How To Make Pasta Sauce Less Spicy: Try THIS Tonight!
Spent some quality time in the kitchen, only to discover that your pasta sauce is too spicy?
It’s a pretty easy mistake to make! Spicy pasta dishes such as arrabbiata can be flavoursome and delicious, but if you go a little overboard on the heat, you could end up feeling like you’ve ruined dinner.
All isn’t lost though! Here, we’re going to take a look at simple but effective options to fix pasta sauce that’s too spicy…
How to make pasta sauce less spicy
In a hurry? Here’s the short answer so you can grab and run…
You can fix pasta sauce that is too spicy by adding dairy such as cream and cheese, adding an element of acid such as lemon juice, adding more tomatoes, adding a pinch of sugar, adding extra ingredients such as veggies, or using less of the sauce and adding extra side dishes like salad and garlic bread.
Want to learn more about these methods, how to use them, and why they work? Keep reading for the full lowdown on exactly how to make pasta sauce less spicy!
1. Add some dairy
Capsaicin is an oil-based molecule that’s found in chilli peppers that’s responsible for bringing the fire. If you find that your pasta is too hot, it’s likely to be because there’s more capsaicin than your tastebuds can handle.
A good solution is to turn to dairy, which contains a protein called casein that can help to break down that spicy capsaicin.
In practical terms, you could stir through a little double cream or creme fraiche. This has the added benefit of bringing some luxurious creaminess to your dish. Alternatively, you could stir in or sprinkle over a generous serving of your favourite grated cheese. Even a little parmesan can help to tone down too much spice.
2. Add an element of acid
Acidic ingredients help to balance out the alkaline based capsicum, and they can also make a big difference to the overall flavour of your dish. They can add bright, fresh notes, balance both bitterness and sweetness, and generally elevate your home cooking to another level.
When it comes to how to make pasta sauce less spicy, you can add lemon or lime juice, a splash of white wine, or vinegar.
3. Add more tomatoes
Assuming you’re making a tomato based pasta sauce, one of the simplest ways to cut back on the spice is to add more tomatoes. They’re another example of an acid, and can help to neutralise the capsicum.
You can throw in an extra tin of tomatoes, a spoonful of tomato puree, or even dice up some fresh tomatoes and stir through. This is also a savvy way to make your meal stretch further, and it can ensure that you have an extra portion to enjoy for lunch the next day.
4. Add a few pinches of sugar
Adding a touch of sweetness is a proven and reliable way to tone down the spiciness of food. It absorbs the oil-based capsaicin, providing relief from the heat and making the dish more enjoyable for those who like to avoid too much spice.
The best option for pasta sauce is to add a pinch of sugar. Make sure you add it in very small amounts, then stir and taste. You don’t want to turn your pasta into a dessert!
5. Add extra ingredients into your pasta sauce
One of the most effective ways to make your pasta sauce less spicy is to basically add extra ingredients to help dilute down the element of heat. That could be any of the ingredients you originally used to make the sauce (such as tomatoes, like we discussed earlier), or extra bits and bobs you might have in the fridge that need using up.
You could bulk out your sauce using chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, courgette, and so on.
6. Use less of the spicy sauce stirred into pasta
If your sauce turns out too spicy, you can simply use less of it than you initially intended and stir into your pasta. You can use this method alongside some of the ones we’ve already mentioned, such as adding in some fresh double cream.
You can also serve a smaller portion of the pasta alongside extra side dishes to make your meal go further, such as a green salad and garlic bread. For more ideas of side dishes for spicy pasta recipes, visit my guide to what to serve with pasta arrabbiata.
Final thoughts to help if your pasta sauce is too spicy
A little bit of heat can be a welcome addition to a pasta based dish, but if you’re a little heavy handed with the chilli pepper, you might end up feeling like you’ve ruined dinner.
All isn’t lost though, because there are several solutions to try that involve using ingredients that you probably already have in the kitchen.
