A perfect jarred pasta sauce nails the balance between flavor and convenience. You want it to taste like a slowly simmered marinara straight out of a nonna’s kitchen but still be ready to simply heat and serve. And there’s one Costco find that delivers on both goals, all at an affordable price.
Frequent Costco shoppers may have spotted jars of the Kirkland Signature Organic Tuscan Marinara on the store’s shelves. The imported sauce is made and packed in Italy and sold in the same bulk format as everything else in the warehouse, helping keep it affordable despite its high-quality ingredients.
It’s important to note that the Tuscan Marinara is not the same as the slightly more common Kirkland Signature Organic Marinara Sauce, which features California-grown tomatoes. The latter is almost always available at Costco, while the former may come and go from locations depending on availability. According to customers, you should be stocking up on the hidden Italian gem if you spot it.
The ingredient list for Costco’s Italian-made marinara reveals why shoppers love it so much. This sauce contains just six ingredients: organic tomatoes grown in Tuscany, organic onions, organic carrots, Toscano PGI extra-virgin olive oil, organic basil, and sea salt.
What’s missing from the jar matters just as much: There’s no added sugar or citric acid. Instead, you get straightforward tomato flavor, a hint of natural sweetness from the carrots, and aromatic notes from the basil. The result is a looser, brighter sauce that tastes freshly made.
The label also calls out the product’s Toscano PGI extra-virgin olive oil for good reason. This designation — which stands for Protected Geographical Indication — means the olives used to make the oil were grown, pressed, and bottled in Tuscany in accordance with specific quality standards. Unsurprisingly, higher-quality olive oil yields a higher-quality marinara.
Tuscan-grown tomatoes also impact how this sauce tastes. Volcanic soil, found in many regions of Italy, including parts of Tuscany, often has a higher mineral content, which promotes plant growth. In turn, these minerals can influence the flavor development of crops and may yield sweeter, more flavorful tomatoes.
Compared with one of the most popular marinara brands on the market, Rao’s, Costco’s Tuscan offering tends to be on the chunkier side. It tastes and feels more like hand-crushed tomatoes with good olive oil, instead of something processed and perfectly smooth. Fans of the bulk retailer often describe it as rustic.
What may matter the most for families who rely on jarred pasta sauce is the price of this Costco find. The Tuscan marinara is typically sold in packs of three 24-ounce jars for about $15 total — although it’s been spotted in some stores for just $10 or $13 per pack — which breaks down to roughly 21 cents per ounce. For context, Rao’s marinara usually runs about $9 for a 24-ounce jar, or roughly 38 cents per ounce. And that’s for a product that doesn’t include organic ingredients.
Costco customers on Reddit note that the Tuscan marinara isn’t always in stock and recommend buying multiple packs when you can snag it. Since jarred pasta sauce lasts for ages and tends to come in handy on an almost weekly basis, you won’t regret it.
If you’re searching for simple tomato sauce that spotlights flavorful ingredients, this may be the best jarred marinara for you. Thanks to its simple recipe, it’s also an excellent option for home cooks who want to use a store-bought shortcut but like to doctor up a sauce themselves with a few customizations. And it’s ideal for anyone that’s tired of paying premium prices but still wants quality ingredients.
Dining and Cooking