There's something about opening a jar of pasta sauce and pouring it onto pasta that just doesn't feel right.  Not that I'm against convenience and speed - far from it - I'm indebted but it seems a little, well, bland.  This is a cross between taking the time to make your own sauce and tweaking an already good thing to create something far better.  A few caramelized onions, herbs and red pepper flakes, a splash of heavy cream if you're feeling decedent and an everyday necessity becomes a delight.

Gussied Up Pasta Sauce with Penne.

Olive oil

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

A generous handful of fresh parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A pinch of red pepper flakes

2 jars of pasta sauce

2 tablespoons of heavy cream (optional)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 box of Penne or your favorite pasta.

In a large saute pan heat the olive oil and the butter until hot and foaming.  Add the onions, stir well and turn down to low.  Sprinkle over some salt, this will stop the onions from burning.  Allow to gently saute for 10-12 minutes until golden and caramelized. Take your time with this step as this is what adds a depth of flavor to the sauce.

Add the garlic, chopped fresh parsley, red pepper flakes and black pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.

Pour in the pasta sauce, stir well to combine.  Raise the heat to a boil then turn down to a simmer.  Add a little more parsley, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and another grinding of black pepper.  Cover and allow the sauce to simmer while you make the pasta.

Heat a pan of water for the pasta and make according to the packet directions.  Drain, reserving  1/3 cup of cooking water.

Pour the cooked pasta into the sauce and combine.  Add the heavy cream , if using. If the sauce is too thick add some of the pasta water, a little at a time until you have reached the desired consistency.

Serve from the pan, sprinkle over a handful more chopped parsley, Parmesan and black pepper.