There’s something simplistic and special about making pasta sauces from scratch, standing in front of the stovetop, slowly stirring a large pot with a glass of wine in hand, sprinkling seasonings sporadically while listening to your favorite album sounds blissfully idyllic. While that may be possible on a leisurely Sunday afternoon, chances are you don’t always have time for this dream scenario and need to resort to a store-bought sauce, and there’s nothing wrong with that. A jarred sauce, however, can usually benefit from some tweaking at home, especially a stereotypically bland sauce like Alfredo. By adding pesto to store-bought Alfredo sauce, you can transform a sad sauce into something much more flavorful.
Typically, jarred Alfredo sauces are made with basic ingredients like cream, parmesan cheese, cornstarch, and other stabilizers and flavorings. Given that the first ingredient listed in most sauces is water, a store-bought Alfredo sauce isn’t likely to be packed with amazing flavor or texture, but it gets the job done in a pinch. If you’re looking to add more flavor, texture, and brightness to a bland jarred Alfredo sauce, adding pesto is the way to go. By mixing in a few tablespoons of bright, flavorful pesto, you can give lackluster store-bought Alfredo sauce an infusion of fresh seasoning.
By swirling pesto into jarred Alfredo sauce, you’re adding multiple layers of flavor. With the nutty, savory notes of pine nuts, the salty, umami flavors of parmesan cheese, and the fresh, herbaceous notes of the basil, pesto has a lot to contribute to a sauce.
Other add-ins can benefit jarred Alfredo sauce
In addition to the pesto, you could add the fresh lemon zest and juice to the Alfredo sauce for a bit of brightness. If you like things spicy, add a bit of Calabrian chili paste into the sauce as well for a fiery punch. If you can’t get your hands on Calabrian chili paste, even a few generous dashes of red pepper flakes will do in a pinch. Although pesto already contains garlic, adding a few cloves of roasted garlic to the pesto and Alfredo sauce mixture will bring lovely, rich, savory notes to the dish.
For toppings, sear or grill, then slice chicken thighs or breasts for added protein and a nice charred flavor. You could also sear shrimp in olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes to make a quick and easy complete meal. We ranked 14 jarred Alfredo sauces from worst to best, so you can bring home the best sauce possible before you doctor it up at home. You can make your own pesto with our bright and fresh pesto recipe, or use a store-bought brand if you prefer.
