Spaghetti sauce, whether it contains meat or not, is popular for topping one of the most popular types of pasta – spaghetti! Which herbs and spices give spaghetti sauce its distinct Italian flavor?
Some of the herbs and spices spaghetti sauce can contain (it varies depending on the recipe or manufacturer) include:
- Basil
- Garlic (powder)
- Italian seasoning
- Marjoram
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Red pepper flakes
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Tarragon
What kind of flavors do these herbs and spices contribute to spaghetti sauce? We’ll describe which flavors each herb and spice brings to the table next!
What is spaghetti sauce?
Spaghetti sauce (also called pasta sauce) is a cooked tomato sauce – unlike pizza sauce which is raw and meant to cook with the pizza – and it tends to be a little thinner than pizza sauce. It’s typically made from tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and spices (which we’ll get to next).
Marinara is a type of pasta (spaghetti) sauce and is usually the one you think of when you hear the term spaghetti sauce. It gets a little confusing because there are so many types of sauces made from tomatoes, BUT… marinara is also different from tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is thicker than marinara and is used in dishes like eggplant parmesan and chicken cacciatore.
Now that we’ve done a bit of housekeeping in terms of some of the differences between spaghetti sauce and other tomato sauces, let’s dive into the herbs and spices in spaghetti sauce!
Which herbs and spices are in spaghetti sauce?
The herbs and spices used in spaghetti sauce will vary a bit depending on the recipe you use or the brand you buy. Most types of spaghetti sauce won’t contain all of the herbs and spices below, but they’ll likely contain at least several of them.
Basil
Basil is a superstar in both Italian cuisine as well as Mediterranean dishes. McCormick (a major manufacturer of herbs, spices, and seasoning blends) describes basil’s flavors as “sweet, pungent, and slightly spicy”, while many people describe basil as having notes of mint and anise (licorice-like).
Garlic
Ahh, garlic. If you love it, you can never get enough. Garlic is an extremely versatile flavoring and can be used raw or dried. Granulated garlic (aka garlic powder) is garlic’s dried and ground form. Don’t confuse garlic powder with garlic salt, though – garlic salt can have added ingredients like salt and sugar while garlic powder is just garlic.
Garlic’s buttery flavor is enhanced when it’s roasted, which is why many recipes have you roast the garlic in oil before adding other ingredients. In addition, roasting garlic makes the flavor more mild and sweet compared to more raw forms.
Italian seasoning
Italian seasoning is a blend of herbs and spices which usually include at least some of the following herbs: basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, sage, and savory. If a recipe calls for Italian seasoning you probably won’t be adding basil, oregano, and other plain herbs in this list since it’s all included in the seasoning blend.
Italian seasoning is one of the most popular seasoning mixes along with taco seasoning, garam masala, and others.
Marjoram
Marjoram has an earthy, sweet, and pine-like flavor that is similar to oregano in some ways. Compared to oregano, though, marjoram’s flavor is more mild and less “spicy”.
Besides spaghetti sauce, marjoram is mainly used for flavoring sausage and adding to soups, pizza, marinades, and rubs.
Oregano
When you think of Italian seasoning, you probably think of oregano, and rightly so. Oregano is one of the backbone flavors of Italian food and is used in pizza sauce, pasta sauce, and many other recipes – both Italian and non.
Oregano has a unique flavor described as slightly bitter and pungent — the latter term is another word for “spicy”. However, the pungency of herbs isn’t in the same class of heat as spices like cayenne and crushed red pepper, so if you don’t like spicy food you’ll probably like oregano just fine!
Parsley
Parsley resembles oregano and has similar peppery flavor notes. Parsley is described as tasting fresh and “green”, which some people refer to as “herbaceous”. Besides spaghetti sauce, you’ll likely see parsley used as a garnish in other dishes.
Red pepper flakes
Red pepper flakes add spiciness, so you won’t find them in all types of spaghetti sauce. Red pepper flakes are made from different types of chili peppers, so the spiciness varies depending on the type of pepper used. They’re usually less spicy than cayenne, though.
Rosemary
The flavor of herbs can be difficult to explain, so we utilized the pros at McCormick again for their explanation of its flavor. McCormick describes rosemary’s flavor as “earthy, woodsy…with subtle notes of pepper, lemon and mint.”
Like many other herbs, you can find rosemary fresh as well as dried. If you’re making homemade spaghetti sauce you can choose fresh or dried, while store-bought versions usually use dried.
Remember that fresh herbs are less potent than their dried counterparts, so you’ll use less dried than fresh.
Sage
Sage can be used in spaghetti sauce because it has similar flavors as oregano and parsley – peppery, earthy, piney, and hints of mint. Sage is similar in flavor to marjoram, too – so many of the herbs that can be used in spaghetti sauce overlap a bit.
Tarragon
Tarragon has a very subtle licorice flavor, but not as much as anise. It has an herbaceous flavor and a common substitute for it is basil.
FAQs:
Oregano is the most common herb in Italian seasonings and Italian-flavored foods. Oregano is one of the backbone flavors of Italian cuisine and is found in most tomato sauces, including spaghetti sauce.
Italian cuisine includes many herbs, including basil AND parsley! Other popular herbs in Italian cooking include oregano and marjoram, among several others.
Leave a Comment