* My go-to jarred sauce is Rao’s, but I have used canned sauce with good, albeit a touch less flavorful results. Tip: If you have leftover jarred sauce and don’t think you’ll use it within the week, freeze it. Canning jars can go in the freezer, and you can thaw when needed.
Substitutions:
Vinegar: Sherry vinegar plays with the Spanish flavors beautifully, but if you don’t have any, you could use rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or Champagne vinegar.
Spices: No smoked paprika? You’ll lose the hint of smoke, but you can use twice the amount of regular sweet paprika. Also, an equal amount of cumin seed may be used in place of the ground cumin, and in a pinch, dried Italian seasoning can stand in for the oregano.
No fresh parsley? While it provides a fresh finishing touch, you may omit it. Or stir in 2 tablespoons or so of fresh, snipped chives or a thinly sliced scallion.
Heat: For a hint of spiciness, add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more or less to taste) along with the other spices.