That secret pinch of sugar is one of the last steps I take before letting the sauce simmer away on the stovetop to thicken up. You can use either white or brown sugar. Personally, I prefer packed brown sugar, but experiment to see which gives you the best results. I also make sure to add a dollop of butter to my pasta sauce. Like sugar, butter mellows out some of the biting acidity and gives the sauce a slightly richer texture thanks to its high-fat content. How much sugar should you add to your spaghetti sauce? “You could add a pinch of sugar and keep tasting and adding until the flavor really starts to brighten and become more well-rounded,” says Taste of Home Deputy Editor James Schend.
When I’m making spaghetti from scratch, I start small with ¼ teaspoon and adjust as needed. The key is to give the sauce’s components time to come together, just the same as you would if you were adding salt. Buon appetito!
ADVERTISEMENT
