What makes lasagne sauce taste sweet?

[mynameiswah]

When I make it it doesn't ever have that 'sweet' flavour I get in restaurants and bought lasagnes - what is it that they use? Marinara sauce or something? I've looked at recipes online and I just can't see anything specific... They usually just say tomato sauce.. and white sauce with milk.. is it the right combination of the two that creates that sweetness? Just curious!

Roast a few halved tomatoes in the oven for about 40 mins and add those chopped up (this is another way of adding sugar as the sugars in the tomatoes will caramelise and add sweetness and flavour), add wine or sherry or vermouth (this is another way of adding sugar), add balsamic vinegar (this is another way of adding sugar).

Or chuck a pinch or two of sugar in. The other ways will give more depth of flavour, though. And lots of veg softened with the onions adds flavour without too much sugar. Carrots are naturally sweet so that is definitely a help. They're naturally sweet because they contain sugars, of course.

Me four

I was going to say nutmeg in the white sauce

I did put cinnamon in it by mistake when I was 13, thought it tasted off when I tasted it but still used it.
Mum told me it was the most interesting white sauce she's ever tried, 15 years later she told me she was being nice it was vile 😂

Top tip - add a big slug of vermouth if you have it. Like half a glassful. It's the big secret ingredient.

I was going to say nutmeg in the white sauce

Me five. I thought it was my secret ingredient

I never put sugar in the tomato sauce, just cook it down for a very long time. If you caramelise the onion first it gives a sweetness to the tomato sauce.

I use a teaspoon of honey in most of my sauces.

alchohol.dash of martini.
make sure you sweat the onion and carrots and garlic right down first.people often miss this vital stage.the onion needs to get to the cooked stage of complete softness almost sweet like.

Sicario yep a slosh of that or martini is what we have always done too

Vinegar is my secret ingredient to a lot of dishes, lasagne or bolognese sauce definitely!
You need just enough to add a slight background zing rather than with to make it taste vinegary. Ditto with the sugar, though I personally often miss it out through some vague attempt at eating healthily, but just enough won't taste sweet, it'll just lift the sauce to something a bit more special and well rounded.

The citric acid in the dolmio recipe is their version of vinegar

Ps slosh of martini is a great idea, I'll try that next time. I've got a bottle of sherry which will never get drunk, will that do?

I add sweet potato to my tomato sauce.A couple of pinches of bicarb reacts with the acidity in the tomatoes and takes out their bitterness. Roasting the tomatoes first works too.

balsamic vinegar - cook the onions, add plenty of balsamic to cover the bottom of the pan and cook out until it gets sticky. then add the other ingredients.

Bay leaves
Grated nutmeg
Chicken livers
Let dish stand for 24 hrs
White wine not red wine
50% lamb 50%beef

Thanks so much for your tips! I'm definitely going to try some of these, I haven't been doing this properly at all!

The citric acid in dolmio is partly to ensure the pH stays low so botulism can't form. Same in home pickling/preserving. (If you see acidity regulator on a label, that's what it is for)

Personally I don't like the acid tang of vinegar or too much sweetness in a tomato sauce. I usually only add salt and cook low and slow. Tomato puree if it needs the sweetness

I was going to say nutmeg in the white sauce
Me six

Yes I always but sugar in spaghetti sauce too

If it’s too acidic you can add a little bit of bicarb as well

Always add sugar to tomatoes when cooking - not much but it balances the flavours.

I use half a teaspoon of Tamarind Paste.

Still sugar, but I like the sweet, sour and slightly savoury taste it gives. Makes it seem a little 'richer'.

Grated carrot also works if you are trying to avoid added sugar.

Nutmeg and bay are standard in bechamel sauce, aren't they? Ragu needs very long slow cooking. I use Delia Smith's recipe. Beef, pork, pancetta, chicken livers, tomato puree, red wine, nutmeg, salt, pepper, basil, garlic, onion. It's divine

Tomato ketchup in the ragu sauce.

Nutmeg.

Lump of muscovado sugar
Slosh of red wine
Carrots- the ones I buy from the farmshop are really sweet

Sweat the onions in olive oil long & slow - they turn very sweet this way & you don't need to add sugar.