Bland pasta!

[yawning801]

I made a sausage and pasta bake yesterday and it was so bland it was disgusting! Anyone have any ideas to make it taste of something without adding anything spicy? (I can't deal with anything spicy, sorry!)

I love adding Cajun spice, tin tomatoes and single cream.

You could change to smoked paprika? Although it's not spicy the amount I add just enough to flavour.

What did you put in? Plenty of onion and garlic? Herbs? I put chilli in everything but if you don't like it I second the idea of smoked paprika.

I put in garlic, onion, sausage, tomato, herbs and pasta, with cheese on top. Some good ideas there!

Love some peppers in there too with sausage pasta.

You have put me in the mood, that's tomorrow's dinner.

Worcester sauce?

Bajan hot sauce? Really is stingingly hot 🔥

Oregano?

Perhaps your sausages were too bland. I would cook the onions and sausages well to get caramelised before adding the garlic and tomatoes. I see you added herbs - are they still in date/fragrant?. I recently bought some supermarket dried rosemary that is pretty tasteless , so needed to buy a different brand that was much more fragrant. I add some balsamic vinegar (2 teaspoons)and a pinch of fennel seeds to sausage ragus. I also use a very high meat content sausage with coarse ground meat (not "irish" style mushy pink sausages) as well.

Salt

Did you season with salt and pepper? A good pinch of sugar also enhances the chopped tomatoes. Tomato purée? How long did you cook it for? I cook the ragu for at least an hour before combining with the pasta and baking. A good glug of a high quality balsamic vinegar or a dollop of caramelised onion chutney also work wonders.

Jamie Oliver puts balsamic vinegar in his sausage pasta and I often put that or Worcestershire sauce in tomato and mince based dishes now. Makes a huge difference

You can also roast the pasta itself before cooking the bake. Sounds mad but it makes for a deeper and maybe a more nutty flavour

Add a few slices of Chorizo together with whole cherry tomatoes and serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

I find that what most people completely forget about is salt and pepper. H/ave you ever seen chefs cooking, good ones? They use a decent amount of salt and pepper in pretty much everything. Home cooks don't.

Did you season it?

Fennel seeds

Anchovies make everything taste lovely!

Also came to say salt. Pasta bakes need loads of it.

Salt and pepper.

What you said there does sound bland.

I would also add: Tomato purée, glug of red wine, Worcester sauce, paprika, splash of balsamic vinegar, pinch of sugar and some crumbled stock cube.