Feel bad for using canned pasta sauce in the kitchen? Don't worry — even the pros like to cheat every now and again. And a can of sauce might even be more effective than you think...
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00:00Feel bad for using canned pasta sauce in the kitchen? Don't worry, even the pros like to
00:05cheat every now and again, and a can of sauce might even be more effective than you think.
00:09Making a meal from scratch can be a fulfilling endeavor, but it's also usually a big-time
00:13commitment. And if there's one thing we're all short of, it's time. So, on busier days,
00:18sometimes you just have to rely on a pre-made meal for dinner, and there's absolutely no
00:22shame in it. In fact, according to the Institute of Food Technologists, 46 percent of Americans
00:27buy frozen dinners. Even professional chefs like to take a shortcut every now and again.
00:32Take successful celebrity chef Bobby Flay, for example. Flay has been working as a chef
00:36for over three decades, learning how to cook everything from Southwestern-inspired dishes
00:40to traditional French cuisine. Still, that doesn't mean he's not human. That's right,
00:44sometimes even Bobby Flay relies on things all of us do in our own kitchens — canned
00:48ingredients.
00:49There is even one pre-made tomato sauce Flay just can't get enough of.
00:54Wow. That's so good.
00:57According to an interview with People magazine, Flay's canned pasta sauce of choice is simply
01:01sugo by Mutti Pomodoro. These pasta sauces work great as a base for original recipes,
01:06which is exactly how Flay uses it, adding his own ingredients to heighten the flavor.
01:10He told the publication,
01:11"...it's already made for you, and then you can embellish upon it."
01:14One of the best parts about Flay's method is that it cuts your total cooking time in
01:18half. Since the base of the sauce is already done, the rest takes mere minutes. You only
01:22need to boil some salted water, throw some of your pasta of choice in, and turn on your
01:26burner for the sauce. From there, the rest is up to you, but Flay says,
01:29"...I'll take out some Calabrian chiles or some crushed red peppers, fresh basil or some
01:33oregano or whatever kind of herbs I have, some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and you have
01:38pasta and it's perfect."
01:39And that's not the only way you can make a canned pasta sauce even better. The best thing
01:43to do before adding anything to a pre-made sauce is to taste it. Does it need more salt,
01:47cayenne pepper, or maybe some chiles? Whatever the sauce needs, you are the judge, so get
01:52creative. And if you're looking for a place to start, fresh garlic, dried herbs, or red
01:56pepper flakes are always worth considering.
01:58A dash of olive oil is also a helpful addition to any sauce. Olive oil works so well because
02:03it brings all the other flavors in the sauce together while also adding a special kind
02:07of richness. Whatever you decide to throw into that pot, and however that sauce tastes
02:11as a result, it'll be all the more satisfying since it only took you a few minutes to concoct.
02:16Of course, if you're still a little reluctant to stray from your tried-and-true sauce recipe,
02:20here are a few more simple flavor-heightening ingredients you can add to your pot of sauce.
02:24A little bit of butter goes a long way, for example. Some canned sauces pack in the acidity,
02:29and butter can bring a balance to those flavors. If you're dairy-free, there are plenty of
02:33butter alternatives on the market that will keep your sauce vegan, too. Throwing in sausage
02:37or anchovies can bring new textures to the sauce and enhance salty flavors as well. And
02:41no matter which extra ingredients you opt for, simmering your sauce on low heat for
02:4525 minutes can help bring all the flavors together and make for a well-rounded taste.
02:50In addition to using a jarred sauce as a base, the Iron Chef likes to top his tomato sauce
02:54off with meatballs and Parmesan cheese, and serves garlic bread on the side. So if cooking
02:58isn't your forte, fear not. Bobby Flay's tips will have you whipping up a killer sauce in
03:03no time at all.