Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Sometimes you feel like a jar, sometimes you don't

I don't have a problem with spaghetti sauce in a jar - red sauce, that is. By and large, the product is good and only requires a bit of doctoring; more herbs, garlic, pepper, whatever. I like red sauce in a jar because it is quick, consistent and easy to improve. Usually, I go with two jars of complimentary flavors - Newman's Own Marinara and the Garlic one, although I've been cheating on Paul with some Classico lately. A little Merlot or Cabernet added, some diced roasted red pepper - the possibilities are endless.

Not so with Alfredo. I don't claim to be an Alfredo expert; heck, I don't even really care for it, except on rare occasion. And on the rare occasion (which was yesterday), I went with a sauce in a jar, again for quickness. Never again. Maybe it was the brand, but I found the sauce to be disgusting, right out of the gate. Gloppy, flavorless, it practically dissolved the pasta.

I was at a loss for a remedy. It wasn't like the red sauce that can be enhanced, tweaked, even seriously re-flavored; this stuff was just a hot mess. I felt sorry for the chicken that went into it.

So, when the itch for Alfredo comes around again, I will take the time to actually make it, rather than open it. I'll trust some folks that know good sauce. I might even try one from Mr. Bam himself, Emeril LaGasse.

Or I might convince hubby that we really ought to eat out that night. Then I can get eggplant parmigiana instead.

2 comments:

Ashley said...

Have you tried Classico's Four Cheese Alfredo? Maybe it's just me, but I think that one is really yummy!

Doralong said...

Alfredo is indeed a scratch only thing, but granted that is merely my own bigoted opinion.

Mr. Newman (bless his soon to be passing heart) makes a number of damn fine sauces that require just a wee bit of doctoring.