When most people think of pasta condiments, herbs are usually the first ingredients that come to mind. Basil and oregano are necessary for pasta, but spices are also important. The list of spices that may appear in a pasta sauce recipe is varied. Some meals may include more than six ingredients, but usually only three or four are required. Below are some of the most important. You can use these spices, whether you make pasta sauce from scratch or just want to add flavor to a pre-cooked one.
Herbs
Herbs are perfect for mixing with pasta. They improve any sauce. Adding the right combination of herbs can turn your pasta into a whole new dish. Some classic pasta condiments include oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary and basil. Each of them provides its own unique aromas. When thinking about what herbs to add to your pasta, keep in mind what other supplements you use in your dish. Some combinations go well with basil and tomatoes. Try adding basil when using tomatoes or tomato sauce with your pasta. This will improve the taste of your dish. Another combination includes rosemary and chicken. Try adding this herb when cooking chicken and pasta. When trying to make pasta more interesting, try these herbs in different combinations to create unique and tasty flavors.
Spice
Spices are a great addition to any pasta dish. There are several different spices that make an excellent addition to the sauce. Some of the best to add to pasta are red pepper flakes, nutmeg, black pepper and garlic. The first two seasonings are an excellent combination of spices in the case when you want to achieve a classic Italian taste. Black pepper and garlic work well with creamy white sauce, and can also be a great seasoning for pasta with mushrooms. Experiment with spices every time you have pasta to create new and interesting flavors.
Black pepper
While black pepper is not usually associated with pasta, it perfectly complements tomato sauce. Light warm and soft notes deepen its aroma. You should use black pepper carefully, as too much of it can make the pasta sauce bitter. If you make white gravy, you can choose white pepper as a seasoning for pasta in a creamy sauce.
Brown sugar
Sweetness is one of the most important fragrant notes in tomato-based pasta sauce. Brown sugar adds depth and richness of taste that come from molasses content. Keep in mind that too much sweetness can make pasta condiment sticky and unpleasant. You should use brown sugar in very small amounts. A quarter teaspoon is usually the most adequate amount, but you can add a little more or less, depending on your preference.
Garlic powder
Garlic is arguably the most important pasta seasoning after salt. Almost any other herb or spice can be excluded from the recipe, but if you cannot add garlic powder (or garlic in another form), you will get a completely different dish. Garlic brings important aromatic and slightly pungent notes that form the basis of many pasta sauces. Without it, you can only make tomato sauce. Garlic is universal in that you can add a lot of it, and this will not make the dish unpleasant to eat. You can also put it in several forms that range from dried species (such as dried garlic slices and garlic powder) to wet forms such as minced garlic and whole cloves.
Salt
Speaking about which seasonings are always used in pasta, it is impossible to lose sight of salt. It is one of the important spices, because it is almost always added both to the water when boiling pasta and to spaghetti sauce. But if you wish, you can do without it, if you use other herbs and spices correctly. However, salt can improve the overall taste profile, causing the revitalization of other components. It is also important that other fragrances merge correctly with each other.
It is also important to remember the following. If you use canned sauce or Maggie seasoning for pasta, you may not need extra salt, as it is found in these convenience foods by default.
Onion powder
Onion is another important piquant note that helps make your pasta sauce richer and more fleshy. It also goes very well with garlic and with all herbs that you can include in your meal. You can add fresh minced onion or onion powder if you want a more uniform sauce.
Cayenne pepper
While black pepper will provide more than enough pungency for many people, a little cayenne pepper can help improve the flavors of your other pasta seasonings. Use it in moderation to avoid cooking too hot dishes.
Ready-made seasoning options
There are also various ready-made pasta condiments, including bouquets of spices. One such option is the “Maggie,” which has several varieties. This is a semi-finished product for the preparation of sauce, greatly facilitating the preparation of dishes. The most common version is Maggi seasoning for pasta in creamy sauce. In this case, it is proposed to prepare a creamy cheese sauce, and add mushrooms and chicken to the pasta. The spice bouquet includes parsley, garlic, turmeric and nutmeg. All this allows you to achieve not only a pleasant aroma and taste of the dish, but also an appetizing color.
How to cook with such a seasoning?
A guide to cooking pasta is on the condiment packaging. As follows from this instruction, you will need:
- packaging of “Maggi” seasoning for pasta with mushrooms in a creamy sauce;
- 150 grams of pasta;
- 200 grams of chicken;
- 500 ml of milk;
- 100 grams of mushrooms.
First of all, you should boil pasta. At the same time, it is necessary to chop the chicken fillet into straws, then fry it in a heated pan with a small amount of any vegetable oil for about five minutes. After that, you need to add chopped mushrooms there and fry everything together for another three minutes.
Once these steps are completed, pour milk into the pan and pour seasoning from the bag, mix everything and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture becomes homogeneous, you need to add pasta to it and mix everything again.
If desired, you can improve the finished dish by sprinkling it with grated cheese. Such pasta is served immediately, hot.
This is the easiest way to cook fragrant and delicious pasta. But if you want to start cooking the sauce yourself, from scratch, you should know some basics of combining components, as well as be imaginative. Recipes of classic Italian pasta sauces are presented below.
Marinara
Nothing beats a pasta dish made from classic Italian marinara sauce. There are literally millions of his recipes, because each cook has his own secret ingredients and methods. Classic marinara consists of tomatoes, oregano, basil and garlic as a base. You can add onions, peppers and pieces of meat to it, as well as several other additional ingredients. Each recipe has its own technique, for example, frying meat with spices before adding the sauce or cooking the sauce over low heat with a lid closed for several hours. At the same time, some cooks suggest eating the sauce only the day after it is completely cooked. Regardless of your technique or recipe, the excellent marinara sauce is guaranteed to give you pleasure at lunch time.
Pesto
Pesto sauce takes place next to the marinara as a classic Italian favorite. The combination of fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and parmesan cannot be commonplace. As with marinara, the technique for making pesto depends on your own recipe. One thing is clear: everything should start with olive oil, basil and garlic. You can also add lemon, capers or cilantro, or put red pepper to give the dish a little pungency. Some pesto sauces are completely non-greasy, while others float in oil. Fried shrimp or chicken is a good addition to your dish with this sauce.