The Savory Liquid That Brings A Fast Punch Of Umami To Any Pasta Dish

There are certain pasta cooking hacks that everyone should know, including adding secret ingredients to the sauce. One addition that brings a lovely umami note to most pasta dishes is a little Worcestershire sauce. Yes, that same brown liquid you use for burgers and steaks is actually the flavor booster your Italian dishes have been craving.

Whether it's a tomato-based sauce, a creamy one, or even a cheese sauce, this beloved fermented vinegar mixture works well to kick the umami up a notch. This may seem like a strange addition to some, but the experts back it. Even Anthony Bourdain used this steakhouse condiment to elevate his mac and cheese.

The technique is pretty simple, too. When heating your homemade or store-bought sauce, add Worcestershire a splash at a time, tasting until you find the right balance of savory flavors and sweetness. If you're making a meat sauce or meatballs, don't hesitate to also add some Worcestershire to your protein of choice, as it really brings out meaty flavors. You can even add a little of the sauce directly to your noodles for a nice salty punch if you're having the old college standby of buttered pasta.

Umami itself is a fascinating phenomenon. Known as the fifth taste, umami comes from an amino acid called glutamate. Yes, that's the same glutamate that features in MSG. This savory amino acid creates a mouthwatering effect that could be described as meaty. The word "umami" literally translates to "essence of deliciousness," which is a pretty apt description. You can find concentrated umami in dried fish, some fermented foods, cured meats, and mushrooms. 

Worcestershire has tons of umami packed into every drop. This is because it uses anchovies in its base and is then fermented with other ingredients that highlight the umami taste. The vinegar and onions in it bring acidic notes, while molasses and tamarind offer sweetness. Combine that with the inherent umami in the anchovies, and you end up with a concentrated liquid flavor bomb that goes with pretty much anything. This flavor is at its best when heated and added to other umami-rich foods.

Tomatoes, cream, and cheese all contain umami elements already. As such, you can add a few dashes of this very difficult to pronounce sauce to most any homemade or store-bought pasta sauce during heating, and it will bring out all those savory notes. It enhances rather than overpowers the other flavors, resulting in more well-rounded lasagna, baked mac and cheese, or old-fashioned spaghetti and meatballs.