Step 1

Make a roux in a separate saucepan than your pasta sauce.

Step 2

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter.

Step 3

When the butter is melted, add the flour to the saucepan and whisk the two ingredients together.

Step 4

Cook the roux for 1-2 minutes and then whisk the roux into the pasta sauce (be sure the pasta sauce is warm).

Step 5

Bring the pasta sauce to a gentle simmer, the pasta sauce should begin to thicken quickly.

Step 6

If the pasta sauce isn’t as thick as you’d like, repeat steps 1-5.

Step 7

Add ¼ cup water to a small bowl and add cornstarch to the water.

Step 8

Whisk the two ingredients together until the cornstarch is dissolved.

Step 9

Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the pasta sauce (be sure the pasta sauce is warm).

Step 10

Bring the pasta sauce to a gentle simmer, the pasta sauce should thicken quickly.

Step 11

If the pasta sauce isn’t as thick as you would like, repeat steps 1-4.

Step 12

When cooking pasta for your pasta sauce, remove 1 cup of starchy pasta water from the pot before straining the pasta.

Step 13

To thicken the pasta sauce, start by adding ¼ cup of pasta water to your pasta sauce.

Step 14

Whisk the starchy pasta water into the pasta sauce and bring to a gentle simmer.

Step 15

The pasta sauce should begin to thicken.

Step 16

If the sauce isn’t as thick as you would like, add 1 tablespoon more of starchy pasta water to the sauce at a time until the pasta sauce is thickened.