Thick & Spicy Spaghetti Sauce

This thick and spicy spaghetti sauce takes the standard Italian-American template and runs it through a spice cabinet that includes some unconventional players: cinnamon, curry powder, and hot pepper sauce alongside the more expected basil, paprika, and bay leaf. The cinnamon-and-curry combination might raise eyebrows, but it’s a genuine cousin to the warm-spice profiles you find in Greek-style pasta sauces (think Cincinnati chili) and Moroccan-Italian fusion cooking. The result is a sauce with depth that goes well beyond plain marinara.

The technique is simple. Combine the spices with vinegar, water, and a half cup of burgundy wine in a pot, then simmer for an hour or two so the flavors blend and the sauce thickens. Stir regularly so the bottom doesn’t scorch. Serve over hot cooked pasta with a generous shower of grated cheese.

Pro Tips

• This sauce really wants tomato as a base. Add a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and a 6-ounce can of tomato paste alongside the listed ingredients for proper body. The original recipe likely assumed this.
• The cinnamon should be subtle, not dominant. If you’re skeptical, start with one teaspoon instead of two and add more to taste.
• Brown a pound of ground beef or Italian sausage first, drain off the excess fat, and add the spices to it for a meatier sauce.
• Pull the bay leaves before serving. They don’t soften and biting one is unpleasant.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder along with the cinnamon for a deeper, almost mole-like complexity.
• Sub a Cabernet or Chianti for the burgundy if that’s what you have open.
• Stir in a handful of chopped Kalamata olives and a tablespoon of capers for a puttanesca lean.