How To Thicken Tomato Sauce Using Breadcrumbs for a Richer and Heartier Mixture: Perfect for Pasta Night

When your tomato sauce for pasta night isn’t thick as it should be, you may think that dinner is a bust. Not to worry though! Reach into your pantry and grab breadcrumbs to save the day. Breadcrumbs absorb excess moisture in the sauce, creating a heartier texture in seconds. You’ll barely taste the breadcrumbs once the pasta is coated in the sauce. Read on for more on how to thicken tomato sauce so that watery tomato sauce is a thing of the past!

The basics of tomato sauce

Whether from a jar or homemade, tomato sauce boasts a rich blend of tomatoes, garlic, herbs and other ingredients that are often simmered until hearty. This sauce can then be tossed in cooked pasta or used as a base for baked pasta dishes like lasagna. When prepared correctly, tomato sauce provides your dish with a sweet flavor and velvety consistency. Tomato sauce that's thin and watery could produce a bland pasta dish, making it hard to truly enjoy this Italian classic.

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What causes watery tomato sauce

If your tomato sauce is soupy, even if you've followed the recipe to a T, it could be a sign of excess water leftover from the tomatoes. Continuing to simmer the sauce helps evaporate some of this remaining liquid. But, if you want a quicker solution, try using breadcrumbs as a thickening agent.

How to thicken tomato sauce using breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs aren't your typical tomato sauce add-in, but sprinkling them in to fix a watery tomato sauce can work in a pinch. Start with one to two tablespoons of fine or panko breadcrumbs and stir them into the sauce. Use plain breadcrumbs as the goal is to allow them to soak up the extra moisture and dissolve into the sauce so they're not noticeable. The mixture should be thick in under a minute. However, add breadcrumbs in half tablespoon increments if it needs more to reach your desired consistency. This video posted on wikiHow's YouTube channel demonstrates how to thicken tomato sauce with the help of this pantry staple.

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A delicious tomato sauce pasta recipe

If all of this talk about tomato sauce is making you hungry, try this Balsamic Pepper Pasta recipe for dinner. It's carefully tested by our First for Women test kitchen to guarantee delicious results. Though, if you desire a thicker sauce, the genius breadcrumbs hack above is sure to deliver!

Balsamic Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:

• 4½ oz. fresh lasagna sheets
• 1 sprig fresh basil
• 2 large roasted red peppers from a jar, drained
• Olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• ½ of fresh red chili pepper, thinly sliced
• ¾ cup passata (strained tomatoes)
• Boiling water
• 2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Thick balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Active: 20 mins
• Total time: 20 mins
• Yield: 1 to 2 servings

1. Cut lasagna sheets lengthwise into ½-inch wide strips. Remove basil leaves from stalk; reserve. Thinly slice basil stalk. Slice red peppers into ½-inch-wide strips.
2. Heat large skillet over high heat; add drizzle of olive oil, garlic, chili pepper and basil stalk. Cook, stirring, until garlic is lightly golden. Add red peppers; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in passata.
3. Add pasta; pour in enough boiling water to just cover pasta (about 1¼ cups). Cook, stirring often, about 4 minutes, or until pasta has absorbed most of water and sauce has thickened, adding more boil- ing water as needed if sauce is too thick. Turn off heat.
4. Tear reserved basil leaves; stir into pasta. Stir in Parmesan, then drizzle generously with balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, drizzle with more olive oil.

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