That secret pinch of sugar is one of the last steps I take before letting the sauce simmer away on the stovetop to thicken up. You can use either white or brown sugar. Personally, I prefer packed brown sugar, but experiment to see which gives you the best results. I also make sure to add a dollop of butter to my pasta sauce. Like sugar, butter mellows out some of the biting acidity and gives the sauce a slightly richer texture thanks to its high-fat content. How much sugar should you add to your spaghetti sauce? “You could add a pinch of sugar and keep tasting and adding until the flavor really starts to brighten and become more well-rounded,” says Taste of Home Deputy Editor James Schend.
When I’m making spaghetti from scratch, I start small with ¼ teaspoon and adjust as needed. The key is to give the sauce’s components time to come together, just the same as you would if you were adding salt. Buon appetito!