British Restaurants

British Restaurants

Marinara Water

—

by

BRAdmin
in

Marinara Sauce Mishap
Yesterday, I whipped up a marinara/tomato sauce for our spaghetti. I started by sautéing some onions in olive oil over medium heat in a stainless steel pan. Then, I added diced tomatoes, an 8oz can of tomato paste, a mix of spices, and a bit of water. I stirred everything together and let it simmer while the pasta cooked.

When I served the sauce over the spaghetti, I ended up with flavorful bits of paste and tomatoes on top, but also a puddle of water underneath. What went wrong? Why did it separate like that?

Comments

One response to “Marinara Water”

  1. BRAdmin Avatar
    BRAdmin

    It sounds like you made a great marinara sauce, but the separation you experienced with the water underneath your spaghetti could be due to a couple of reasons.

    1. Too Much Water: If you added a significant amount of water to the sauce, it could lead to separation, especially if the sauce wasn’t simmered long enough to allow it to reduce and thicken. The water can separate from the sauce, creating a pool under the pasta.

    2. Pasta Water: Make sure to reserve some pasta cooking water and mix a bit of that into your sauce. The starches from the pasta help to emulsify the sauce, giving it a creamier texture that clings better to the pasta.

    3. Cooking Technique: If the sauce didn’t cook long enough for the flavors to meld and the consistency to thicken, it might not have been cohesive. Allow the sauce to simmer for a longer time after adding the tomatoes and paste to let it reduce.

    4. Not Coating the Pasta: Make sure to mix the pasta and sauce well before serving. If the spaghetti and sauce aren’t combined thoroughly, the liquids can settle separately.

    Next time, try reducing the amount of water and letting the sauce simmer longer to achieve a thicker consistency. Enjoy your cooking!

Leave a Reply