How do you make spaghetti taste like the restaurants?

Question

What do you use to make the sauce and how should I cook the noodles? I use ragu/prego and it doesnt taste very good.

Answer 1

i always use the canned sauce, i believe it's hunts Chunky tomato and herb or tomato and garlic. usually i'll brown a chopped up onion, some celery and some bell peppers with my meat and add it to the sauce. this really helps the flavor alot, though the sauce as is taste WAY better then ragu or those jarred sauces cause it has the chunky veggies in it.

always salt your water when cooking spaghetti, cause after it is done is to late and won't pick up the flavor. if you have time, try adding the almost cooked spaghetti to the sauce for the last few minutes to finish cooking. this helps the spaghetti themselves absorb more of the flavor.

Oh and DO NOT EVER rinse spaghetti or noodles because you loose the starch and that is what helps the sauce cling to the pasta is the starch.

now if you want to do it the long way, cook your tomatoes, paste, sauce or whatever you are using down until all the water is gone and you have just a sticky ball of red in the bottom of the pot, then add water and whatever seasonings you like like salt, pepper, oregano, itallian seasoning, basil etc....... some of these have to be added at the very end of cooking though to avoid overcooking and any bitter tastes. you can also pick up a pack of spaghetti sauce mix in the gravey isle and use that for seasoning. while it isn't perfect it does have it all in there. :-)

Answer 2

Brown 1 pound of hamburger with a diced onion and season with seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add your jar of sauce. cover and cook on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cook noodles in boiling salted water, stirring often, until they look like they are almost done. remove from heat.

Enjoy! Next time buy Hunts traditional spaghetti sauce, it tastes better.

Answer 3

Jar sauce is never going to taste as good as a sauce made from scratch. Try going to the food network website and searching for some recipes for basic spaghetti or meat sauce. Jar sauce is good if you want something quick, or if it's too hot to cook, but it's never going to taste as delicious or authentic.

Answer 4

SPAGHETTI WITH MEATBALLS

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Italian Hamburger
Pasta Beef

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
-----SPAGHETTI-----
1/4 c Olive oil
2 Cloves garlic,finely chopped
3 cn Tomato sauce(8oz)
1 cn Mushroom stems/pieces(4oz)
1/2 c Green pepper,finely chopped
1/4 c Snipped parsley
1 t Salt
1/2 ts Ground pepper
1/4 ts Sugar
1/8 ts Dried basil leaves
1/8 ts Ground oregano
1 c Dry red wine
1 pk Spaghetti(16oz)
Grated Parmesan cheese
-----MEATBALLS-----
1 1/2 lb Ground beef
3/4 c Dry bread crumbs
1/2 c Onion,finely chopped
1/4 c Milk
1/4 c Dry red wine
1 Egg
1 tb Snipped parsley
1 1/2 ts Salt
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/8 ts Ground pepper
1/4 c Vegetable oil

SPAGHETTI: Heat oil in Dutch oven. Cook and stir onion
and garlic in hot oil until onion is tender. Stir in
tomato sauce, mushrooms (with liquid), green pepper,
parsley, salt, pepper, sugar, basil and oregano. Heat
to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer, stirring
occasionally, 1 hour.

Stir in wine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally,
30 minutes. Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally,
30 minutes longer.

While sauce is simmering, prepare Meatballs. While
meatballs are cooking, cook spaghetti as directed on
package; drain but do not rinse. Spoon meatballs onto
spaghetti; cover with sauce. Serve with cheese.

MEATBALLS: Mix all ingredients except oil. Shape by
rounded tablespoonfuls into balls. Heat oil in 10-inch
skillet. Cook meatballs in hot oil until done, about
20 minutes.

Answer 5

If you have time, throw a pork chop in the sauce and cook for a long time. It adds a nice depth of flavor. Add fresh herbs towards the end (basil and oregano) and maybe a little flourish of olive oil ....

Answer 6

There is a GREAT recipe for very authentic tasting spaghetti in the Sopranos cookbook. It is even better than the restaurants.

Answer 7

You Cant Unless You Have A Home Aid Recipe?

Answer 8

No offense to Ragu or Prego, but that's why yours isn't coming close to restaurant style spaghetti. Here's a couple different versions I think will come really close :) Good luck hun!

Spaghetti in meat sauce

Bolognese Sauce:
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
8 large garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground veal
2 pounds ground beef
2 cups dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
3 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand
2 quarts chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups milk
1 pound dried spaghetti
Large spoonful ricotta cheese
Handful freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
Handful fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Extra-virgin olive oil

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat a 2-count of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are very tender but not browned.
Raise the heat a bit. Take the ground veal and beef, break it up into chunks and add it to the pan. Cook, breaking up the clumps with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has evaporated. Then add the tomatoes and stock and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer very slowly for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring now and then, until the sauce is very thick. Now add the milk - the milk will make the meat nice and tender - and simmer again until thickened, another 20 to 30 minutes. Taste again for salt and pepper. Mash the sauce against the side of the pan to really blend it. Transfer half of the sauce to containers and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to several months.

Bring a big pot of lightly salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. When you're ready to serve, drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until tender yet firm ("al dente", as they say in Italian) 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and put the spaghetti into a big pasta bowl. Return the sauce remaining in the pot to a simmer and stir in the ricotta cheese. Pour the sauce over the drained spaghetti and give it a good toss. Garnish with a handful of grated Parmigiano, the basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Pass more grated cheese at the table.

Here's a quick version w/meatballs

1 pound spaghetti
Salt, for pasta water
Meatballs:
1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper

Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup beef stock, available on soup aisle in market in small paper boxes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
10 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
Grated cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, for passing at table
Crusty bread or garlic bread, for passing at the table

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente.

Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.

Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion bits are soft. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Toss hot, drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Place pasta on dinner plates and top with meatballs and sauce and extra grated cheese. Serve with bread or garlic bread