Imagine it’s Friday. You’ve just clocked out for the week, and all you can think about is treating yourself to a massive, mouthwatering bowl of pasta once you get home. And if you’re the type of person who plans ahead, chances are you probably have some of the most popular store-bought marinara sauces waiting in your pantry. Seems like the perfect excuse to finally put them to the test, doesn’t it?
However, while a simple tomato sauce pasta is pretty delicious on its own, why not get a bit creative and take it to a whole new level by adding cream cheese? For the record, cream cheese is the ultimate ingredient you should be adding to your spaghetti sauce. Rich and decadently smooth, this slightly sweet and mildly tangy dairy product will beautifully complement your store-bought tomato sauce and tone down the tomatoes’ natural acidity while bringing all the flavors together.
A popular toast and bagel spread, cream cheese contains at least 33% milkfat and less than 55% moisture, per U.S. standards. Hence, once you mix it into the warm tomato sauce, it’ll melt down beautifully and bind with the tomatoes’ water content as the fat coats the pasta’s starches, resulting in an emulsified, unbelievably satisfying blend that you just won’t be able to resist. So, what’s the secret to preparing it just right and finally quenching your pasta cravings?
Preparing this mouthwatering sauce is easier than you think
If you’ve already done your research, then you surely know that you can freeze a whole block of cream cheese for up to two months. So, before you fully commit to the dish, take the cheese out of the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once that’s done, roll up your sleeves and get ready to do some serious cooking.
The first thing you’ve got to nail is cooking your pasta just right. Although it depends on the type, it usually takes up to 10 minutes to achieve that perfect al dente bite. And while we’re at it, don’t just throw all the pasta water down the drain. Instead, save some for later, because the starch it contains will later mix with the cheese and make the sauce extra creamy.
When that’s taken care of, pour your tomato sauce into a pan, and cook it for up to five minutes. Simmering too long is the simple mistake that ruins marinara sauce, so don’t leave it on the heat more than it needs. Once that’s done, add the cream cheese, pour in some of that pasta water you saved earlier, and watch it turn into an incredibly silky, creamy, rich sauce that’ll make you forget every other sauce you’ve ever tasted. All that’s left to do then is add the pasta into the pan, give it a good mix, sprinkle over some parmesan, and dig right in.
