From The Oldest Family
The end of my taste test surprisingly took me to Pennsylvania, where an Italian immigrant named Marianna Pulcino opened Mom’s Café.
From there , the business has become the oldest major family-owned manufacturer of pasta sauce in the US.
I tried Chef John’s Tomato Basil Masterpiece Pasta Sauce, a part of the brand’s “ultra-premium” line.
There was no oil floating around in what can best be described as a nice sauce. It was inoffensive and had good intentions â safe, pure, but not refined.
When the sauce was served cold, the readily apparent garlic and onions felt and tasted almost raw, and the whole tomatoes seemed as if they weren’t given the time to blossom despite the brand’s pride in slow cooking.
Microwaving the sauce with pasta briefly pulled out some of the wateriness, but it got reabsorbed remarkably well. The flavor got sharper and more acidic, and the onions continued that impression. Unfortunately, the basil flavor disappeared.
The sauce did a decent job of sticking to the pasta, and on the whole, it was a good, middle-of-the-pack option that was just nice.
Why Do Chefs Prefer This Brand Over Others
“For something with a little more flavor and less cooking/seasoning than making your own requires, I really like the Raos brand a lot,” award-winning celebrity chef Rocco diSpirito told INSIDER. “Regarding quality, I look for no sugar added, low sodium, and a clean label that should just say tomatoes.”
Chef Tony Mantuano agrees. “The best pasta sauce is your own, but Rao’s is good in a pinch,” he said. A good way of recognizing a quality marinara sauce on the shelf? ” shouldn’t have words you can’t pronounce,” according to Mantuano.
Nate Whiting , said that he turns to Rao’s when making pasta on a busy weeknight for his kids.
“It has a pure, direct tomato flavor, full of umami, and the acidity is well balanced,” he told INSIDER. “The texture of the sauce is still somewhat rustic because it’s made from whole tomatoes as opposed to a puree.”
Prego Traditional Basically Just Syrupy Garlic
Let me just say, the garlicky flavor in this sauce was INTENSE. And if I’m saying that, most people would probably find it straight-up offensive. I’m truly obsessed with garlic, but woah, this was a lot…and it wasn’t even good garlic flavor. It tasted like someone dumped an entire jar of garlic powder into this. I will say the flavors of Prego were a bit deeper than Ragú, which is why it’s not dead last on my list, but man, this stuff was also syrupy sweet. Hard pass.
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Another Brooklynite Victoria Has Been Producing Red Sauce Since 1929
Victoria uses a 90-minute kettle-cooking process â a direct challenge to mainstream manufacturers that use heat-transfer tubes to flash cook their sauces â that results in a beautiful texture of whole tomatoes broken down in their own juices until irregularly lumpy.
Without puree, the base was a little on the waterier side, but the coarse tomatoes were plentiful enough that it wasn’t runny.
As with the sauce from Carbone and Rao’s, I could see some oil floating, but I more noticed the diced onions, tomato seeds, and smaller pieces of basil, which were dark and fine.
It tasted clean and fresh, sweet at first, then suddenly sharp before it tapered off into sweet again â a lovely ride.
Unfortunately, this journey ended early when the sauce was served warm. The flavor considerably lightened up and became fleeting and shallow.
The basil remained detectable, distributing well and evenly across the pasta in its tiny pieces, but the tomato lost a lot of its freshness.
It just wasn’t very assertive, even though the water didn’t separate as much as expected. Not devoid of personality but in need of a partner, this would pair well with high-quality or fresh pasta.
Primal Kitchen No Dairy Alfredo Sauce
Courtesy of Walmart
Vegans rejoice. This Primal Kitchen sauce has no animal ingredients and boasts organic vegetables and herbs, plus avocado oil, making it paleo-friendly, certified organic, GMO-free, gluten-free, and plant-based. As if thats not enough, its also Whole 30-approved and has no added sugar. Each 0.5-cup serving contains 530 milligrams of sodium and 6 grams of sugar . Whether you follow a vegan diet or not, this sauce is a winner add it to pasta, pizza, or any other application that would benefit from a veggie-forward, high-quality sauce.
Price at time of publish: $9.29
Weight: 15.5 ounces | Calories : 120 | Sodium: 700 milligrams | Sugar:< 1 gram
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Rag Old World Style Traditional
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Ingredients: Tomato Purée , Salt, Olive Oil, Sugar, Dehydrated Onions, Dehydrated Garlic, Spices, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder
Appearance & Consistency: Upon twisting open this jar of Ragú, I immediately noticed the chunks floating atop an otherwise runny orange-red sauce. One simple stir confirmed that this sauce isn’t very hearty.
Taste: Average mediocre nothing special. This sauce didn’t pack an extra umami punch, even though Ragú sprinkled romano cheese into the mix. In fact, it could’ve ranked a bit higher on this list if it slashed off a few grams of sugar.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict:
Though Ragú loudly spells out “Our Richest, Thickest Recipe” on its label, it definitely doesn’t deliver. The added Romano cheese didn’t lend any richness to this pasta topper, let alone thicken it up. Besides lacking in the taste and texture departments, Ragú didn’t impress us nutritionally either, given that the sodium and sugar contents per serving are sky-high.
Everyday Value Organic Marinara
Ingredients: Organic Diced Tomatoes, Organic Tomato Purée, Organic Garlic Purée , Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Onions, Salt, Organic Garlic, Organic Basil, Organic Oregano, Organic Black Pepper
Appearance & Consistency: All of the star ingredientsgarlic, onions, basil, and oreganowere eye-catchingly present in Whole Foods’ organic marinara. Besides an occasional diced tomato, the sauce was generally thin.
Taste: While my palate picked up on all of the individual spices and alliums, the flavors lacked harmonization. This noodle smotherer tasted like it needed more time on the stovetop.
Eat This, Not That! Verdict:
This pick sort of reminded me of my own single attempt at marinara sauce, which involved my impatience inhibiting the spices to simmer long enough to actually marry. In other words, I expected Whole Foods to execute a better sauce than I ever have . . . but I can’t deny that it was nonetheless tasty.
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Otamot Organic Essential Sauce
âNutrition facts per 1/2-cup serving:â â90 calories, 3 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of sugar and 2 grams of proteinâ
Along with tomatoes, this sauce is rich in many other organic vegetables, including sweet potatoes, beets, spinach and carrots. Shapiro recommends this sauce, which she notes is high in fiber â a serving size provides 6 grams of fiber.
Just watch for the sugar: While there isn’t any added sugar, there are 10 grams of sugar per serving.
âBuy it:â âPrice:â $31.99 for a 4-pack
When You Can’t Make It From Scratch Get Rao’s Homemade Tomato Herb Pasta Sauce
We independently research, test, review, and recommend the bestproductslearn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
The Spruce Eats / Lecia Landis
Rao’s Homemade Tomato Herb Pasta Sauce is our Best Overall choice since it tastes like you’re at an authentic Italian restaurant in Italy. For a great store-bought white sauce, try the Botticelli Premium Alfredo Sauceand for a vegan alternative, the Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Non-Dairy Alfredo Sauce is a tasty option.
Theres nothing wrong with spending the day low-and-slow simmering a homemade pasta saucewhether its chock-full of ground meats, vegetarian-friendly and packed with herbs, or not even a red sauce at all. Who wouldnt want an an-hours-long-simmered sauce piled atop a mound of spaghetti? Its comfort food at its finest. But, when youre short on time, having a good jarred pasta sauce in your pantry is a must. You can start with these store-bought sauces and add your own touches, too.
From classic marinara to creamy alfredo, here are the best-jarred pasta sauces.
Who else recommends it? The Kitchn and BuzzFeed both picked the Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce.
What do buyers say? 96% of 6,300+ Amazon reviewers rated this product 4 stars or above.
Price at time of publish: $8.99
Weight: 24 ounces | Calories : 100 | Sodium: 420 milligrams | Sugar: 4 grams
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Rao’s Homemade Marinara I Don’t Know How Else To Say Thisthis Stuff Is
Honestly, I’m rolling my eyes, too. I wanted SO BADLY for one of the other marinara sauces to beat Rao’s, and even in a totally blind taste test, this one reigned supreme. I don’t know how they do it…but it’s truly a perfect sauce. It’s the only jarred sauce that Ina Garten will use, and now I can totally see why.
I’ve had Rao’s before, but tasting this one in tandem with all the others was nothing short of life-changing. The taste itself is a bit hard to describe, but its bold tomato flavor went far and beyond any of the other flavors I tried. Texturally, it’s magnificent. Rao’s really strikes the right balance here for a marinara sauce that’s hearty and substantial without being aggressively chunky, and smooth enough without being watery.
Rao’s sauce will definitely set you back more than the others at $7.49, this was certainly the most expensive jar of marinara I tried. That said, I promise you, it’s just so worth it. People loooooooove saying that it’s the “closest you can get to homemade,” and now I know that honestly, people are right.
For Extra Credit Take On Anyor Allof The Following:
3. Turn to your spice drawer and condiment cubby: If your sauce is missing depth and complexity, open your pantry or fridge and start exploring. Decide whether youre aiming for spicy , smoky , or fruity , and mix and match to your hearts desire. Remember to taste often, before things get too wild.
4. Add a Parmesan or pecorino rind while it simmers. To make the sauce more salty and savory, an oft-discarded cheese rind can help a pot of humble beans and can enliven your wan tomato sauce, too. Toss a halved onion in while you’re at it. Pro tip: Save your Parm rinds in the freezer . Anytime you want to dress up a jar of store-bought tomato sauce, the rind will be ready to go
5. Speaking of a salty je ne sais quoi, introduce an anchovy. Heat some olive oil in your saucepan, sauté an anchovy or two until it starts to melt down into oblivion, throw in a few smashed garlic cloves if youve got them, then pour in your jar of tomato sauce. Call me crazy, but Ive also been known to skip the anchovies and add a splash of fish sauce and a glug of soy sauce instead.
6. Harness the power of sautéed vegetables. Before you heat up the sauce, sauté vegetables until they start to brown. I usually keep it basic with onion and garlic, but mirepoix or a few handfuls of sliced mushrooms work well, too. And if you deglaze the pan with wine or stock, youll leave no caramelized bit behind.
How do you dress up your store-bought tomato sauce? Let us know in the comments.
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What Does Putting Sugar In Spaghetti Sauce Do
The reason for sprinkling a pinch of sugar into a simmering saucepan of tomatoes is simple: sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and creates an overall more balanced sauce. The exact acid levels in tomatoes can vary quite a bit depending on whether theyre fresh or canned, the tomato variety, and the time of year.
Trader Giotto’s Is An Affordable Pick
For a good value with high quality, Chef Nate Whiting of Charleston’s Juliet recommends Trader Joe’s house marinara.
“They use whole tomatoes and not puree. It tastes really good for how much it costs,” Whiting told Insider.
“The flavor is really clean, bright, forward tomato. You can enhance the basic tomato sauce with anchovies or roasted shiitake mushrooms and pour it over braised beef or make a ragu out of it,” he added.
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Prego Roasted Garlic & Herb Italian Sauce
If I have to use a pasta sauce from the shelf, I go with Pregos Roasted Garlic and liven it up a bit by adding some fresh basil, oregano, and other spices. Prego is a great alternative to homemade sauce because it always has a nice thick consistency. Kraig Hansen, executive chef of Fable Lounge in Nashville, Tennessee
Buy: Prego Roasted Garlic & Herb Italian Sauce, $1.89 for 24 ounces at Target
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10 ingredients. 45 minutes. Quick, easy, and fresh weeknight recipes.
To start, select a large spaghetti squash thats firm with no soft spots. Look for one thats 3 to 3½ pounds but that also feels heavy for its size.
When youre ready to cook it, cut it in half lengthwise with a sturdy, sharp chefs knife or cleaver , and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Season the squash with salt and cook it until its just tender but not mushy: either drizzle it with oil and roast it at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or microwave it in a covered bowl for about 15 minutes.
Then, holding the hot squash shells with a towel or two, use a fork to scrape the squash flesh into noodle-y strands. Dump the strands into a colander, allowing any excess moisture to drip away so your finished dish isnt watery.
. . . squash is not spaghetti and should not be treated as such.
Finally, if you want to taste nutty, delicate spaghetti squash at its full potential, stir it up with some cream and Parmesan and pop it under the broiler. Delicious!
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Whole Foods 365 Organic Marinara As Far As Your Wallet Is Concerned This Is The Sauce For You
I’m a massive fan of Whole Foods’ 365 products , so I was thrilled that this one ranked as high as it did for me. I found the flavors to be nearly identical to the Classico marinara it just lacked the sharp acidity of the former and cost half as much.
At $2.29 a jar, I would go ahead and call this the best jar of marinara you could buy for your money, especially considering it also just so happens to be organic. Next time you’re at your local Whole Foods, you should absolutely stock up on this stuff.
Barilla Pasta Sauce Variety Pack
Barilla is one of the most popular grocery store brands in Italy and what many Italians choose due to the affordability. It isnt the best sauce in the world, but it is authentically Italian!
We like the nutritional value, and overall find the sauce to be quite tasty, although a few found it to be a bit too sweet.
It actually makes a great base sauce for pizza and Barilla offers many variations of the sauce. Dont get their pesto, though you can make better pesto yourself with fresh basil leaves, parmesan, olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts.
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Primal Kitchen Marinara Sauce Tomato & Basil
âNutrition facts per 1/2-cup serving:â â50 calories, 2 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of sugar and 1 gram of proteinâ
This organic tomato sauce comes recommended by Moskovitzââââââ. She praises it for its taste, organic ingredients and use of heart-healthy avocado oil. It’s appealingly thick and has no added sugars.
âBuy it:â âPrice:â $8.99
Who Makes The Best Jarred Pasta Sauce
We all agree that nothing can top Nonnas homemade pasta sauce. But we also know that getting that amazing flavor takes a lot of timetime we dont always have.
Thats why knowing a good store-bought brand is so crucial. Keeping a few jars of marinara on hand is an easy way to make weeknight dinners easy and delicious. But do you know whats really the best jarred pasta sauce?
TMB Studio
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I Kicked Off This Taste Test With Easily Accessible Budget Classics Starting With Prego’s Traditional Red Sauce
A well-known brand sold in supermarkets nationwide, Prego seemed like a good place to begin.
Stirring the sauce, I found it had a medium consistency with some cubed tomato chunks. It tasted sweet from the get-go, and even more so when returning to it after trying the others.
It had a soupy, artificial flavor that reminded me of SpaghettiOs if you were to add diced tomato and some puree to thicken it up, which made sense since both brands are owned by Campbell’s.
Warmed up, this already-watery sauce thinned out only a little bit more, but it got really sweet, the sugars concentrating with a caramel-like quality and becoming the prevalent theme.
It lost its SpaghettiOs flavor and became like a rich, thick ketchup with a mind of its own in that it preferred sliding off the pasta rather than clinging to it.
Just Add Pasta For The Easiest Weeknight Dinner
Sauce matters. It’s the only thing keeping us from consuming naked, tasteless noodles lying in a limp tangle. But show up at the average grocery store and youll see dozens of options, ranging from swill to swank. Some are so sweet it feels like you’re drizzling on tomato syrup, while others are so tasteless you’re better off sticking with butter. How do you decide which sauce is the one?
Don’t worry, it’s a science that we’ve come to master. Here’s how: first, we rounded up a group of the country’s top store-bought marinara sauces and picked out some recommendations for you. We then whittled down a lengthy list of 26 simple marinaras to a few standouts by testing them on their own and using them in our own everyday meals. We judged them on aroma, flavor balance, and coating ability. And because brands and tastes change over time, we update this list every year or so to make sure the quality and availability still holds up. These jars are our current favorites:
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