Spaghetti sauce varies from around the world. There’s no right or wrong way to have them. Spaghetti sauce can either be thick, thin, sweet, or rich in spices and tomato flavor. It can be enjoyed with meat or vegetables. Everyone has their preference that spaghetti sauce can be just however you want it to be.
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But we can’t ignore how there is a huge fan base for thick spaghetti sauce. Kids, for instance, always love thick sauce on their spaghetti with lots of ground meat or with huge meatballs on top.
There are many tips on how to thicken spaghetti sauce if you’re one to enjoy this kind of consistency on your pasta. In this guide, we’ll name the most convenient ways to get you to thicken your sauce for your family and friends to enjoy. These tips are easy and simple, with no fancy methods to look up. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to achieve thick delicious pasta sauce.
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How To Thicken Spaghetti Sauce
It is not impossible to thicken spaghetti sauce. The only thing you have to be careful when thickening your sauce is not to alter the taste or else you’ll have to start over again.
The following below are tips on how to thicken tomato sauce:
Tip 1: Simmer Your Sauce Over Low Heat
Simmering your sauce allows excess water to evaporate which in turn will thicken your sauce. This is the easiest tip and one where it doesn’t alter the taste of your spaghetti sauce. Allowing it to simmer also helps bring out the flavors of spices and herbs, so your sauce smells aromatic and tastes flavorful.
The only issue some have with this tip is that it takes time. But a good 20 minutes can do the trick of thickening your sauce.
Tip 2: Add In Cornstarch Slurry
Cornstarch slurry is cornstarch mixed with water. Mix ½ tbsp. of cornstarch and ½ tbsp. of water together to make your slurry and add it to your spaghetti sauce. This will help thicken the sauce without adding any flavor to it.
The important thing to note here is not to pour all the slurry at once. Pour in a little bit of the slurry at a time. Mix the sauce now and then to see if it has already thickened. Stop pouring your slurry once you get the consistency you’re looking for
Tip 3: Use Tomato Paste
If you’re wondering how to thicken pasta sauce without cornstarch, adding in tomato paste is your next best tip. Tomato paste has less liquid and more tomato solids. Using tomato paste also allows your spaghetti sauce to thicken.
Tip 4: Add Cheese
Another option on how to thicken tomato sauce without tomato paste is to add cheese. Adding grated cheese into your spaghetti sauce helps. This will make the spaghetti sauce thicker and creamier. Be careful of adding too much though since cheese makes the sauce taste saltier. If you want, you can lessen the salt you’re planning to add and substitute it with cheese instead.
Tip 5: Whip Up Some Roux
A roux is a mixture of flour and fat that helps thicken sauces like gravy. Fat can be in the form of butter. You may use this on spaghetti sauce if you’re looking up how to thicken tomato sauce with flour.
Do note that you need to cook or simmer the roux for half an hour in order to get rid of the grainy or flour taste, so it doesn’t change the flavor of your spaghetti sauce.
How To Make Spaghetti Sauce Flavorful

Now that you know how to thicken pasta sauce, you’ll need to know how to make them flavorful. Below are some ingredients you can add to your pasta sauce:
These tips are easy and considered as convenient ways on how to thicken spaghetti sauce. They’re quick to follow as well. Your family, especially kids, will love this kind of sauce and will ask for seconds. Just be sure not to go overboard in those tips as they might either destroy the consistency of your sauce or change the flavor of it.
Don’t forget to add your choice of meat. Some like ground pork while others like ground beef. You can also make huge meatballs to go with your spaghetti. In some countries, they even add sliced sausages or hot dogs to their spaghetti sauce to entice kids to eat more.
Out of all the tips above, what are you going to use on your spaghetti sauce? What’s the most convenient for you? Let us know!