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Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Quick: Name your favorite dinner shortcut. Did you say frozen chicken nuggets, bagged salad kits, or canned chickpeas? All are equally valid and delicious answers. Even if you didn’t name-check one of my all-time favorites, jarred pasta sauce, it’s probably pretty high on your must-buy list. (You’re reading this post, after all.)
As a category, jarred pasta sauce is massively impressive. The U.S. market is expected to reach $3 billion in the next few years, which is roughly the same size as the online astrology industry and global women’s sports(!). Market growth typically also means product expansions, and if you’ve been to the grocery store recently you’ve probably noticed jars of tomato sauces have taken over more and more shelf space.
I’m constantly looking for (and tasting) new and exciting jarred sauces to see which ones are worth stocking my pantry. These are the three I can’t get enough of right now.
Credit: Mara Weinraub
1. Bionaturae Organic Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce
If you’re looking for a bright red sauce with some spice, then this is your jar. It lists organic Italian tomatoes first on the ingredient list (an excellent sign of quality and freshness), plus six more simple ingredients. The flavor is so rich with tomato flavor, and a nice amount of heat from the pepperoncini, it rivals the homemade Sunday sauce I ate growing up.
Fun fact: Last week, unprompted, my mother and aforementioned Sunday sauce specialist texted me a photo of a near-empty jar of the brand’s classic marinara with a short-but-sweet message: This was excellent.
Buy: Bionaturae Organic Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce, $9.49 for 24 ounces at Amazon
Credit: Su-Jit
2. Vincent’s Medium Tomato Sauce
Vincent’s Clam Bar, an Italian family-style institution in New York, has been jarring and selling its namesake tomato sauce since 1970. You can taste the expertise in the tomato paste-based sauce with a smoky, sun-dried tomato sweetness. It’s a smooth, silky, and concentrated tomato gravy — great for clinging to seafood, as it was originally intended; upgrading soups and frozen pizzas, or dipping mozzarella sticks, garlic bread;and leftover pizza crust (frozen or not).
Buy: Vincent’s Medium Tomato Sauce, $5.48 for 25 ounces at Instacart
Credit: Ali Domgronchai
3. Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce
Rao’s marinara has been beloved by chefs, and cookbook legends like Ina Garten — for decades. (More recently, it was also named the winner in The Kitchn’s official jarred marinara taste test.) If you’re new to this jar, expect an amazing depth of flavor, bright tomatoes with light notes of garlic and basil. It’s an all-purpose all-star I recommend keeping on hand to make lasagna, chili, shakshuka, and more just a little bit easier.
Buy: Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce, $6.98 for for 24 ounces at Amazon
Did your favorite jarred marinara make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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