If I wanted to make some spaghetti, I only need a few ingredients and a oven. Really just a stove top and two ingredients. I like to use more but a jar of sauce and pasta noodles are all you really need. There a few easy ways to make this recipe.
The noodles need to be cooked first and the pasta sauce is already made. The pasta sauce will come in a jar or can.
Pasta sauce bought in a jar is already made to be eaten. The sauce can be eaten without having to further cook it. Most sauces will have instructions for heating before serving. Pasta Sauces can be heated up in a pot, pan or microwave safe container.
Making pasta can be one of the easiest meals to make. There are some options on how you want to go about it. So knowing them can help you determine how much work you want to put into your meal.
Pasta or spaghetti can cooked quickly using a microwave. If you fancy doing it the real way its not too hard to learn.
How To Heat Pasta Sauce
Microwave:
The easiest way to heat pasta sauce from the jar is using a microwave. Do not put the jar in the microwave! Unless it is directly mentioned in the instructions. Do not ever try to heat the sauce this way.
Instead always open the jar and pour out the sauce. Use a microwave save bowl or container. Look on the label for any instructions on how long to heat sauce using a microwave. If there aren’t any instructions you are going to have to trial it out.
Cover the bowl or container with a paper towel!
It’s best to do it in a few tries than to overheat the sauce. Don’t worry you will know after this trial how long to do it next time. Turn down the power on the microwave and try for two minutes. Check on the sauce after a minute.
Stir the sauce every minute or so. Make sure it doesn’t start to boil over or starts to bubble live lava. You might be able to hear it heat up but just watch it closely.
The sauce will not take long to heat up using a microwave. So make sure to cook the noodles first. Once the sauce is heated you can pour it over the pasta. You could also keep it in the bowl and scoop it out for every plate of pasta.
Saucepan:
This method will take a little longer than the microwave. The sauce will turn out better though. You can cook it along side the noodles. Because the noodles will be boiling in water. The sauce needs to boil as well.
Actually the sauce just has to start boiling. Then reduce the heat and let the sauce boil slowly. You want a soft gently boil going on, this will thicken the sauce just a bit.
Read more: Cooking Tomato Sauce: Reducing and Thickening
Use a saucepan with a lid, this will heat it up faster and protect any sauce from splashing out of the pan.
This way is good because you can put the sauce back on the stove top to keep it warm.
Same thing depending on the type of pasta you are cooking. You can use all of the pasta and pour it over your noodles. Or you can scoop up some for each plate serving.
The pan is more like cooking the sauce than the microwave. Still you really only need to heat the sauce if it is from a jar.
How Long To Cook Pasta Sauce?
Depending on what method you use. If you are using a microwave to heat the sauce no more than 3 minutes. Could be more or less depending on the microwave settings. Try doing it in 1 minute increments. Stir the sauce after 1 minute and see how hot it is getting. The less sauce you are heating the faster it will cook.
Read more: Cook Your Pasta In Sauce and Taste The Difference!
In a saucepan it should take about 15 – 20 minutes to start to boil on medium heat. Once it starts boiling reduce heat to low and go for another 5 – 10 minutes.
The sauce should be steaming but not boiling. Really you do not need to cook the sauce. The sauce just needs to be warm like the noodles. Otherwise it could be eaten cold.
The more you heat the sauce the thicker it gets. When reheating pasta for a second time the sauce will be pastier. After that the sauce is really not as good to reheat.
How Do You Know Pasta Sauce is Ready?
You can use a spoon to test the sauce. It should be hot enough to eat but not burn. Unless it is not going to be served for a little while. Look for steam coming off the sauce. You can also get a spoon full of sauce and touch with your finger.
Around 160 degrees F or more is a ideal temperature for pasta sauce. The thickness of the sauce is a good indicator. You do not want a pasta that is too thick or thin. If its like ketchup it is too thick. Though some people might like it thicker.
Storing Pasta Sauce
If you have leftover spaghetti or pasta you can refrigerate. It will last for a few days until it no longer tastes good. Let the sauce and noodles cool down before putting them in refrigerator.
Combine the noodles and sauce together if they were separate. Place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Glad plastic wrap works great to seal the top of the bowl.
Use a soup or cereal bowl if it will fit. Otherwise use a big plate and wrap it up with plastic sealing. Place in refrigerator and eat within a few days.
Ideas For Spicing Up Tomato Sauce
Try a few of these methods to doctor up your jarred pasta sauce.
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Fresh Jalapenos or Garlic
- Cayenne Pepper
- Salt
- Herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, thyme)
- Sugar
- Wine
- Sauteed Garlic, onion or mushrooms.