When time allows, we’re all for a good Sunday sauce. Not only can we customize the flavors when we DIY, but also who needs an air freshener when you have a big pot of pasta sauce simmering on the stove?
Still, we don’t always have time to make sauce from scratch, and we hear from many AllRecipes readers that you, too, consider jarred pasta sauce as one of your pantry staples. And there’s no shame in that, especially when many supermarkets have an entire aisle full of solid options. Even the man who (literally) wrote the book on pasta, Dan Pashman, says “Why make your own tomato sauce when there are so many high-quality jarred varieties available today?”
We wholeheartedly agree, so we asked Pashman—and a couple of other culinary pros—to help us narrow down all of the options. While we technically spoke to three brilliant food folks for this piece, five food pros have actually declared this as their marinara MVP. That’s because these chefs selected the same pasta sauce that’s Kristin Cavallari’s go-to and even Ina Garten’s favorite, too.
Our Panel of Pasta Sauce-Judging Pros
What To Look for When Buying Jarred Tomato Pasta Sauce
There are dozens—sometimes more than 100—options for pasta sauces at a single supermarket. We tend to find tomato sauces to be the most versatile, so that’s what we’re focusing on here. With that in mind, here’s what our culinary panel looks for on the label to determine if a sauce is worthy of a spot in their cart:
The first ingredient is tomatoes. “The first ingredient should be tomatoes, not tomato puree,” Pashman says, adding that this shouldn’t be groundbreaking, but isn’t always the case. Any of these synonyms for real tomatoes are A-OK in that first slot, he continues: whole peeled tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, Italian plum tomatoes, San Marzano tomatoes, or oven-roasted tomatoes. On the flip side, “tomato puree is typically tomato paste mixed with water, and often preservatives — it’s the sauce equivalent of juice made from concentrate instead of fresh-squeezed,” Pashman clarifies. “It’s okay if some tomato puree is included, but I want a sauce that starts with actual tomatoes.”
No added sugar. But not necessarily for health reasons. The real reason why Pashman, Jawad, and Hill seek out no-sugar-added sauces is that “if you have ripe tomatoes, good seasoning, and herbs, there is absolutely no need for added sugar in jarred pasta sauce,” Jawad explains. “After all, it’s not something normally found in authentic pasta sauce in Italy!”
It’s free of preservatives. Similar to our Best Marinara Sauce Yet, which calls simply for tomatoes, herbs, onion, garlic, white wine, and olive oil, Hill seeks out store-bought sauces that include ingredients she knows on the label. Jawad seconds that, adding that she particularly keeps an eye out for preservatives: “Due to the acidity of tomatoes and the sterilization process during canning, jarred pasta sauce shouldn’t need any preservatives in my opinion.”
Above all, you should seek out a sauce that tastes best to you, according to Pashman. Every individual’s answer might vary a bit, however, our experts typically gravitate towards sauces with fresh tomato flavor, a balance of sweetness and acidity, and one where any additional ingredients beyond tomatoes are complementary without being overpowering.
The Best Store-Bought Pasta Sauce, According to Pros
Dotdash Meredith / Janet Maples
Considering those factors, and the overall flavor, texture, and versatility, which brand earns the MVP award?
The Pasta Queen, Carbone, and Victoria are all worthy contenders and earn hat tips as solid options from our panel, but the unanimous victor is the pasta sauce that you, our readers, selected as the winner of our Community Choice Awards. And our chefs agree—the best store-bought pasta sauce is Rao’s. Jawad adores the fact that the ingredient list is simple and only includes items “that I can easily recognize and pronounce.”
Rao’s actually offers more than two dozen different red sauces, but everyone’s top pick is itsHomemade Marinara Pasta Sauce. The ingredient list is streamlined—just Italian whole peeled tomatoes top pick is, olive oil, onions, salt, garlic, basil, black pepper, and oregano—and the flavor is Ina-approved.
Hill chimes in, “All of Rao’s sauces are delicious and ready to use on their own. They need no doctoring or additional ingredients,” she explains. “They have great consistency—pleasantly thick without being too watery—and great flavor. It tastes like it’s homemade, like I made it myself.”
How to Use Store-Bought Pasta Sauce Like a Chef
Regardless of which Rao’s red sauce you choose, there are options abound to celebrate the chef-approved sauce in that jar.
Tossing it with these top-tier cuts of pasta. Pashman admits that he’s biased, but adores Rao’s pasta sauce most with his own thoughtfully-engineered noodle, Cascatelli. “I invented this pasta shape especially to hold a ton of sauce!” As for Jawad, she jives with any flat ribbon-like pasta, such as fettuccine or pappardelle, since “the surface area holds the sauce really well without it falling to the bottom of the plate.” When Hill is feeding her family, she adores twirly cavatappi noodles “because the chunks of onions and tomatoes in the sauce can get lodged in the swirls — I love that!”
Make it your own. While the foundation of Rao’s pasta sauce is certainly tasty enough to use on its own, it can be just the beginning of your taste bud adventure, if you like. Giada de Laurentiis, for one, likes to use it for shortcut vodka sauce. For a variation on that theme that Kendall Jenner digs, try Pasta alla Tequila. Or customize it according to your personal preferences by following Pashman’s lead. His cookbook includes a “Jarred Tomato Sauce Decision Tree” that looks at what readers are craving, be it spice, crunch, heartiness, meat, or texture. “Follow the prompts you’ll end up with one of more than a dozen options for jazzing up a basic jar of sauce, whether it’s mashing in a can of beans, taking inspiration from the Indian dish matar paneer, or adding a roasted eggplant or tablespoon of miso,” he explains.
Add meat. Both Hill and Jawad are keen on pumping up the protein. Jawad frequently cooks ground beef and onions to mix with Rao’s marinara sauce, while Hill swears that incorporating cooked ground beef and Italian sausage “really makes a special meal. It’s hearty, filling, and tastes like the sauce my grandma used to make.”
Try it in a pasta-free recipe. Who says you need noodles at all? Tomato sauce is a terrific teammate for a wide variety of other savory recipes. Try it in Tavern Pizza or Pizza Fondue, or spoon it on top of Simple Lasagna Burgers, Air-Fried Chicken Calzones, or Panko-Breaded Pork Parmesan. Or let the sauce really shine by showcasing it as a dipping sauce for cheese curds or mozzarella sticks or the saucy component that pulls everything together for these party-starting Mini Meatball Subs.
Dining and Cooking