Our Top Rated Jarred Pasta Sauce
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges host Bridget Lancaster to a live taste test of jarred pasta sauce.
Read the full review of jarred pasta sauce: cooks.io/31Lw7cR
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Jack is my favorite America's Test Kitchen personality! I hope he gets featured even more :)
Jack, who I was surprised to find out is younger than me, is the Chief Creative Officer at ATK. The newly appointed CEO made Jack the CCO after Chris Kimball left due to contract disputes. Kimball left the show in 2015 and started his second show and magazine in 2016. Jack should be around for many years, unless he retires before he turns 65.
As an Italian man who grew up with Grandmother who made a sauce so good , you could dunk a mug into the pot and drink it, I finally got to taste it again when I went to Rao's in NYC and tasted it fresh. When the waiter informed me that they jarred the sauce and it was sold in stores, it was hard to believe it could be as good, until I tried it! This is THE best sauce that I've ever had.
The best advice about jarred sauce was to make sure there was no added sugar. Adding sugar indicates that the tomatoes are a poor grade. Rao's does not add sugar to any of its sauces. It really is the best!
If not making my own, I use Classico Spicy Red Pepper as a base.
The jar is great for keeping to reuse. It even has measurements on it. Measurements are in raised letters on the side.
I like Classico more than Rao's.
yep,..I have a set.
Classico is my favorite by far!!
Rao's is ok but classico is my go-to.
I have watched many sauce taste test videos and None of them compare Classico...
...wonder why
Well......Classico was in several comparisons I've seen.....and it place just like the Bertolli either at the bottom or close to it!
Rao’s is also my favorite. Costco usually has it in a 2-pack for a much better price.
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I wish Costco would carry Rao's Tomato and Basil. I think it's better than the plain Marinara
That makes the price point worth it, buying it in the regular store and paying the same amount, doesn’t.
We decided to try it based on the ingredients, which was very short.
Wow. It's the best we've ever had.
Thanks!
There are 6 jars of "emergency " sauce in my cupboard, 3 of each of the winners.
I don't always agree with your choices but this time 100% spot on!!! ♥️💚💓
I do semi-homemade when in a rush. I use 1 can crushed tomatoes cooked with onion and garlic in olive oil. Then i put in jar of sauce with 1 jar of water. Simmer for 1/2 hr. Tastes pretty good.
lol I just posted that ! so easy
Great idea... I’m trying that! I’m a big Rao’s user (Costco), but there is always room for improvement 👍😁
@@MichaelTheophilus906 use for pasta sauce or any other recipe calling for sauce
Rao's tomato with basil is my favorite. I've eaten a lot right out of the jar while making dinner. The best!!
Rao is really good. Great acidity and flavour. Much better than any other jarred sauce I have had... and I am a 100% Southern Italian who makes his own once a week. It's not somewhat tolerable like Domino's sauce (drunken 2am pizza). It's very good.
I Bought Rao's at Costco. 2 large Jars(28 ounces) for $10 bucks.. Great deal lots of Flavor.
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Me too. It’s your basic marinara but you can season to taste. I enjoy their Arabiatta and will pay the price.
This was on a couple weeks ago.?...
@@luckyjim51 Yea.. Last week I Live In Cali4Nia( Los Angeles) I went to 2 CostCos👍😀
Yep, me too. Was excited when I saw it there because I've been buying it for years but it's not cheap (about 8 or 9 bucks at the regular grocery store).
I think that Victoria's Marinara taste just like you picked those tomatoes out of your garden . Fresh and the 32 ounce has no added sugar. I think this sauce is better than Rao's.
agreed!
Costco 2 pack 40oz goto sauce
I agree! Love Victoria’s!
Yes, if I have to buy sauce it's definitely Victoria's! Rao's is way to oily and greasy for me!
Agree! But I haven’t seen it at Costco anymore 😞
I get Rao's and Victoria's sauce at Costco 2 jars for around $10.00.
Mutti tomato sauce is a winner as well... same price range!
The audience was so excited. I wonder if they ever get out of the house. Lol
Those frozen smiles must be hard to wipe off when the show is done😁😁😁Clap and smile people 😆😆✋🤚
One would have thought that Tom Brady just walked into the room. (ATK is a New England production.)
I'm sure they have clap signs in front of them.
I would like to see all items tested in any category ranked - so we can see where they ranked
At least put the ranking in the description so anyone can see it since there is a pay wall to tag it on the website.
Mezzetta pasta sauces are great, no added sugar, real ingredients, San Marzano tomatoes, usually $5 a jar but on sale for $3 often. They also make the best pizza sauce.
Yes, I agree. I get Mezzetta at Super Walmart, and they're about $3.59 a jar, I believe. Very good, as you say, no sugar, and no added puree or paste. Just tomatoes. Victoria's is very good too, and similar to all of these mentioned pasta sauces, i.e., no added junk.
I like Mezetta too! It's a very good sauce..I buy it on sale at Publix Supermarket. Mid's is my absolute favorite tho. Really tastes like homemade!
Mezzatta anything is delicious!!!!
Agreed!
I recently switched to this too. It didn’t exactly cover a full box of spaghetti to the point where it was actually saucy but what I did taste didn’t taste bad. Zero complaints.
Also, if you’re curious, I made the Fresh and Easy Veggie Spaghetti from Inspired Taste. 1 onion, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 1 red bell pepper, 1 head garlic, and a whole bunch of fresh spinach leaves. Buttered the noodles before adding the sauce.
It was sooo good. :)
After watching this video and seeing the comments about Victoria, I bought two jars expecting to be in marinara heaven. I was very disappointed. I found Victoria's to not have nearly the flavor that my Rao's does - so I'm definitely switching back to Rao's and sticking with it. It is more expensive, but I find it at a good price at Costco and also some local stores when they put it on sale. Worth the difference in price from the lower cost brands.
We used to by that Bertolli sauce for years and then we tried the Rao’s. What a difference! I try to find it on sales but sometimes just have to buy it anyway. Of course, making my own tastes great and fresh as well. It’s a matter of time and availability at that point.
Raos is considered one of the greatest tomato sauces out there. Many people are saying it’s top tier level as good as the professional high end stuff
Yep I concur RAO or Victoria both available currently at Costco but I will say I prefer Victoria .
Haven't tried " Victoria" but I Will try it. Good as a BackUp👍
+1 for Victoria White Linen Marinara. Rao's is very good but only the Victoria made me lazy and stop making scratch with San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and fresh basil. Victoria tastes 95% the same as my homemade quick cook. Love the fresh tomato flavor in Victoria.
I swear by Silver Palate. It's got all of the things they're listing about what you want in a sauce and none of what you don't. Nowhere near as expensive as Rao's either, my store has it for $3.50 a jar so I'm always stocking up when I'm there.
I've never seen it, like from the famous cook book? they have food products?
I like Silver Palate too just as much as Rao's. They sell it at Kroger.
Silver Palate is the closest sauce to home-made I’ve found. Always have a few jars on hand.
Agreed. Silver Palate is very good, though not quite as good as Rao's. If I'm not going to splurge on the best, I'll go for Silver Palate.
love silver palate too but hard to find ??
I discovered Rao's while going on keto. I was making keto pizza and needed a sauce that was low in carbs. Rao's was the one in the store that was lowest in sugar and carbs so I chose it. Made delicious keto pizza with it.
I am in love with the Costco Kirkland Marinara ! Always a clean repress flavor with a great texture....anyone else.
I love Jack Bishop and I love Rao’s sauces! Thank goodness they don’t cost $10 where I live! I think I paid $6 for my last jar!. Also Dave’s Gourmet sauce is so delicious!
We usually make our own, but Always have Victoria on hand. ---- And I gotta say, I wish ours always consistently as good!
Switched to Rao’s when we started eliminating added sugars in our diet. Eye opening when you check the labels on tomato products! Great deal at Costco!
When I became a label reader, I was shocked at the amount of sugar in foods
Only pasta sauce I use!
Costco in Northern Nevada had Rao's Homemade Marinara, TWO 28 oz jars for $10.89 total on July 28, 2020!
I buy that regularly. Great deal. It's probably nationwide too. We have the same price on the east coast.
At the grocery store one bottle pf Raos is usually around $8
Still there as of today, at least in Oregon
Yes one of regular purchases at Costco in Reno
Got some today at Costco in suburban Chicago for the price you mention.
As an Italian who was raised on and make my own gravy, Mutti & Cento are the only store bought I will even look at. The medigans can eat Ragu & Prego!
Whenever I make spaghetti sauce I like to add a can of San Marzano peeled tomatoes to the marinara. The Cento brand is best option at my grocer.
I usually buy Hunts in the can for $1...then I put in my own home canned tomatoes and my own homegrown herbs....it is yummy
I think Hunts is one of the best sauces and very cheap.
I like the Hunts as a base to my sauce also, I add diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs & olive oil. I don't care for the Rao's at all...extremely expensive, overseasoned and too dry IMO.
I saw some @ Dollar Tree® and couldn't resist trying it
out - it wasn't bad at all IMO.
T Dub: If you're going to do all that, why bother with the Hunts? Why not just use a can of crushed tomatoes instead of the Hunts and then add all your extra ingredients to the crushed tomatoes
@@BigBusaBob Habit, I guess. A can of Hunts is usually $1, same size can of crushed tomatoes is at least $2. At this point in my life the cost doesn't matter but years ago when I was a single mother on a tight budget, I economized any way I could to get the best value/quality for my money. All these years later it's just a habit now:)
This is one of three taste tests of jared spaghetti sauce I have viewed and Rao's is always the winner with Victoria's a close second! I had a friend who was from Sicily and he said if you have to buy jarred sauce choose Rao's. Worth every penny!
See many comments about heading to costco to buy Rao's sauce. The closest costco is 50 miles away. Being poor you tend to buy what you can afford. I have always added a large can of diced tomatoes to any jar sauce I buy, it stretches the sauce. Then there is lots of leftover for pizza, ziti, etc.
Ps: personally prego and ragu are nasty, too sweet, and I grew up eating ragu.
Prego tastes like candy!
I HATE Ragu. It’s like eating watered-down tomato paste.
Sam's also sells Rao, I prefer making my own sauce though. I only keep Rao as a lazy shortcut. My sauce is simple, cento San Marzano tomatoes, and basil, sauteed in olive oil and sofrito and then add red wine.
Thank you. I love watching Test Kitchen. Great help for choosing products.
If you live in hurricane country the Hunts in the can is indispensable for long term emergency storage. Just add some diced tomatoes and fresh herbs to bring it back to life.
What if you live in tornado or earthquake or blizzard country?
Oh probably even better in those parts of country.😆
You can catch it on sale $0.79-0.99! Or even Ragu Old World classic 3 jars for $4.00-5.00.
good idea!!! (florida here)
Yeah, when I was broke I bought Hunts for .99, then added fresh parmesan, cream, herbs, etc and made it a rosé sauce. It is salty, that was my main complaint.
I've had Rao's in my pantry for years. Excellent flavor.
I like Rao’s. They have it at Grocery Outlet for a good price. Good on scrambled eggs too! Very clean and natural tasting sauce!
San marzano won our taste test. Have not tried raos but it kicked victorias butt in our community blind taste test.
I use Rao's from Costco, and add a jar of Publix Four-Cheese for the cheese, and the little tomato chunks. Whole family loves the result -- EVEN the dog. Good test, glad I like the winner also.
I'm a big fan of Silver Plate Low Sodium Marinara Sauce. It tastes like fresh, sweet tomatoes without distracting garlicky or salty undertones, and no added sugar. Great price, too.
I agree
I agree! My top 3 sauces that I keep on hand are: Silver Palate, DelGrosso's and Rao's.
Didn't like Silver Plate, too watery for us, wouldn't stick to the pasta.
I remember as a young man out of my own buying jarred marinara and the two predominant brands were Prego and Ragu. Ragu was so sweet I felt like I was eating tomato candy. Ick. My mother told me to make my own (like she did). Just canned tomatoes, onions, garlic, and maybe some oregano or basil. I preferred basil. BTW, Jack, it's Raw-ohz with the short "a" and long "o". Even the restaurant from whence it came doesn't say RAY-ohz.
Love the Rao's and they have it at Costco for a reasonable price. Victoria has a sauce called "white linen marinara" at Costco also.
My go-to sauces used to be the Victoria or Rao's but recently I've found Prego Farmers Market Classic Marinara. Super affordable at around $3 and clean ingredients. No added sugars.
Thanks for the more affordable suggestion, I will definitely give it a try.
Love Prego! Will look for this one!
Thank you. I'm going to try this one.
Rao’s is worth it. Stock up when you find it on special. (Says the person who has eight jars in the pantry.)
is that all? (;-)
I’ve got a bunch, too.
The last 2 jars tasted “off” to me though…soapy.
It’s also at Costco and the price isn’t too bad!!
I hear ya, I’ll buy like eight at a time when it’s $5… 🙇🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️🙆🏻♀️
I get it at costco when it's on sale. Great price. I usually make my own but it's nice to have a decent jarred option in a pinch!
I'm so honored, I've been buying Rao's for years
Used to love Rao's and it's a good base sauce. But if going to Costco, love the Victoria Organic and the deal in the huge cans of San Marzanos tomatoes.
The ones I recommend are Victoria, Silver Palate and Rao's. Victoria and Silver Palate come in low sodium varieties and the Victoria one has chunks of tomato in the sauce. I like Rao's but I don't like too much sodium in my diet.
If you can't find Rao's at the store, there ARE two substitutes that are almost as good. They mentioned "Victoria" which is good, but you have to look for "Victoria White Linen" which is harder to find , but almost indistinguishable from Rao's. Another comparable sauce to Rao's is "Mezzetta Marinara" which is just as good. These are all expensive but worth it.
thanx, but wer do u find Rao`s sauce?
Alesi is another if you can find it.
For a while, I was getting Victoria's White Linen at Costco. It's absolutely delicious.
I like Barilla sauce the best. It comes in various flavors that taste exactly like what the label says they are. The ingredients are good...nothing fake or weird-tasting and doesn't give you heartburn or leave a bad taste in your mouth after you eat it.
Their pasta is also good-quality...doesn't get mealy or mushy even if it's overcooked a bit.
The price is also good and it's often on sale in supermarkets.
If I want to spend nearly $10. on a jar of ready-made tomato sauce, I would spend another $5. at my local butcher to buy myself some brains.
I agree about Barilla pasta but Rao's sauce is best in my area, also very expensive but to me, it's worth the cost. My own homemade isn't as good.
The only jarred tomato sauce I enjoy eating is Dell'amore. Delicious! It's made in Vermont and is available at my local supermarket. I'm not sure how widely available it is but grab it if you see it; it is a must-try.
It’s soooooo easy to make your own from canned whole tomatoes. I can afford it but I’m still not spending $10 on a jar of tomato sauce.
100% agree.
Lots of stupid and lazy people here. That's why the Costcos are so crowded.
I’m glad you have the time some of us still have to work for a living
@@jrw6061 You have to want to make your own food. You don't work 24/7.
J R W I work for a living. Tomato sauce takes 20 mins. Do you make nothing?
@@msnannybean I work.
Tomato sauce takes longer than 20 mins.
If you don't want to cook your own food, you'll never make time. Like exercising.
My favorite jarred tomato sauce is Mezzetta Marinara. It's made from whole tomatoes, has olive oil, and is delicious. I haven't tired Rao's but now I shall have to.
My favorite are Mezetta and Mid's.
When I’m in the mood for Italian, I go to Olive Garden. Nothing says Italian like a fourteen dollar plate of noodles topped with a ladle of ketchup. You’re family there!
Being a good cook Im pretty particular about where I eat but the Olive Gardens in my town has good food and I've never paid fourteen bucks for a basic pasta dish. But if and when I do get bad food I wont continue to eat their food.
Lol
I'm not a fan of Olive Garden.
It's $12.99 acccording to the ads on TV. But you're right, the ads make the food look so good, then you get there and the disappointment starts. Haven''t been to Olive Garden since 1996 when I started a new job and my boss took me out to lunch my first day to his favorite restaurant, Olive Garden.
Rao's is the way to go. I've tried both Bertolli and Rao's and this guy here is spot on, you definitely get what you pay for. At my Walmart Bertolli is about $4-5 and Rao's is $8-9, but it's worth it to me. I also really like to add 2 or 3 fresh tomato's whenever I'm making pasta sauce so that you get some extra chunk, which I love.
for that price I'm making my own.
Exactly!! 🤦🏼♀️
Damn straight! It's not hard, it just takes time. The way it's made lends itself to being done in large pots. It's easy to double and freeze. I only use frozen for lasagna and baked pasta dishes, but so much to share!!!🤗🤗🤗
It starts in early April. Plant roma seeds inside under lights on a timer. By the first week of may we can plant outside but until then they're babied. Around mid August we start canning.
Each batch takes 25 pounds of tomatoes, 8 green peppers only we use the stoplight packs, 4 large onions, and about 8 cloves of garlic. Makes 12 quarts. We add a 12 ounce can of tomato paste to a quart to thicken it up when we go to use one. Spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza.
No problemo
One roma plant makes between 5 and 10 pounds of tomatoes. Amazing little plants. Yummy too
This year we did 30 plants and so far we've canned 5.5 cases. That's over 15 gallons of sauce.
Nobody will starve in my family.
Its cheaper at Costco
@@mikeries8549 Which Roma variety do you use?
I wholeheartedly agree that Rao's is by far the best. I make it stretch when I have family over by blending Rotel sauce and adding it.
When we found Rao’s about 15 or so years ago we stopped making homemade “Sunday gravy”. It’s delicious and well worth the cost.
You should still make your own periodically. Just to keep in practice and to be able to pass this recipe forward. 🙂 Also, just in case your stores have trouble getting restocked.
Gravy goes on biscuits and turkey.
I agree. Rao's bolognese is so good, you can eat it with a spoon. I'm happy to pay whatever it costs.
@@jerryc8978 Sunday gravy is the traditional name for red pasta sauce.
@@jerryc8978 Goodness, I agree! I grew up with the Italian side of my family calling it that. But I was born and raised in the central U.S., in its most southern state. So, gravy is a whole different connotation. Personally, having made both for most of my life, spaghetti sauce takes much longer to make and requires more diligence. Between 4 and 7 hours. The meat or white-type gravies, take me 10-25 minutes to make. Yep. It's why I cringe when I hear it.
I always stock up when it is on sale
Raos is a fave amongst us Keto people because it is the lowest sugar count and the best flavor. Victoria’s is another very good one.
So exactly what they said
Making your own pasta sauce is one of things that marketers have convinced people is really hard and time consuming. It's simply not difficult. If you've got the time, you can do a really fantastic sauce that simmers for hours. Or if you need a quick weekday dinner, you can whip one up in a 20 minutes that's ten times better than anything coming out of a jar.
I wish they would test more than 3 products. People on a budget need to know the best buy. Normally with appliances Atk does the best buy option but not with food lately. They started the segment saying theres over 60 tomato sauce products in the supermarket and they narrowed it down to 3? Give me a break...
Newman's Own is the best bang for your buck. I could never bring myself to pay $10 for a jar of sauce.
@@stephanienyingling Newman's is loaded with sugar. Too sweet for me.
Just found Rao's in Canada for the first time at Costco! Excited to try it.
Rao’s is the best. Kinda pricey, but we buy the two pack at Costco, and it’s so worth it.
Thank you very helpful. Love watching you guys on TV also.♥️
I don't care how good it is; I'm not paying $10 for jarred pasta sauce.
It's not good.. literally the worst sauce ever and price has nothing to do with my opinion of it..it's just not good
We usually pay about half that on sale at a Kroeger store. It's well worth the $10 though. I'll bet you paid much more at Olive Garden for much, much worse.
I'm Italian and have been making my own sauce for years. I like my sauce smooth. Put Barilla Marinara in a blender and it's great. Also, I give high marks to Francesco Rinaldi regular tomato sauce. Close to homemade and not bitter.
I’m the same ! Italian! I want Smooth sauce! And Barilla is wonderful just blend it! Reminds me of eating in Italy.
A CAN OF CRUSHED TOMATOES!!!!! SAUTE GARLIC IN PAN AND HERBS TO TASTE. PERFECT EVERY TIME.
for a lot less than $8 tp $10 dollars too
Which herbs do you use?
@@chairmanmeow3693 I use basil and oregano. Buy whole tomato not crushed, no extras in them😊 Just break it with a wooded spoon.
@@cuccicucci4480 Do you mean whole fresh tomatoes or canned?
@@chairmanmeow3693 I buy canned tomatoes. Fry a bit of onion and garlic in olive oil add the can of whole tomatoes and cook on low for as long as you like. The longer the better, don't forget the herbs like basil and oregano and any others you like. Maybe a bit of fresh parsley if you like it.
So, the best sauce is the one that's $10 a jar? Definitely didn't see *that* coming. Keep doing what you do, America's Test Kitchen.
$6/btl on sale at Safeway or $10/two btl at Costco.
I you feed five people with that sauce, it's a great investment. Taking the family out or pasta, would be at least $50.00.
I want to try it. I usually buy Classic with spinach and add a bit of red wine. I don't drink alcohol anymore, although I don't mind cooking with a tiny bit.
I love Hunt's, but I don't like sweet tomato sauce, so the fact that it's just straight up sour tomato is a plus for me. It's what my half-Italian dad used when I was a kid, so it's familiar. Plus it's a buck. It's not winning any awards, but it's what I'm into for a quick weeknight spaghetti. I do make my own meatballs from scratch though.
I usually make my own sauce but when I need to save time I love Hunts garlic and herb. And the price is right!
@@kimcat7320 that's my favorite too, and the 4 cheese makes great lasagna!
@@UltimateDorito Thanks for the tip! I refuse to pay $10.00 for a jar of sauce! Are they nuts? I can't believe they did not like Hunts at all.
Yeah Hunt's is a best buy. And you can always add a little this or that to spice it up.
@@kimcat7320 😂
As a college student, it HAD to be Hunts. $$$ It can be made very tasty with the addition of some minced fresh garlic, olive oil, a small pinch of cinnamon, lots of black pepper, and some fresh basil.
Is it me or what? The director of this video is really obsessed with the brunette wearing glasses in the audience? I count 7 times.
It’s his mom
I just noticed her too @ 0:17
Maybe she is paid to be there like an infomercial. She is really into the show.
Sneaky link
RAO’s
Mutti fan all the way. After Italian Alessio Pasini voted favorably for it while blindfolded, I had to try and was sold on the pleasant taste.
Organic Victoria at Costco is always in my pantry.
My current organic pasta sauce is good and has no sugar, but is a bit watery. How is the Victoria in that regard?
@@altitudeiseverything3163 I use Victoria, definitely prefer it to Rao’s but that’s just me. It’s a little loose, but I wouldn’t call it thin or watery. Always consistent with the best ingredients, EVOO, Italian tomatoes, etc. I purchase the jars when they go on sale at my local grocery store, from time to time will pick up a very good local brand or Rao’s if they’re on sale but I think Victoria is the closest to fresh taste-wise and in appearance.
@@summersojourner Thank you for taking the time to post! I’m going to try it! 👍
Rao's is our go to sauce. Thank you ATK for your appraisal.
My partner and I love Rao’s. Just on a lark, I picked up Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce. It tastes just as good, and is a lot less expensive.
Trader Joe’s sauce is good. I Dress it up with a lot of hamburger meat onions and mushrooms.
You'll spend the time adding meat and onions and mushrooms but you won't make fresh marinara.
I did not see Mids sauce, I tried it a few years back and it is great for the money. Sometimes hard to find, but worth the hunt. We have our son in Illinois bring it to us by the dozen. Not to expensive and great flavor.
Hunt tast like my grandmother made that is my favorite.
RAOS IS THE VERY BEST
CANNED SAUCE. RAOS IS VERY VERY VERY GOOD. TASTES JUST LIKE THE SOUTHERN ITALY. I'm so excited about raos I'm yelling it.
Lol.
For a basic marinara, I go semi-homemade. Olive oil, garlic, crushed pepper, and canned tomatoes, usually crushed. For pizza style sauce, I actually really like the heart healthy Ragu. I am not the biggest fan of herb gardens in my food and its pretty clean with decent flavor.
I make my marinara the exact same way. I did switch to Aleppo pepper flakes a while ago. Give it a try if you haven't already.
Yes, me too. I sometimes add a few sundried tomatos in oil or otherwise rehydrated, either blended or very finely diced. It boosts the tomato flavour.
When I use herbs I keep it simple and fresh, dumping the classic dry mix in is risky as the dry herbs pack such a punch with time.
ua-cam.com/video/gM6Lnsi6Dp4/v-deo.html
I feel sorry for you, Ragu is the worst ever. It is hit and miss though with jarred sauce.
@@jeffmcelroy5168 You must be a blast at parties. I feel sorry for your wife, her boyfriend, and his kids youre raising. Learn how not to be a douche, mkay pumpkin? And thank UA-cam for the recommend that brought me back to a long since forgotten comment.
Raos definitely changed my taste palate for the better!! Definitely buy. It’s worth every penny for enjoyment. Costco sells this and buy it if you see it
I get that taste is a purely subjective thing, but for my money, the best pasta sauce is the dollar a can Hunts, any variety. Bear in mind ,however, that I add my own Italian sausage, mushroomed and/or other veggies (celery, onions). It is a super base on which to build your own spaghetti sauce and the price can't be beat.
The problem with that logic is you are putting so much stuff in the sauce you are burying the flavor of the sauce itself. I'm sure if you did your method with a can of crushed tomatoes its going to be a thousand times better.
@@jetnut89 I've tried the crushed tomatoes ,which, incidentally, cost more than the sauce to which I was referring and the result was a too watery sauce. I don't have the time to simmer the sauce the amount of time necessary to reduce and thicken it. I can make my "add ins" version for less money than the plain high-end sauces and I only have to simmer for 30 mins. or so to blend the flavors. BTW, the flavor of the sauce is not "buried". It is enhanced by the sausage and mushrooms. My family does not care for plain marinara sauce on their pasta.
I have been making pasta sauce for many years - start with an onion diced and slowly simmered, lots of crushed garlic, then add Newman's Own, can of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, spices (oregano, basil, tarragon, red pepper flakes) - cook it down - good to go.
when i spend $9 for marinara sauce, hell has definitely frozen over. i might spend that much for fresh
ingredients, or more likely start with a cheap sauce and add some fresh tomatoes, onion, etc.
Rao’s sauce has won every taste test I have scene them in .
I believe epicurean.com ranked them #1 also.
I keep seeing this in my feed as as "Jared Pasta Sauce" and think -- please, not another Jared, there are just too many.
Love these taste test. Thanks
Barillas Marinara sauce was highly rated in another review I saw a year or two ago.
Yeah!! I have been using Rao’s since it began showing up on shelves for purchase. It really is the best! 😋
I have tried both sauces and in my humble opinion (and my family) Victoria is the clear winner. Rao is very good, but, it's overpriced and not quite as good as Victoria.
I would just add that as a frugal bachelor, I routinely use the Hunts, although I always add fresh tomatoes, herbs, sauteed onions and bell pepper, maybe some mushrooms. I look at it as a base not the final product. I also add any strained pan drippings from the meatballs. Easy.
If you’re adding fresh tomatoes and garlic then you’re not improving canned sauce, you’re making homemade sauce worse by cutting it with canned. Try doing what you do now without the canned sauce. And google “spaghetti allo Scarpariello.”
Only the 1% can afford $10 spaghetti sauce.
I've stopped buying sauces and canned tomatoes with basil, and it has upped my cooking 'game'. Simple + quality is best.
Rao’s is my go to if I’m not making homemade.
#1 Rao's Is all I use when not making homemade using canned t. I buy at Costco much cheaper.
Just add a tblsp of olive oil to the cheapies
the del monte canned sauce is pretty decent, but i'll look at the label again after this. that's my go to.
Rao’s is my favorite, too! I always sauté diced onions, fresh garlic and green peppers in a little olive oil and butter before adding the sauce to the pot.
My favorite is Prego.
I say buy the one you like! I tried Rao's and was not impressed. And people have so many different tastes. I just saw one this week where a man from Italy did a blind taste test and rated Ragu as #2. I have seen several lately where Rao's was only in the middle. Like sdcn7107 I like Prego - especially the one with the hidden vegetables. Why should I buy Rao's at $8 a jar when I can buy the Prego for $1.60 when it is on a BOGO? I guess I should consider myself fortunate that I don't have the rarefied taste buds.
Rao's is amazing
I'm a big fan of your program. I would like to see you include information re: Healthfulness of the products. Fat is not just because it adds flavor or helps sauce cling to pasta.
GOOS FAT IS MORE HEALTHY! Also, the winner in this contest is the "cleanest" in terms of all ingrediants.
Hunt’s Garlic & Herb is my family’s favorite, although we do jazz it up. It’s because it’s tangy rather than sweet, and only about $1 per can. Makes a great base, IMO.
Yes.. nothing wrong with hunts especially for the price!
I've tried this and it's a good base. Not overly spiced and not chunky..
How do you jazz it up ?
@@emh8861 This is interesting. Your reply came in as I’m eating leftover spaghetti made with this sauce for breakfast! Hehe.
If we’re in a hurry, we just add ground beef, but my favorite way is to simmer the sauce with some minced fresh garlic (just a couple of cloves, because it already has a decent amount of garlic), some diced bell pepper, sliced fresh mushrooms, and some dried basil and oregano. Then add browned ground beef at the end, once all the veggies are soft, and simmer for about 10 minutes to let the sauce soak into the beef.
As an Italian who grew up on homemade sauce, the ONLY jarred sauce I buy is RAO’s. I’m feeding only 2 people, but if I had a large family to feed I agree this price is quite prohibitive. You don’t always have to make a gourmet tasting meal, so it doesn’t have to be the ATK winner every time you eat. But for the day or the dish when it matters, RAO’s is the best. Target usually has the best non-sale price at around $7, but the 32 oz jar is a better value at $9. I only buy their marinara and Alfredo, so can’t speak to all of the other flavors they make. Marcella Hazan’s marinara with butter (instead of olive oil) is fabulous and quite cost effective and EASY to make at home. A plus for the kids in your house: no chunks!! Lastly, I always recommend starting sauce with canned whole tomatoes in juice. Crushed tomatoes can be added, but you will get the most fresh flavor from the whole tomatoes. I use an immersion blender if I want it totally smooth, or a potato masher if I don’t care.
My favorite is Mezzetta sauces. Usually $4 - $4.50
You can tell how many tomatoes a sauce had by how much vitamin A it had. Unfortunately many manufacturers so not disclose that.
I'm with you on the Mezzetta sauces. An absolute bargain for the taste. I stopped looking at expensive alternatives. The spicy marinara, which is our family's favorite, can be hard to find since it's often sold out. We now stock up.
Yes! The Mezzetta sauce is definitely the BEST especially the tall thin jar with whole garlic and sweet basil, what a difference. That one has the San Marzano tomatoes from Italy, some of their others are made with different tomatoes from California and not quite as good.
Mezzetta Pasta Sauce is my new favorite when I don't have time to make my own. Love that Sauce!
Mezetta is very good. Mid' is my favorite for authentic homemade flavor.