Preparing pasta can be daunting for some home cooks. After all, it seems like restaurants always do it better, but that could be due to a few hacks that some of us just didn’t know about. While nearly anyone can make a quick Alfredo sauce, and there are a million sauces for spaghetti, if you want to elevate your pasta sauce’s flavor, chefs have a few secret ingredients up their sleeves. Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur of Arthur & Sons Joe Isidori told us some of his chef-approved ingredients that make pasta sauce taste like a secret recipe, starting with lemon zest.
“A little lemon zest goes a long way,” says Isidori. “It’s one of those secret weapons that brightens the whole dish. Cuts through the richness, especially in buttery or creamy sauces, and gives it that lift.”
If you’re feeling adventurous, go beyond just lemon zest and add even more dimension to a dish. Isidori reveals another of his cheffy secret ingredients for pasta sauce, saying, “Sometimes I’ll also sneak in a dash of anchovy paste or a splash of white wine — it’s all about layering flavors without overpowering the simplicity of the pasta.” Just heed his wise words when he talks about a little, a dash, or a splash, because less is more, and too much of a good thing can spoil an otherwise perfect meal.
More tips to amplify your pasta dish
If you really want to make pasta dishes like a pro, starting from the beginning is essential. That means mixing your own dough and making pasta from scratch. If that feels daunting, then it’s a good idea to get some tips on how to make restaurant-worthy pasta from home. Hint: It all starts with the flour.
But when it comes to the sauce, step up your game with sauteed aromatic vegetables like garlic and onion. Letting your sauce simmer is important because it helps thicken the sauce and intensify the flavor.
There are also a few things you should never do to your pasta, including not rinsing cooked pasta in cold water. Also, did you know that you don’t actually need to add oil to the boiling pot to keep pasta from sticking? In fact, pasta makers warn against it because not only will it keep the noodles from sticking to each other, but it’ll keep the sauce from sticking to the pasta.
Now that you know about some chef-approved secret ingredients and a few more dos and don’ts of making great pasta dishes, it’s time to get cooking and put together your next favorite pasta dish.
