A Little Shake Of This Pantry Staple Adds A Kick Of Flavor To Store-Bought Spaghetti Sauce

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Preparing a big pot of spaghetti that is filled with rich flavor can take time. But, when you're short on it, grabbing your favorite store-bought pasta sauce brand is a great way to streamline the process and get your spaghetti on the table even faster. Plus, there are plenty of ways to dress up a jar to make it taste homemade — including adding protein, fresh herbs, and more. If you really want to give it a kick of flavor, however, all you need is a little shake of crushed red pepper flakes.

The simple ingredient that gives arrabbiata sauce its iconic spice is the same that will provide a mouthwatering upgrade to your store-bought spaghetti sauce. Stored correctly in a dark, dry place, crushed red pepper flakes have a shelf life of roughly three years. If you have a container of Amazon Saver Crushed Red Pepper or your preferred brand on hand, feel free to add it to your spaghetti sauce at any time, making sure to go slowly and taste as you go.

To let the spice infuse throughout the sauce, pour the jar into a pot on the stovetop and add the crushed red pepper to it while it's warming up. Alternately, you can try shaking more peppers on top of your plated pasta to give it the perfect finishing touch. 

Cooking with crushed red pepper flakes is fairly simple, though it can be easy to overdo it on the spice if you're not careful. One tip os to keep in mind is that a little bit goes a long way. Starting with a small pinch of pepper flakes will provide your store-bought sauce with much-needed flavor. You can also always temper the heat of the peppers with a few other additions. For example, if you find your sauce has gotten a bit too spicy, try diluting the sauce with water or broth. You can also add some elements of dairy like freshly grated cheese or heavy cream to counteract the heat.

Though the obvious choice for adding crushed red pepper flakes would be in a store-bought red sauce, you can use this boost of spice in just about any pasta sauce imaginable. For example, a portion of crushed red pepper flakes would make a flavorful enhancement to a jar of alfredo sauce or even a pesto. While it's excellent when mixed with sauces to dress spaghetti, red pepper flakes can also be used with other fun shaped pastas — such as radiatori, shells, rotini, and more — to vary the taste and the texture.