How do you use the bay leaf in spaghetti sauce?

In this blog post, we will answer the following question: How do you use the bay leaf in spaghetti sauce? We will give you the simplest tricks to get the most out of the bay leaf in your dishes.

How do you use the bay leaf in spaghetti sauce?

You have to use the bay leaf in spaghetti sauce as it was a spice, considering that spices are more harmonious than aromatic herbs and can be combined more easily. Let us remember that bay leaves make a dish more complex and interesting. It may not be the most important, but it ensures to turn it into a party of flavor.

A simple bay leaf enriches the taste and aroma of multiple recipes, from soups and stews to, of course, sauces. I recommend using dried bay leaves, as fresh they are very bitter. 

In this recipe, you will learn how to make a bay leaf sauce with tomatoes, a fresh and ideal preparation to serve with pasta and red meat.

Ingredients:

  •  4 red tomatoes
  •  80 grams of white onion
  •  2 garlic cloves
  •  3 jets of Laurel
  •  1 dash of olive oil
  •  1 pinch of salt
  •  1 pinch of Pepper

Steps to follow to make this recipe:

  1. Before making this tomato sauce with bay leaf, the first step is to get all the ingredients ready.
  1. Blend the tomato with peel for a few seconds. The idea is that they are not completely crushed, so this short period of time is enough.
  1. In a frying pan with oil, sauté the onion and garlic, all finely chopped, until golden brown. Season to taste.
  1. It is time to add the crushed tomato and cook over low heat until it boils.
  1. Add the bay leaves and cook over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. In the end, rectify the flavor with salt and pepper if you consider it necessary.

Tip: If the sauce is a bit acidic, add a little sugar to regulate the flavor.

  1. Finally, serve the tomato sauce with bay leaf and enjoy. This preparation can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Learn how to prepare more recipes with this wonderful herb, such as cod with tomato and bay leaf or oven-roasted lamb.

Other FAQs about Sauces which you may be interested in.

How do you quickly reduce sauce?

How do you thicken tomato sauce?

Can you use bay leaves in pasta sauce?

Yes, you can use bay leaves to enhance the flavor of pasta sauce, rice, and other recipes that can be cooked quickly. When you do so, make sure you provide the bay leaves with just a little bit of water so that they leave their flavor.

Why do people use bay leaves in spaghetti sauce? 

People use bay leaves in spaghetti sauce because of its aromatic, woodsy, and fresh flavor. It is cooked along with the sauce, which makes it more palatable. It is one of the must-haves for a good spaghetti sauce because of its powerful aroma.

The tricks to getting the most out of the bay leaf in your dishes

The leaves of this tree can offer a very characteristic flavor and aroma to food, as well as properties that are very beneficial to our health.

Bay leaves have a great aromatic and gustatory presence. Therefore, it is enough to add one to the dish that is being cooked so that it improves its culinary notes. This is the reason why it is used in recipes in which it is hydrated – not fried or baked – when mixed with sauces, stir-fries, or stews, the ideal environment for it to release all its properties.

Its aroma is intense, fresh, and sweet, with a balsamic and somewhat bitter taste, but this condition is eliminated when the leaves are subjected to the drying process. Meats, fish, legume stews, vegetables, and rice all benefit from these at the culinary level. In addition, they can be used to make marinades, oils, and vinegar thanks to their many qualities.

The use of laurel in the kitchen is simple, but several aspects should be taken into account in order to make the most of it:

  • The leaves of this tree have a very strong and bitter taste and aroma when fresh. For this reason, they should be dry to use in the kitchen. To achieve this, they can be stored in a jar in a drawer for months to lose moisture or they can be bought directly already dry, the cheapest, most practical, and comfortable option.
  • It stands out in slow cooking. To get these to impregnate a dish with their aroma and flavor, they should be used in preparations in which they are cooked for a long time. The more time they spend cooking, the better it will add your taste. Thus, they can be used to cook pasta, rice, potatoes, or vegetables. 

However, the recipes that tend to stand out the most are stir-fries, stews, stews, sauces, or soups, for example. For these to flavor more effectively, they can be chopped into several pieces so that they are distributed throughout the pan.

  • It combines when used with other spices such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, or basil, with which it is usually mixed to form the so-called Provencal herbs.

Final tips

Our final tip is to remove the bay leaf at the end of the preparation. Once the cooking has finished and before serving the food, it is advisable to remove the bay leaves. This will be easier if they have been used whole instead of chopped. 

Biting one of them is usually unpleasant in the mouth since they have a very strong and intense taste. These have already contributed to all their properties, so they are not necessary.

If you have any comments or questions on the content, please let us know!

References

Allrecipes.com

Wikipedia.org