Double The Flavor Of Costco's Marinara With A Scoop Of This Other Fan-Favorite Kirkland Sauce

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A jar of marinara is one of those pantry staples that can make whipping up a quick meal a breeze, and there's certainly nothing wrong with using it as is. However, it is also a fantastic starting point for more complex sauces and easy enough to jazz up. One Redditor shared a hack to perk up Kirkland Signature Organic Marinara and it's a winning combination: simply add a loaded scoop of Kirkland pesto along with a scoop of olive tapenade to the marinara as you warm it up. Stir and finish with a dollop of Kerrygold butter. The result is creamier, more balanced, and twice as flavorful with minimal effort.

Pesto is a natural pairing for marinara. Basil and tomatoes are one of those combinations we know and love, so incorporating a more concentrated dose of the herbaceous condiment can only help. Olive tapenade contributes a layer of savoriness and balances out the sweetness of the sauce with its salty, briny character. A rich source of umami, olives pack plenty of glutamates, the compounds responsible for that deeply savory, almost meaty quality that lingers on the palate and feels undeniably mouthwatering. Finally, mounting a pat of butter makes the sauce creamier and richer. The dairy in butter also mitigates the acidity of the tomatoes, rounding out their sharper edges. These simple boosts elevate a jarred sauce into something far more nuanced and moreish, tasting as though you've been simmering nonna's old recipe for hours.

Kirkland's Basil Pesto has devoted fans aplenty, with many Reddit users recommending it as the perfect addition to tomato soup, pasta sauces, pizza bases, compound butters, and even fish. There are so many creative uses for pesto that you'll find yourself reaching for that jar again and again. However, a common tip shared on the aforementioned Reddit thread is to freeze smaller portions of pesto to extend its shelf life.

Because pesto is made from delicate ingredients that are best when fresh, you should be cautious about overheating it. That's not to say that you should never cook with it, but rather that you should think twice before heating pesto, depending on what you want to achieve. If preserving its bright flavor and vibrant green hue is important, it's best enjoyed raw, or simply tossed with a touch of pasta water. In saucy applications like this one, however, a little heat won't ruin it; just keep the flame low.