Tomato sauce is a pantry staple across the country, making it easy to get dinner on the table after a busy weekday. This is especially true when you consider that a rich, nuanced sauce often requires hours of simmering to achieve that depth of flavor. But shopping for tomato sauce is not as simple as it once was—where there used to be just a few brands to choose from, there are now dozens of options. This makes a purchasing decision surprisingly difficult.
To help ease this decision fatigue, we asked four chefs to share what they look for when buying tomato sauce, and the brand they most often choose. Surprisingly, they all recommended the same one!
Meggan Hill, executive chef and CEO at Culinary Hill
Andris Lagsdin, pizza chef, founder of the Baking Steel Company, and author of Baking With Steel
Kat Marris, chef instructor and owner and head chef of Prehistoric Pedal Frozen Treats
Allison Rittman, corporate research chef at Paradise Tomato Kitchens
What to Look for When Buying Tomato Sauce
For these chefs, the top priority when choosing a tomato sauce is high-quality ingredients.
“Start with looking for a short ingredient list—look for ingredients like tomatoes, olive oil, onion, garlic, and herbs,” shares Chef Kat Marris, chef instructor and owner and head chef of Prehistoric Pedal Frozen Treats.
Andris Lagsdin, pizza chef, founder of the Baking Steel Company, and author of Baking With Steel agrees, adding, “I love simplicity. Fewer ingredients almost always means better flavor,” Meggan Hill, executive chef and CEO at Culinary Hill concurs, prioritizing options filled with “familiar, whole-food ingredients.”
These chefs also search for sauces with minimal unnecessary additives—especially added sugar and preservatives. “In general, steer clear of thickeners, preservatives, and additives if at all possible,” says Hill. Meanwhile, Marris often searches for lower sodium brands—those with no more than 450 milligrams per serving. “I also look for no added sugar. Ideally all the sweetness you need comes from the tomatoes—I typically look for sauces made with plum or San Marzano tomatoes,” she adds.
Lagsdin also takes note of where the tomatoes come from in his jarred tomato sauce—if that information is available on the label. “California tomatoes tend to be bright and clean, whereas Italian tomatoes lean sweeter and softer. Both are great, it just depends on the style you prefer,” he explains.
Texture is another important consideration. “I like a thicker, smooth, herby sauce if I plan to use it for pizza or lasagna—one that won’t make the crust pizza soggy, and is strong and bold in flavor so it hits your palate on the first bite,” shares Allison Rittman, corporate research chef at Paradise Tomato Kitchens. “For adding on top of pasta, I usually prefer a chunky sauce with big pieces of veggies like onion, carrots, and tomato that visually look great and give each bite a unique flavor.”
The Best Tomato Sauce Brand: Rao’s Homemade
Taking these factors into account, these chefs all agree that Rao’s makes the very best tomato sauces. This brand originated from the iconic New York City restaurant, and their packaged products are nearly as famous. And when it comes to their tomato sauces, these chefs love a couple different Rao’s varieties.
For Marris, Hill, and Lagsdin, nothing beats Rao’s Marinara sauce. “It has an incredibly clean ingredients list, and no added sugar. I also really appreciate the rich, basil-forward homemade flavor,” Marris explains. Lagsdin agrees, sharing, “When I need a jarred pasta sauce, this is the one. Simple ingredients, pretty clean, and the flavor is balanced—not too sweet, not too acidic. It tastes like something you made yourself, and it’s also one of my kids’ favorites.” Hill concurs, offering, “It has a fantastic flavor, and is the closest to ‘tasting homemade’ that I’ve found in a store-bought sauce. It’s made with simple ingredients, all recognizable and what you’d expect a tomato sauce to contain. Plus, it has no added sugar and is widely available.”
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Rao’s Homemade
Meanwhile Rittman most often reaches for the Rao’s Tomato Basil flavor. “I love Rao’s—they make a consistently delicious product that is great quality, I usually end up grabbing the Tomato Basil flavor,” she says. This is thanks to its simple yet classic flavor—slightly sweet, slightly acidic, with floral notes from the basil.
The accessibility of Rao’s is hard to beat, too. You’re likely to find it in most large grocery stores nationwide, and most jars are less than $10—which can be made into several meals depending on the size of your household.
Using Tomato Sauce at Home
Beyond just pouring a jar of Rao’s tomato sauce over cooked pasta, there are countless other ways to put it to work in the kitchen.
For other pasta dishes, Rao’s sauce is the perfect base for adding roasted vegetables, sautéed onions or garlic, wilted greens, chili flakes, cooked ground or shredded meats, fresh herbs, and/or generous chunks of mozzarella or Parmesan before being tossed with your favorite noodle shape.
You can also spread any of Rao’s sauces directly onto pizza dough or a pre-baked crust for an easy, flavorful pizza or calzone. Subbing in these tomato sauces for crushed tomatoes in soups, stews, chilis, and casseroles is also undeniably tasty and convenient. Dishes like shakshuka, crostini, zucchini boats, and stuffed peppers are all made even more delicious with the addition of Rao’s sauce as well.
Dining and Cooking