Cooking Help Needed Urgently: Basil in Pasta Sauce

ep_euphoria

I've got a bolognaise sauce on the stove top as we speak. It's my version and is probably unrecognisable to anyone who has any kind of Italian cooking knowledge, but it is what it is.

I've got a problem though - I've added too much basil/parsley/'Italian mixed herbs' to my sauce and it's got a bit too much of a 'kick' for my sensitive mouth. Is there anything I can add that will pull that flavour back? It's already quite sweet, but I don't know how much I'll be able to eat (maybe that's a good thing? haha). Having the pasta should tone it down, but yeah, I don't want it to taste bad

pixietoes

There are ways to balance salt, sweet, bitter and sour in foods. But using too much herb is hard to correct unless you have more of the other ingredients. Do you have more tomatoes? If so I would go ahead and add them. Did you use dried herbs or fresh? Fresh will dissipate a bit as it's cooked.

pj_writer

I'd add a couple of extra tins of tomatoes and a little sugar to 'water' down the herbs!
hope it's OK!

Crystal817

Can of tomato paste!

whiskey9890

before mfp i would have suggested a beef stock cube, but eek the sodium!

BunnybeeJG

add a little white wine.
a white zin. or whatever white wine you normally would like... it should help it a little.


i know normally people put in reds.. but i use a lot of herbs and spices in mine and the wine balances it out because sometimes ... i will forget myself and put in a little too much then its horrible so...
white wine since its sweeter usually helps it.:flowerforyou:

ep_euphoria

Thanks guys

No more tinned tomatoes left, but I might chuck the last of the cherry tomatoes we have in the fridge in.

Might go the tomato paste first though, it could be just what I need, thanks!

We only have red wine in the house, could that work?

I used dried basil/Italian herbs and fresh parsley.

I just tasted it and it's starting to settle down - I think it's the tinned tomatoes breaking down and becoming saucey that's doing it.

Crystal817

I'm sure it will turn out fine!

BunnybeeJG

Thanks guys

No more tinned tomatoes left, but I might chuck the last of the cherry tomatoes we have in the fridge in.

Might go the tomato paste first though, it could be just what I need, thanks!

We only have red wine in the house, could that work?

I used dried basil/Italian herbs and fresh parsley.

I just tasted it and it's starting to settle down - I think it's the tinned tomatoes breaking down and becoming saucey that's doing it.

take some aside in a little bowl and put in a bit of the red wine and mix it and see how it tastes... depending on the red it might actually work.. if its more of a lighter red like a cabernet sav. it might actually work if you add water it wont be good it'll become runny and just... horrible. I love LOVE wine in my sauce. it cooks so nicely in it.

ep_euphoria

The wine we've got is... I have no idea. It has some kind of custom label with a girl in a bikini on it? My boyfriend won it at his family's Christmas haha. Maybe I should just save it for a special occasion.

I made him taste it and he said it's ok, not as nice as usual but more than edible - what a relief!

I love MFP, I don't know what I'd do without people to run to my rescue