Give Your Spaghetti Sauce Delicious Depth With One Unexpected Ingredient

Spaghetti is a well-loved dish for a reason. The balanced, bright flavor profile and high customization make it a winner for everyone. But what if we told you there are tons of easy upgrades that will transform your plain spaghetti sauce and make your meal even more delicious? From garlic and onions to butter or bacon, plenty of add-ins bump up the flavor of even the blandest spaghetti sauces. Coffee is the addition of the hour, though. That's right: that morning cup of joe could actually be used to bolster the flavor of your dinner, too. Coffee grounds add just a hint of bitterness to your pasta sauce, allowing the aromatics, such as onions and carrots, to really shine through.

The way to add it is as easy as pie, too. You can take a teaspoon of instant coffee grounds, dissolve them in water or broth before tossing them into your sauce. Or, if you brew fresh pots of coffee for yourself in the morning, you can also save about ¼ to ⅓ of a cup of it (depending on how strong your brew is) and add that to your homemade sauce instead. If you're on a time crunch, not only can you upgrade your jarred pasta sauce with an aromatic base of onions and garlic, but you can add some coffee to bump the flavor up even more.

Ingredient type matters when you're working with sauces. Personally, we prefer this hack with fresh coffee, since it has a richer, deeper taste that complements the sweet ingredients in the sauce much better. We also suggest a medium or dark, bold roast, which has been brewed with intensity in mind. The stronger your coffee, the more potent the flavor — and the less you'll have to use. Add the java just a bit at a time and taste test frequently, as too much coffee can make the sauce too bitter. If needed, you can add some sugar to even it out.

Once you have your high-quality coffee added in, it's all about the details. You can give your spaghetti an umami boost with fish sauce, or add extra aromatics like garlic or onion. If you're mixing instant coffee into water or broth before adding it, we also suggest mirroring whatever meat, if any, is in your final dish. Pork broth for bacon pieces, beef broth for meatballs, and so on. This ties your flavors together more cohesively and brings the meat to the forefront, all while letting that rich coffee shine through. If you want to experience it for yourself, just grab yourself some coffee and start experimenting. You'll be a coffee-in-your-spaghetti-sauce convert in no time.