Use spices to flavor spaghetti sauce.
A good spaghetti sauce requires the perfect blend of spices. You want to use spices that pair well with tomatoes, so they bring out the flavor of the fruit and enhance the pasta. Try to use a combination of spicy and sweet spices. This way, the flavors complement each other rather than one single spice overpowering other flavors.
Cassia
Cassia is also marked as cinnamon in grocery stores due to it being similar but less expensive. Cassia is a good addition to a spicy spaghetti sauce, as the spice imparts a rich and spicy flavor. You can add the powdered cassia to the spaghetti sauce, or if you are making a spaghetti sauce with meat, mix the spice into the meat first. This will help the flavor infuse with the meat and sauce.
Allspice
Allspice may seem like a spice for sweet dishes, but it actually has a slight peppery taste perfect for a spaghetti sauce. For the best flavor, simmer whole allspice berries in the sauce and remove them before serving. If you don't have whole allspice, the powdered form works as a substitute.
Red Pepper
Red pepper is a dried spice from pepper plants adding quite a bit of heat to the spaghetti sauce. Use red pepper sparingly so your spaghetti sauce isn't too spicy. The pepper is very hot but perfect as a complement to the sweeter spices used. Consider warning guests if you choose to use more red pepper and make a spicier sauce, as not all diners react well to heavily spiced foods.
Garlic
Garlic is a key spice in spaghetti sauce. While fresh garlic is preferred, you can also use minced garlic, or even garlic powder in a pinch, to flavor your spaghetti sauce. Simmer the sauce with freshly mashed garlic to add delicious flavor. If you want to have just a subtle hint of garlic, try cutting a couple cloves and rubbing the inside along the cooking pot. Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook your sauce as normal. The oils from the garlic infuse in the spaghetti sauce without being overpowering.
Herbs
Herbs are also very useful in spaghetti sauce. Basil, in particular, is actually called the tomato herb because it blends so well with tomatoes. Basil has a slight hint of clove in the smell and can be a nice substitute if you don't have any cloves available or just want a more subtle flavor. Other herbs, such as oregano, bay leaf, thyme and parsley, all pair nicely in a spaghetti sauce. These herbs add warmth to the sauce and complement the spices mentioned earlier.
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