The Italians keep this secret: adding this ingredient to a tomato sauce changes everything
Great news: cinnamon can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Moreover, it pairs very well with tomatoes, to which it adds warm, woody notes.
Indeed, tomatoes have a certain acidity, which can be very pronounced when canned or unripe. Adding cinnamon doesn't chemically eliminate this acidity, explains Marmiton. However, the spice's sweet, woody aromas can alter the perceived flavor of the sauce.
The result is a dish that seems rounder and more harmonious on the palate. The cinnamon complements the existing flavors without being overpowering. This is why it can be a useful addition to a tomato sauce that lacks a bit of depth.
The spice blends particularly well when the dish already contains several aromatics. Along with onion, garlic, herbs, or certain spices, it helps create a more complex flavor profile. Long cooking times also enhance this combination, as it's during simmering that it infuses its aromas throughout the sauce.
A spice well-suited to simmered sauces
This use of cinnamon is not new in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, where it accompanies certain meat and tomato-based dishes. It can therefore find its place in recipes such as beef meatballs, lamb moussaka, or certain slow-cooked meat dishes.
The Italian magazine Sale e Pepe also illustrates this association through "pasta e fagioli alla vicentina," a regional version of pasta with beans seasoned with a touch of cinnamon. This use demonstrates that the spice can be incorporated into traditional savory dishes.
Find the right amount
With cinnamon, the main precaution is the amount. Too much can overpower the other ingredients and give the sauce an overpowering flavor. For a recipe serving four people, it's best to start with just a small pinch of ground cinnamon.
After adding the spices, simply let the sauce simmer for a few minutes before tasting. You can then add more if needed. Another option is to use a cinnamon stick, placed directly in the pan during cooking and then removed before serving. This method allows the flavors to infuse the dish more gradually.
Finally, cinnamon isn't essential in all tomato sauces. It will be more natural in a simmered dish than in a simple fresh sauce made with just tomatoes and basil. To avoid altering the flavor of the entire pot, it can be helpful to test the spice on a small amount of sauce before adding it to the rest.
