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Hot Tips for Budget Spaghetti Dinners

Posted Thu, Mar 12, 2009, 1:58 pm PDT
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We're surprised to find how many don't add real food to their plain old jarred pasta sauce, so we've come up with an easy guide for jazzing up spaghetti with quick, affordable goodies. Fifteen minutes and you're ready to sit down and chow like nobody's business. Here's how to turn store-bought into stupendous.

  • Pleasing Cheeses  Toss jarred sauce with linguini or penne, then top with mini mozzarella balls, fresh ground pepper, and fresh chopped rosemary (which you can easily grow in your backyard or in a kitchen herb pot).
  • Basil Baby  Stir in sliced black olives and chopped fresh tomatoes to amp up the sauce. Dice up a thick bunch of fresh basil leaves and mix them into the sauce (then place a few sprigs on top for garnish). This zesty herb adds a fragrant dose of delicious flavor and a pop of color, too.
  • Beefy Bolognese  Brown a bit of ground beef, chicken or turkey in a sauté pan with some chopped garlic and diced onion. Add the sauce, mix and voila, a hearty and oh so tasty dish!
  • Very Many Veggies  Steam some broccoli and toss with tomato sauce, canned artichoke hearts, and a healthy dose of grated Parmesan. Other veggies to try: sliced carrots, zucchini, broccoli or yellow squash, and red peppers.
  • Bacon for Dinner  Loaded with sumptuous flavor, bacon is the perfect addition to a basic pasta dish. Grill up 5-8 pieces (you can try turkey bacon, too), dice them up, and your simple red sauce is suddenly so much more. Top with a salty shredded pecorino cheese -- irresistible!
  • Marvelous Mushrooms  Sauté sliced Italian sausage in a pan, then add a few handfuls of sliced mushrooms, and cook until golden brown.

Surf Yahoo! Food for more great pasta recipes.

And be sure to check out our website Foxy&Co and our newest book, Curves Rules And Flat Is Fabulous for more ideas on how to live an affordable stylish life!

  • 1. Posted by K Bear's Daddy on Thu, Mar 12, 2009, 9:58 pm PDT

    These are great suggestions. And so easy too. Rita and Elycia really know their stuff. Thanks for these ideas- I'm making the bacon one tonight!

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  • 2. Posted by frogkickfrolic on Fri, Mar 13, 2009, 7:59 pm PDT

    The first suggestion is great. I LOVE fresh mozzarella balls. They're soooo much better then the shredded, dried up stuff. Too much basil in the second one. There is only so much flavor and herbs that you need to put in food. Too much of anything tends to ruin the flavor. Bacon? Ew! That can only ruin a dish.

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  • 3. Posted by sjf_nolesfan17 on Sat, Mar 14, 2009, 4:04 pm PDT

    Why dont you just make homemade tomato sauce? It's simple enough and there is absolutely no comparison to fresh vs jarred sauce. And adding bacon? Spend the same amount of money as you would on a package of bacon, and buy 2 1/8" slices pancetta (sold at the deli counter). Dice, brown, saute onions, garlic and mushrooms... actually wait a minute... just make homemade sauce. It's better for you, since you can control the ingredients, and it tastes better. You don't need to be Italian to make great tomato sauce.

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  • 4. Posted by Wakynao on Mon, Mar 16, 2009, 8:36 am PDT

    Adding bacon to any dish improves it (within reason!)

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  • 5. Posted by B A on Wed, Mar 18, 2009, 2:11 pm PDT

    what about red wine? I love to add it to my sauce.

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  • 6. Posted by MrsErika on Wed, Mar 18, 2009, 2:19 pm PDT

    I add diced tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and pureed baby carrots for texture, flavor, and fiber! I also mix whole grain spaghetti with the regular noodles to make it healthier. My family loves spaghetti, I make it about every 2 or 3 weeks.

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  • 7. Posted by Kenny P on Wed, Mar 18, 2009, 2:21 pm PDT

    are you two single? i am ;-)

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  • 8. Posted by Jollygood on Wed, Mar 18, 2009, 3:27 pm PDT

    Bay leaves, thyme and basil. Slowly heat the sauce in a pan or pot, add these herbs. Make sure to use whole bay leaves and remove when done. Cheap, adds no calories, easy to do, and makes any sauce from a jar taste way better.

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  • 9. Posted by Jim Rogers on Wed, Mar 18, 2009, 3:28 pm PDT

    You forgot RED WINE... rinse out the jar with it instead of water... it makes a wonderful addition to the pasta sauce.

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  • 10. Posted by jbeekm01 on Wed, Mar 18, 2009, 4:34 pm PDT

    You can also add zucchini for texture. It doesnt have much flavor but stays slightly crunchy even after you saute

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  • 11. Posted by jeppica777 on Wed, Mar 18, 2009, 9:18 pm PDT

    pretty good ideas.

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  • 12. Posted by Dan on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 5:35 am PDT

    After you're done making the sauce, you need to add half a cup of sugar. Let it rest for a while maybe 15 minutes after it's mixed in your sauce. Guaranteed every one will have a surprise happy face.

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  • 13. Posted by Cat H on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 6:02 am PDT

    I honestly cant believe that that many people didnt have enough creativity to do this on their own, come on , burger , sausage xtra cheese some olives , it's not rocket science, apparwently I have been on a tight budget longer than most lol

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  • 14. Posted by Sumanitu Taka on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 6:47 am PDT

    To reduce the acidity of some Spaghetti sauces, I add about a Tablespoon of sugar as well as a pinch of cinnamon. I also include a pinch of garlic,basil,oregano, and thyme. The trick here is to let it simmer for as long as possible to infuse all the seasonings. I do not add any meat until I am ready to serve. The sauce will have a slightly sweet flavor, which compliments the tomato and added meats and cheeses.

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  • 15. Posted by Plano mom on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 6:50 am PDT

    There are people out there who weren't doing this already? Especially the meat one? Come folks..you need to go to a website to figure this out??

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  • 16. Posted by dnj13 on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 6:52 am PDT

    buy organic prepared sauces for a much better true tomato, old fashioned flavor. then add all the goodies you want for a delicious pasta meal.

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  • 17. Posted by xianxi on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 6:52 am PDT

    this is a great idea but the picture makes the finished product look like a turd

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  • 18. Posted by dnj13 on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 6:56 am PDT

    My Italian Grandmother only used sugar in her tomato sauce to take the tart of off tomatoes that were sometimes too acidic and bitey. And only then it took only a pinch. Otherwise sugar does not belong in Italian Spaghetti sauce, unless that is your personal preference.

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  • 19. Posted by craftasticworld on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 8:16 am PDT

    My Italian mother's trick is to add liberal amounts of ground sage. This makes it taste meaty, even if there is little or no meat in it. We also add a pinch of sugar, not to cut the acidity but to add the illusion of richness to the sauce. Roasted tomatoes have a little sweetness in them and this is something canned or jarred sauces seem to lack. If the sauce is too acidic, add a pinch of baking soda which will actually neutralize the acid, not mask it.

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  • 20. Posted by Whatever on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 9:14 am PDT

    Why don't you 2 write about something people can really use like how to grow the tomato's and make the sauce. So what happened to writing about the romance scene? Didn't pan out for you? Your suggestions there were just as lame. You 2 still have a job? Maybe I should write articles for yahoo; I couldn't possibly do any worse.

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  • 21. Posted by dazed on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 10:28 am PDT

    I'm sorry, could this be more unnecessary? Just wondering. I guess it's okay, Yahoo articles seem to be generally substandard. At least this one is well-written and fun to read. I tend to stop midway other articles purely out of disgust, wishing the qualifications for writers on this site extended beyond that of an eleven year-old's vocabulary and Arnold Schwarzenegger's innovation and level of comprehensibility. So no worries, ladies. You're well ahead of the game and we love you for it.

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  • 22. Posted by l_burney on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 10:51 am PDT

    I have to agree with the last few posts about this article giving obvious advice.

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  • 23. Posted by trolled_enough_to_be_your_dad on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 12:32 pm PDT

    My ten year old child knows all this. Try cooking with your family. It's fun and, if done right, teaches them good dietary habits.

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  • 24. Posted by steveinutica on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 2:11 pm PDT

    I'd be much happier with this if you'd evaluate which jarred sauces are worth buying and which aren't!

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  • 25. Posted by Paul M on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 3:24 pm PDT

    WHO CARE'S, JUST EAT ANYTHING

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  • 26. Posted by quartermush on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 4:11 pm PDT

    Nice work on pointing out the obvious. I simply can't wait for more of your innovative ideas, like adding chocolate to milk. Hooray!!!

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  • 27. Posted by Sonia Dominguez on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 4:19 pm PDT

    krogers brand extra geenpepper is graet without adding to it so is the extra tomato

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  • 28. Posted by pahs4 on Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 4:34 pm PDT

    this was good so get that stick out of your butt, Whatever, and actully do something in your life other than bring people down.

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  • 29. Posted by Katie on Fri, Mar 20, 2009, 5:16 pm PDT

    If you like spinach, put some in your marinara sauce and let them warm up together. So yummy!

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  • 30. Posted by Kathrine L on Sat, Mar 21, 2009, 10:09 am PDT

    shhhhhhht

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