. Too much of either can leave you with asauce that tastes one-dimensional. Many sources recommend adding a pinch of baking soda to a sauce that's overly tart, which raises the pH and makes it less acidic.

An especially effective option with a low risk is tomato paste. Brown a tablespoon or so in olive oil in your pot or skillet before adding the sauce to simmer or reheat. Anchovies, or anchovy paste, are another umami-rich ingredient, so try cooking a few minced fillets or a teaspoon or so of paste into the sauce.

How do you add depth to marinara sauce? ›

Add jarred sauce to a pan of onions and garlic.

Sean Ferraro, chef and owner of Madison Avenue Pizza, said he recommends using onions and garlic to "add depth and flavor to the sauce" and a "hint of sweetness." "Dice onions and saute in olive oil until they are translucent.

If your marinara sauce is store bought, pour contents into a sauce pot and heat it up slowly. When it starts to bubble, that's when you can add extra garlic, chili peppers and even cayenne pepper. Then add about a tsp of sugar or honey to reduce the acidic taste of the sauce.

Adding sugar to tomato sauce is a matter of personal preference. However, some people avoid adding sugar because tomatoes already contain natural sugars that can be intensified by cooking. Additionally, added sugar can increase the calorie count and negate some of the health benefits of the sauce.

For any marinara purists, adding a bit of sugar to the sauce may seem sacrilegious. But the truth is, sometimes tomato sauce needs a bit of sugar. Because great sauce relies on a tomato's inherent sweetness, which is released when they're cooked down and concentrated.

Authentic Italian pasta sauces, particularly traditional recipes from Italy, typically do not include added sugar. Italian tomato sauce, also known as "sugo" or "salsa," relies on the natural sweetness of ripe tomatoes and the combination of herbs and other ingredients for flavor.

Traditionally, Italians do not add sugar to their pasta sauce. Italian cuisine emphasizes the natural sweetness of ripe tomatoes and the balanced flavors derived from fresh herbs, garlic, onions, and quality olive oil.