People Are Just Discovering Giada De Laurentiis’ Old-School Trick for Making Spaghetti Sauce 100x Better
I studied abroad in Italy and absorbed as many lessons as possible from my host mom. I’ll never forget the day we were talking about her method for making Bolognese sauce with a subtle sweetness. I confidently said, “You must add sugar,” because that’s how I was taught. She laughed and then shared her secret: She grates carrots into the sauce instead. It completely blew my mind, and ever since, I’ve used that trick whenever I make any kind of tomato sauce.
So, when I came across an Instagram clip of Giada De Laurentiis sharing her tip for adding carrots to tomato sauce to sweeten it, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia.
“A great sauce comes down to the perfect tomatoes; the sweeter the tomatoes the better,” De Laurentiis says. “I just add a whole carrot because, in my family, we add carrots instead of sugar to just ever so slightly sweeten the sauce naturally.”
According to the Food and Drug Administration, a 7-inch carrot contains over 5 grams of sugar. When this root vegetable is simmered in sauce, it not only adds sweetness but also helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
While this classic carrot trick is well-known among chefs and Italian home cooks, it came as a surprise to many on social media. People rushed to the comments on De Laurentiis’ post to share their reactions. “It worked! I can definitely taste the difference,” wrote one user who tried the hack. “Love this, can’t wait to try it,” another fan commented.
Other people flooded the comments with suggestions for ways to sweeten tomato sauce, including tossing in honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, port wine, and even Grand Marnier. But no matter which ingredient you choose to add, this tip offers a valuable lesson in experimenting with your dishes to achieve better flavor balance.
This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: People Are Just Discovering Giada De Laurentiis’ Old-School Trick for Making Spaghetti Sauce 100x Better