356746 Wed Jan 03 22:59:06 -0800 2007 128 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2150315 If you're not making it from scratch, and whether or not you add something to it, what is the best brand (and flavor/style) of sauce in a jar? Wed Jan 03 22:59:06 -0800 2007 58752 michael23 1 2150330 I like most of the Trader Joe's sauces because they are usually lacking in extra sugar, gums, preservatives, etc. They seem to be lacking that weird chemically taste that's in Ragu and some of the cheapie supermarket brands. I tried Rao's once and it was delicious, but I can't bring myself to pay $8 for a jar of spaghetti sauce! :-) Wed Jan 03 23:02:31 -0800 2007 2150315 51939 strawberryfrog 2 2150422 You can make Rao's sauce at home, and it's really very easy. I have yet to find a jarred sauce I really like, but I'll use Barilla and doctor it up with fresh basil, some garlic and red wine. For how much it costs, it's much more effective for me to make a large batch of homemade occasionally and freeze it in smaller portions. Wed Jan 03 23:27:44 -0800 2007 2150330 17481 QueenB 3 3343828 DITTO queenb the only thing i have ever used the jarred junk is for pizza Tue Jan 29 07:27:23 -0800 2008 2150422 113619 foodperv 4 4804519 Trader Joe's pizza sauce is excellent! Thu Jun 25 05:33:37 -0700 2009 3343828 101560 CinnamonKitten 3 3454785 Try Moretti's Organic Marinara its the best Mon Mar 03 09:43:37 -0800 2008 2150422 169129 yogajojo 2 2150905 2nd the TJ's recommendation...we love their organic vokda sauce. It is very good. Thu Jan 04 01:48:06 -0800 2007 2150330 39328 IndyGirl 3 2152739 I, too, LOVE the organic vodka sauce! I think it's the best jarred sauce out there. Thu Jan 04 17:57:07 -0800 2007 2150905 12778 Jeda 2 2151319 Rao's. Arrabbiata or Marinara. I often add my own onions, capers, Calamata olives if I am out of the Arribbiata, as Marinara is easier to find. Worth every penny, in my opinion. I have tried many, many sauces. I cannot say I like supporting a restaurant who would never allow me to dine there, but in this case I do. I have been buying their products since they were introduced, and never disappointed. Thu Jan 04 04:09:33 -0800 2007 2150330 23350 Jesdamala 3 4789864 Tried the Rao brand recently and used the Arrabbiata, which is supposed to be hot. NOT! It seemed to be good ingredients, but I had to add pepper flakes. It was pretty plain and wimpy by itself. I cooked onions and garlic and mixed it in to simmer with browned chicken thighs. Is there anything more substantial in their line of sauces? And my second thought is that it was not at all mind-blowing for $8. Sat Jun 20 07:39:25 -0700 2009 2151319 137946 Scargod 4 4791373 scargod, you could doctor their marinara recipe: http://www.therecipereader.com/marinara-sauce-raos.htm Sat Jun 20 20:39:49 -0700 2009 4789864 105717 alkapal 2 3341899 Yeah I have a hard time paying $8 a jar. I have been into making my own sauce these days - a can of diced tomatoes and tomato paste is pretty cheap and then I can have as much garlic, onions and mushrooms that I want! Mon Jan 28 14:12:23 -0800 2008 2150330 137717 Zucumber84 2 4791391 I second Trader Joe's Organic Marinara. It has an incredibly low amount of sodium---I think it's 25 mg per serving compared with around 600 in big name brands so that seems closer to something I'd make myself. I've been using it to make Tortellini Soup--- cook beef bones with onion and celery to make stock, strain through a colander, cook in it two packages of frozen tortellini, then add the jar of marinara sauce, a big can of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree, a can of diced tomatoes, salt, and garlic powder and basil to taste (a lot, in other words). This makes a substantial, tasty soup. Sat Jun 20 20:54:11 -0700 2009 2150330 15521 Querencia 1 2150464 Barilla is the only jarred sauce I like- the others are too sweet. But agree,none compares to homemade. Wed Jan 03 23:41:20 -0800 2007 2150315 10027 Chris VR 1 2150465 I have recently found that I like the Barilla Tomato Basil sauce in a jar. I tried the Marinara once but did not care for it. I used to be a Classico fan but now I can't touch the stuff, I don't now if they changed or I did..It's just sickly sweet. I normally just make my own though and just use the jar when I have to.. Wed Jan 03 23:41:42 -0800 2007 2150315 13550 King of Northern Blvd 2 3341809 I like the Classico 4 Cheese if I'm too lazy to make my own. I doctor it up. I love having the nice jars when it runs out. I use them for everything. They're a great glass for a Bloody Mary. Mon Jan 28 13:48:46 -0800 2008 2150465 116638 southernitalian 3 3344009 I too love the Classico 4 cheese Tue Jan 29 08:14:48 -0800 2008 3341809 159932 CookforFun 2 3343707 I also like Barilla the best. I enjoy the roasted garlic variety. I bought a Bertoli once by accident, and it wasn't bad, but not as good as the Barilla. Tue Jan 29 06:51:01 -0800 2008 2150465 135452 pollymerase 3 3356024 I lke Barilla tomato basil, and also the Meijer brand organic tomato basil sauce. I would imagine that the Meijer sauce is packaged under other brand names. Fri Feb 01 10:45:47 -0800 2008 3343707 109573 coney with everything 1 2150482 Newman's Own Sockarooni when we're feeling lazy. Wed Jan 03 23:45:22 -0800 2007 2150315 12873 OCAnn 2 2150837 What's in the Sockarooni? I asked my mom the other day if she keeps a jar of sauce on hand and she mentioned this one from Newman's Own. We got sidetracked and I forgot to ask her about the name. Thu Jan 04 01:31:07 -0800 2007 2150482 22167 SarahEats 3 2150923 don't get your hopes up sarah, it is really terrible. thick, sweet and just overall blah!!! Thu Jan 04 01:51:51 -0800 2007 2150837 11290 jfood 3 2152415 I don't know what's in the Sockarooni. DH brought it home one day and I enjoyed it (surprisingly, since DH usu makes his own sauce). Thu Jan 04 16:39:02 -0800 2007 2150837 12873 OCAnn 3 3466918 We like newman's tomato & basil. Always have a couple of jars on the shelf. Doctor it up with an additional (small) can of straight tomato sauce and a handful of oregano and fresh parsley. I also "rinse" out the jar with about a 1/4 cup of red wine and throw that in too. I also like the Barilla brand. They have one with olives that makes a good quick pizza sauce. I see Rao's around and although Im tempted to treat myself once in a while, I really do wonder what makes an $8 jar better than a $3 jar. Knowing the restaurant and its clientele as I do, I feel like they are making me "an offer I can't refuse". Thu Mar 06 13:16:24 -0800 2008 2150837 102895 Cheflambo 2 2150880 Yes! But our local store doesn't carry it. Thu Jan 04 01:41:14 -0800 2007 2150482 32586 revsharkie 2 4802007 I LOVE that sauce also! Actually I like all the Newman's Own sauces. And the salad dressings. Wed Jun 24 10:06:08 -0700 2009 2150482 290845 KristieB 1 2150620 Rao's is really excellent and worth the $ in my opinion. Thu Jan 04 00:28:49 -0800 2007 2150315 13202 emilief 2 2150644 Trader Joe's organic marinara sauce works for me in pinch. Can even pass it off as my own to my Italian parents. Just have to remember to hide the empty jars. Thu Jan 04 00:38:44 -0800 2007 2150620 11181 MKS 3 2150823 I like it too. It doesn't have a lot of mystery ingredients. My own frozen sauce is good, but I'm starting to run out and it's only January. Thu Jan 04 01:27:09 -0800 2007 2150644 11231 Glencora 4 2151278 A third for TJ's marinara. The other sauce that I adore is Cento brand Arabiatta. It's perfect and, of course, spicy. Thu Jan 04 03:52:17 -0800 2007 2150823 10156 Steve 5 2151297 i just tried Centos "chefs cut" canned tomatoes and they were very good. Thu Jan 04 03:58:47 -0800 2007 2151278 20483 jenniebnyc 2 2151321 As I mentioned in a post above, I fully agree. Worth every penny. Thu Jan 04 04:10:05 -0800 2007 2150620 23350 Jesdamala 2 3921912 Ditto. I especially like the one with eggplant - can't remember the actual name. Considering the price of pasta, it still makes a pretty inexpensive meal even if Rao's is $8. Fri Aug 01 09:34:28 -0700 2008 2150620 43622 JenBoes 1 2150646 My absolute favorite is Pomi. It's not in a jar per se, but it comes in a little cardboard crate. I like the marinara. It doesn't taste overly sweet or salty like a lot of the jarred brands. http://www.freshdirect.com/brandpop.jsp?brandId=bd_pomi Thu Jan 04 00:39:13 -0800 2007 2150315 42343 bakeryqueen 1 2150651 I alternate between Rao's and Patsy's. Patsy's has a little more zip from a little more garlic. As with everyone else, homemade is the best. Thu Jan 04 00:40:19 -0800 2007 2150315 11290 jfood 1 2150653 Scarpetto or Sauces n Love... same company, one is fresh and one is shelf stable.. both are fantastic... some Whole Foods carry them. Thu Jan 04 00:40:22 -0800 2007 2150315 57005 harryharry 1 2150698 Filomena's and Delallo's Thu Jan 04 00:50:46 -0800 2007 2150315 10285 Candy 1 2150819 Victoria's marinara is pretty good. Thu Jan 04 01:26:24 -0800 2007 2150315 18385 CDouglas 2 2159378 Victoria's is a family owned and ran company. All their products are made in Brooklyn. Been around for years. All their product are good. Sat Jan 06 10:30:29 -0800 2007 2150819 11512 FAL 3 2271377 I'm late to this but I agree with Victoria's. It's very similar to Roa's but less expensive and a bit harder to find. Wed Feb 07 22:43:37 -0800 2007 2159378 68092 Doug in Mesa 4 3875980 I love all of the Victoria's brand sauces. The roasted garlic is a sure winner. You can tell a sauce is going to be good when you can see little rivers of oil running through the sauce in the jar. Good oil goes a long way to make a great sauce! Wed Jul 16 21:56:27 -0700 2008 2271377 210531 jennyfire 1 2150900 Barilla, Newman's, Classico are my choices for jarred sauce. Barilla had a sauce that came in two jars for a while that I really liked, but they appear to have taken it off the market. Just as well, as I think it was probably pretty bad for you... I keep meaning to try Cento brand. I think someone on this site recommended it. I could be delusional though... Thu Jan 04 01:47:04 -0800 2007 2150315 43173 Heatherb 2 3334013 I think my favorites are the least elaborate of both the Newman's and the Classico, especially since I use these mostly to fill out what I started from scratch. The Classico tomato and basil is about the best, to me. Fri Jan 25 18:55:01 -0800 2008 2150900 11478 Will Owen 1 2150916 Choose sauces that have tomatoes, rather than puree, as the first ingredient. And no corn syrup. While I like Rao's somewhat oily marinara, I've found I really love Cento's vodka sauce, which is not too dairy-rich at all. It glazes pasta properly, which is often difficult with jarred sauces. Thu Jan 04 01:50:12 -0800 2007 2150315 13819 Karl S 2 2150929 Agree that Rao's is a little oily, but i've used a texhnique i am absolutely sure you know of and add some pasta water when i mix the pasta. It works like a charm with the Rao's. Thu Jan 04 01:53:11 -0800 2007 2150916 11290 jfood 3 2153076 Yes, that's standard procedure for most of my pasta sauces, especially jarred ones. And that's the ticket. Thu Jan 04 19:04:35 -0800 2007 2150929 13819 Karl S 3 2153470 Yep, I do the same thing! Thu Jan 04 20:15:34 -0800 2007 2150929 12099 sivyaleah 1 2150968 Anybody ever had Mama Coco's? I used to buy it at the Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco, but have never seen it since. Awesome stuff.... Thu Jan 04 02:03:36 -0800 2007 2150315 35409 uptown jimmy 1 2151000 one hundred percent italian here but i'm too busy/lazy to make my own anymore. trader joe's marinara is good. so's barilla with basil, tastewise, but has anyone moticed there are inevitably these hard onion bits? very unappetizing. i've recently started using tuttarosa brand jarred sauce and like it better than the others. it's not a fancy brand. in fact, it's often less than barilla but the tomato quality is very good. Thu Jan 04 02:14:44 -0800 2007 2150315 51839 boppiecat 1 2151078 I like Barilla Tomato Basil too, but since I like smooth not chunky I use the immersion blender. However, I never use it straight out of the jar, I always add things. Thu Jan 04 02:46:12 -0800 2007 2150315 14620 hummingbird 1 2151117 in this order and all marinara only: san marzano jarred sauce raos boves Thu Jan 04 02:56:52 -0800 2007 2150315 20483 jenniebnyc 1 2151305 Classico Spicy Red Pepper Thu Jan 04 04:02:35 -0800 2007 2150315 18011 Jacey 2 3336088 I also like this one, plus it's fairly inexpensive. Sat Jan 26 15:50:51 -0800 2008 2151305 113872 diablo 1 2151346 San Marizano whole peeled tomatos - crush 'em up in your hands and toss 'em into the pan. They make stellar Carolina red rice. Thu Jan 04 04:18:55 -0800 2007 2150315 63978 Stek 1 2151351 Ditto Raos and also Silver Spoon (I think that's what it's called) Thu Jan 04 04:22:37 -0800 2007 2150315 60801 Obessed 2 4152878 Would that be Silver Palate? I love their homestyle marinara. Thu Nov 06 05:09:04 -0800 2008 2151351 219993 LA Buckeye Fan 1 2151418 Trader Joe's "Organic Vodka Sauce" is tasty and not too fatty (unlike many vodka sauces which have tons of cream or substitute) and has decimated my experiments in "homemade" sauce. Thu Jan 04 04:52:04 -0800 2007 2150315 56081 HPLsauce 1 2151794 raos marinara and barilla green and black olive Thu Jan 04 13:10:16 -0800 2007 2150315 12568 ericalloyd 1 2151796 Used to be a Rao's fan, but have switched to the Cento San Marzano line. Great sauces (marinara, arrabiata, vodka), all natural ingredients (starting with San Marzano tomatoes), and half the price of Rao's. Thu Jan 04 13:13:20 -0800 2007 2150315 12622 Striver 2 2153082 I agree that Cento is the reigning benchmark now. Thu Jan 04 19:05:15 -0800 2007 2151796 13819 Karl S 2 2156255 I've only seen Cento in a can and only as chopped or whole tomatoes...not as a sauce....do these sauces come jarred? Fri Jan 05 16:59:21 -0800 2007 2151796 10485 ChowFun_derek 3 2156473 Yes - check out the Cento web site (www.cento.com) to see what the jars look like; you need to click on "new products" and then browse through about 3 pages. Incidentally, they also have "petit dice" jar of diced San Marzanos that makes a good sauce base. If you're in NYC, Fairway carries them. Fri Jan 05 17:45:07 -0800 2007 2156255 12622 Striver 4 2156882 I am in San Francisco, but know the Fairway on B'way and the newish one in Brooklyn quite well! Thanks for the link...we'll see how long it takes these new products to cross the Rockies! I emailed them to see "if, when and where....." Fri Jan 05 19:01:24 -0800 2007 2156473 10485 ChowFun_derek 5 2157412 They have made it to Vermont so I would imagine it won't be long. We could certainly use a Fairway in the Green Mountain State ! Fri Jan 05 20:51:01 -0800 2007 2156882 50082 TonyO 4 2273035 Might be worth checking out the Cento website just to hear that incredibly cheesy jingle . . . Thu Feb 08 11:59:48 -0800 2007 2156473 57371 operagirl 1 2151824 If not making my own, I like the Loblaws Organics (prob. available in Canada only?) line of sauces. I find they don't have that weird chemical taste mentioned above, ingredient list contains nothing scary or suspect. I'm not a fan of Classico. Must look for Rao's and San Marizano based on the above. Thu Jan 04 13:26:44 -0800 2007 2150315 63948 balthazar 1 2151826 I go for the Francesco Rinaldi No-salt version and doctor it with fresh garlic and basil, and a fraction of the salt that the other jars have. Just reading the others' labels makes me queasy. Thu Jan 04 13:30:42 -0800 2007 2150315 59951 thinks too much 1 2151852 I use Muir Glen crushed fire roasted tomatoes (comes in a can rather than a jar) and add red wine, olive oil and a little sugar. Thicken it a bit by boiling. Thu Jan 04 13:41:18 -0800 2007 2150315 61643 bill_in_dunn 1 2151870 The Cento line is truly excellent. At $2.99 when it is on sale, I buy it all here in Vermont. You can eat the stuff right out of the jar. It outtastes most restaurants by a mile especially if you slow simmer with some meatballs and/or sausage. There was also a brand call Momma's which is good and has about 15 hole cloves of garlic and plenty of whole leaf basil in it. I think it runs around $6. Thu Jan 04 13:49:03 -0800 2007 2150315 50082 TonyO 1 2151881 Wow, I'm going to have to try Rao's. When I need gravy in a jar I usually go for Five Brothers -- surprisingly good for something you can now buy at the 99c store. I don't use jarred marinara as my final culinary destination unless I'm totally screwed for time, so I can usually doctor anything I buy -- but the corn syrup crap bothers me a lot, since I never put sugar in my homemade gravy. Thu Jan 04 13:56:51 -0800 2007 2150315 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 2151887 Victoria. Thu Jan 04 13:59:09 -0800 2007 2150315 64030 Gigigirl2 1 2151889 I use a lot of higher end jarred sauces from time to time but recently discovered the Pomi Marinara sauce in the box (similar in label to their tomatoes) and it's heads and shoulders above everything else. Thu Jan 04 13:59:41 -0800 2007 2150315 11990 Janet from Richmond 1 2152726 Rao's Marinara or the one with the basil in it. Yes, it's expensive but I stock up on it when it goes on sale. It tastes the most authentic; isn't full of other ingredients which don't belong in jarred tomato sauce like corn syrup. I wouldn't use it if making something which required gallons of sauce - then I'd make my own but for a simple dinner for just my husband and I, 1 jar can last get us through 2 or 3 meals so it is economical for us. I also like Mario Batali's plain Pomodoro but alas, can't find it anywhere any longer. Trader Joe's used to sell it but for some reason stopped a while ago. I'm going to try Patsy's - America's Test Kitchen recently gave it a very high rating. Thu Jan 04 17:54:38 -0800 2007 2150315 12099 sivyaleah 2 2152745 Patsy's is my other go-to sauce, had last night with some pasta and sausage. You will find it a bit more garlicy than the Rao's. Thu Jan 04 17:59:04 -0800 2007 2152726 11290 jfood 3 2153000 Garlicky would be a good thing :-) Thu Jan 04 18:49:44 -0800 2007 2152745 12099 sivyaleah 3 3466101 Another first person pronoun use by jfood! My local italian deli makes their own sauce and bottles it. It is really good. I make my own, but sometimes I just don't want to wash all the dishes. Thu Mar 06 10:20:38 -0800 2008 2152745 94635 adventuresinbaking 1 2152756 Safeway Select tomato basil is really just tomatoes, olive oil, basil and garlic. But I don't use it straight out of the jar, more as a quick and dirty way to make almost home-made sauce when I'm in a hurry. Thu Jan 04 18:00:37 -0800 2007 2150315 16828 Judith 1 2152758 I tried a Pastene jarred sauce once, and was delighted by how tasty it was - I think it was the marinara. It did have a good deal of olive oil in it, but that made it delicious, not oily. Thu Jan 04 18:01:33 -0800 2007 2150315 12778 Jeda 2 2155547 Jeda, I don't know if this is available everywhere but when I am absolutely lazy I like the Pastene Puttanesca sauce. I throw in whatever I have on hand--black olives or capers or anchovies. Fri Jan 05 12:27:24 -0800 2007 2152758 49959 thegolferbitch 3 2155788 Thanks for the tip! My grocery store has a Pastene section, and I'm pretty sure they carry a few different sauces. I'll try the Puttanesca. Fri Jan 05 14:47:54 -0800 2007 2155547 12778 Jeda 1 2153577 Mario Batali used to sell a line of sauces at Trader Joe's. As with everything else we like there i.e. garlic pistachios, they disappeared. Just went on Mario's website--looks like he'll be selling them at Whole Foods--no doubt at a higher price. Thu Jan 04 20:34:21 -0800 2007 2150315 13003 whs 1 2155467 Barilla - best cost to quality ratio Fri Jan 05 09:01:24 -0800 2007 2150315 57657 scrapple 1 2158141 I used to like 5 Brothers sauce when it was around (burgandy wine or tomato basil). I think it turned into Classico, and doesn't seem to taste as good anymore. I went through a stint where I would only use Ragu traditional, because Prego (the other sauce that was readily available in our grocery store) was too sweet, and the Ragu seemed closer to the stuff that I had eaten in Italy (where I also learned to enjoy al dente pasta). Now I tend to make my own sauce, but I bet Ragu doctored with some garlic, basil, and red wine wouldn't be too bad either. Fri Jan 05 23:31:27 -0800 2007 2150315 16492 Devourer 1 2158172 TJ's organic marinara is my back-up. But otherwise we diy. I've been tempted to try Raos, but at $6 or more ............ I always doctor the sauce a bit, but it's pretty darn good. Gotta wonder though, since TJ doesn't make it themselves and probably just badge their own of someone else's .......... Fri Jan 05 23:39:56 -0800 2007 2150315 13468 Fritz 1 2271432 Barilla, hands down,,,read the label no HFSC,,( i percieve it to be a plus).aside from that the flavors are rich, the sauce is thick but not about to harden, there;s good balance of garlic and onion, and the herbs they use, they offer a limited but valid sections of choice. if i want Rao's it'll be after i actually get into the restaraunt,,,or when he danes to send me a caseload to my home. Wed Feb 07 23:25:17 -0800 2007 2150315 46161 spinach 1 2271446 Classico is nice. There's no added sugar to the Four Cheese or the Florentine Spinach & Cheese varieties (my favorite!). I buy ita at Safeway in Seattle area. Wed Feb 07 23:43:32 -0800 2007 2150315 72677 valrn 1 2271481 CERIELLO'S Sauces are excellent. Fresh made in small batches. They are sold here in NY at CERIELLO'S in Grand Central Market, and at Garden of Eden. Thu Feb 08 01:15:47 -0800 2007 2150315 10838 Fleur 1 2273046 When everyone's talking about Trader Joe's marinara, are you referring to the one in a jar or a can? Because their canned marinara is very good, and at something like $1.69 a pop, quite a good deal! Thu Feb 08 12:01:27 -0800 2007 2150315 57371 operagirl 1 3332986 Barilla Olive and garlic tomato sauce. Fri Jan 25 13:40:52 -0800 2008 2150315 158574 zingiraquel 1 3335780 Trader Joe's marinara sauce, in the jars. It is the only store-bought pasta sauce I don't feel the need to 'doctor' up (I usually make my own and don't like most store brands). I agree that most store brands are too sweet and not flavorful enough. TJ's is the exception. Does anyone know where to buy tomato 'passata'? I always used to use this as the base in my pasta sauces when I lived in the UK, but haven't been able to find it since moving back to the US. It is basically stewed, pureed tomatoes, usually packed either in glass jars or cardboard (Tetra pak) which is what I've seen used most often in Italy. Sat Jan 26 13:46:38 -0800 2008 2150315 124476 FoodieKat 2 3336689 I just bought a jar today in Philly's Italian market! Great stuff, I can't wait to play with it. Sat Jan 26 20:44:45 -0800 2008 3335780 41097 chocolatstiletto 3 3341750 It is great stuff, and makes such a difference when cooking tomato-based pasta sauces. Mon Jan 28 13:37:59 -0800 2008 3336689 124476 FoodieKat 2 3354030 Trader Joe's Vodka Sauce is really, really good. Thu Jan 31 18:39:03 -0800 2008 3335780 35409 uptown jimmy 3 3456019 And they've just started carrying passata now too. Can't wait to try it. Mon Mar 03 14:11:44 -0800 2008 3354030 124476 FoodieKat 1 3336045 I've never made a good sauce and so have always bought jars. By the far the best is "Joe's Market" from Ukrops around here (it's my main claim to fame in the food category in the land of not good choices). It has nothing fake, San Marzano tomatoes are the first ingredient, EVOO, and only veggie parts and a few spices. I've found nothing else anywhere near so good. The website is www.ukrops.com if I've convinced you to try it. Sat Jan 26 15:32:57 -0800 2008 2150315 19727 kayandallie 2 3337591 Our new favorite is Rao's Marinara Sauce. On the lighter side, well seasoned, nice texture. Sun Jan 27 10:06:36 -0800 2008 3336045 16128 Windsor 2 3466139 You've convinced me <g> And fortunately I live in Richmond......LOL Thu Mar 06 10:29:53 -0800 2008 3336045 11990 Janet from Richmond 1 3341370 I was at our local Grocery Outlet the other day and they had three brands of organic pasta sauces: Newman's Own, Seeds of Change, and Nature's Best. I ended up buying a couple of varieties of the Nature's Best because it didn't have anything in it I wouldn't put in sauce at home: no sweeteners, no gums or stabilizers, no cheap oils (the Newman's had soybean oil -- I don't care if it's organic, soybean oil is yucky), and all the ingredients were organic except for the salt! I tried the garlic marinara last night and it was very good: not too sweet and with well-balanced seasonings. I didn't feel like I needed to add anything. Mon Jan 28 12:13:31 -0800 2008 2150315 10159 Ruth Lafler 2 3341402 I've tried teh Rao's marinara and their Roasted Eggplant sauces. I would give the nod the the Roasted Eggplant. At $5.99 I think it is a decent value (Hannaford stores). At $9.99 + I think it is overpriced (Shaw's and most other supermarkets). I always look for Cento when it is sale at Shaw's (this week) as it is priced at $2.99. Mon Jan 28 12:19:13 -0800 2008 3341370 50082 TonyO 3 3343715 My fave is Mom's Sauce, the basil and garlic variety is the best http://www.jelly.com/products/timpones.htm Tue Jan 29 06:54:46 -0800 2008 3341402 154901 roro1831 4 3345631 That has some HUGE garlic cloves in it ! It bought a bunch when a Shaw's marked it as discontinued and priced it at $2.50. It was excellent. I still see it at other stores so Shaw's must have stoppped carrying it. Tue Jan 29 14:03:58 -0800 2008 3343715 50082 TonyO 1 3345170 Tj's Whole foods brand Rinaldi Tue Jan 29 12:30:47 -0800 2008 2150315 135178 TSQ75 1 3345529 Prego Roasted Garlic & Onion... doctored up with more garlic, oregano, basil etc. Tue Jan 29 13:40:49 -0800 2008 2150315 76226 Oh Robin 1 3345688 I was going to post this a while back but seeing this thread just reminded me to recommend Copolla's "Mammarella" organic pomodoro - basilico sauce in a jar. I got a free jar when they ran a promotion at a Boston area liquor store -- buy two bottles of his wine (totally drinkable) and they threw in a jar of sauce and a box of dried pasta. I thought nothing of it until I had nothing in the house and threw it together. Simply the best jarred sauce I've ever had. All organic, no HFCS and -- NO GARLIC. I thought this would mean a lackluster sauce. Instead it's very simple and delicious -- a good base for doing your own thing. If you are a garlic fan you can throw some in. This is the only jarred sauce that isn't too sweet for me. Anyone else tried it? Tue Jan 29 14:17:21 -0800 2008 2150315 10232 yumyum 2 4152450 For years was addicted to Rao's Marinara - decided to stop getting ripped off and stopped buying it. Love Copolla's Mammarella - very very close to as good as Rao's. My Safeway stopped carrying it though. Wed Nov 05 19:09:36 -0800 2008 3345688 229664 bucksgirl 3 4193957 bucksgirl, here is the rao's recipe, if you'd like to try making it at home: http://www.therecipereader.com/marinara-sauce-raos.htm Sat Nov 22 08:21:49 -0800 2008 4152450 105717 alkapal 1 3350742 rao's marinara is great. it's expensive but i dont use it often. if i am really cooking i will make my own from canned or fresh tomatoes, jar sauce is just for the lazy nights when i am making pasta, red sauce, and a simple salad. i don't understand "doctoring it up" - really if you are going to take the time and effort, make your own sauce, it isn't much harder. i understand a pinch of salt, a grind of pepper, but i see people adding 5 ingredients to jarred sauce and have no idea why they pay the premium for "sauce" over canned tomatoes. rao's is great and needs nothing added, worth a few extra bucks when i want a quick dinner. in boston we can get g'vannis north end sauce, which is also quite good and cheaper. i switch back and forth between the two, buying rao's when it is on sale mostly. don't use more than 7-8 jars a year, so it is not such a big deal to spend money on something good though. Wed Jan 30 20:58:31 -0800 2008 2150315 68210 andytee 1 3354037 On this note: anybody ever seen Mama Coco's sauces? I used to buy it at Rainbow Grocery out in San Francisco and it was like mother's milk. I've never seen it since. Thu Jan 31 18:42:03 -0800 2008 2150315 35409 uptown jimmy 2 3354708 ever since i first tasted DELALLO, i've never bought anything else. the sauce is made from san marzano tomatoes and very little other additives. Completely balanced most importantly never too sweet, too salty, or what i really hate too sour. Fri Feb 01 03:37:11 -0800 2008 3354037 109370 AGENT FOODIE 2 3921753 Months later just discovering this thread by googling and wanted to let you know Mama Coco's is my husband's absolute favorite. We buy it at Henry's Marketplace which is a San Diego-area health food store chain now owned by Wild Oats/Whole Foods. I've also seen it at Jimbo's (another SD-area chain) and smaller indie health food stores. A brand that is very similar in taste & texture (also good pure ingredients list) is Enrico's which is also at health food stores. I'm sure Whole Foods carries it. Funny I haven't seen Mama Coco's at "gourmet" type markets but I've seen it at markets that are more health-foody than gourmet-ish. I am surprised to see so many recs for Barilla. I might have to give it another try since it's so much cheaper than Mama Coco's or Enrico's (plus Barilla is in every grocery store so no additional grocery trip.) Last time I tried Barilla has to be a few years and it was really sweet. I put it in something (lasagna maybe?) and I remember we were all commenting that it tasted so sweet it was almost like the sauce caramelized or something. But I do trust the Chowhounds for food recs so might give it another try. Fri Aug 01 08:53:36 -0700 2008 3354037 211732 drucie 3 3923986 drucie, i think the barilla is too sweet, also. Sat Aug 02 05:53:34 -0700 2008 3921753 105717 alkapal 1 3356732 Carfagna's sauce, made locally here in Columbus, Ohio Mid's, which I think is from Cleveland Fri Feb 01 13:43:20 -0800 2008 2150315 15139 Diane in Bexley 2 3356761 Frank's is available here and is the best I've found...even better than Rao. Fresh basil and roasted garlic marinara. Almost as good as my own. Fri Feb 01 13:52:24 -0800 2008 3356732 14387 CapeCodGuy 1 3381780 The best pasta sauce I have found is from a place in West Warwick R.I. called the West Valley Inn.They market it under the name Porino's and the only place I know where you can get it is at BJ's wholesale club.I spend 12-15 hours making my sauce using a 100 year old recipe and I can't tell the difference between them when I am done.The only difference is I have one hell of a mess to clean up when I make mine.It sell's for about $6.00 dollars a gallon. Sat Feb 09 21:01:02 -0800 2008 2150315 164607 raf945 1 3465598 I just had Il Mulino marinara the other night and it was amazing. This has to be the freshest tasting jarred sauce I have ever tried. Everyone I served it to was blown away by the taste and quality. It is ludicrously expensive but would be great for a splurge or to ask for as a gift. Thu Mar 06 08:32:46 -0800 2008 2150315 18385 CDouglas 1 3466349 Mid's: http://www.mids.cc/meatsauce.htm OMG, this stuff is like crack! I used to just eat it out of the jar with some fresh italian rolls after school. I pretty much lived on that and combo's throughout high school lol. It has more meat than tomato. Seriously. It's so thick, it doesn't pour out. You have to use a spoon. I recommend it to anyone that likes a moderately sweet Bolognese-type sauce with tons of meat. On a side note, I tried an unfortunately named sauce called DelGrosso's from a local discount store. It was only 99 cents, and I feel it was pretty good. It was definitely much better than sauces at some local, highly revered restaurants (Trattoria on the Hill in particular). It isn't overly sweet or salty, and didn't have the bitterness I often detect in many other sauces. The only thing I thought it might benefit from is a little heat, so red pepper flakes balanced it out quite well for me. Has anyone else had this one? Thu Mar 06 11:19:10 -0800 2008 2150315 142652 madgreek 1 3468536 Muir Glen Organic--it tastes fresh. Much better than Cento ....but the most amazing is Frankie's Gravy. I just can't get it where I live. I tasted it at a food show and all of the flavors were incredible--very fresh tasting, San Marzano tomatoes.... Rao's didn't even begin to compare. Thu Mar 06 22:11:25 -0800 2008 2150315 172610 rebelurbandiva 1 4789724 For years I could only eat my own or Rao's... then I found THE best- Victoria's White Linen Marinara... Costco had 2 packs for a while for $8- hope they get them again, and I'd put it through the blender before using. Actually better than Rao's. Sat Jun 20 06:26:45 -0700 2009 2150315 1086673 snowwhite615 1 4791926 The Mezzetta line is quite good. I have hade the marinara and the sauce with artichokes and both are very tasty. They mat be a bit oily for some, but I like to see the sheen of olive oil in a sauce, jarred or homemade. I believe they run around $5 for a 32 oz jar and need no "doctoring". I agree it is easy to make your own sauce/gravy/marinara etc. and jarred sauce is often "frowned on", but if the quality is high and the ingredients are fresh and limited, is there really that much difference between opening up a can of tomatoes, adding olive oil, sherry,garlic, parsley/basil, and salt/pepper versus twisting off a cap and heating it up. Both work for me............................... Sun Jun 21 08:02:39 -0700 2009 2150315 50082 TonyO 1 4793379 I've recently been seeing coupons for Silver Palate jarred sauce, but haven't seen it anywhere in my shopping area. Anyone tried it? Sun Jun 21 20:03:14 -0700 2009 2150315 14620 hummingbird 1 4799298 Am I the only one who does NOT like Raos???? I always make my own, but I'll grab some from TJs next time I'm there so I can give it a shot next time I'm in a rush. Tue Jun 23 14:31:43 -0700 2009 2150315 63634 rizzo0904 2 4799559 I believe my comments were not too glowing. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/356746#4789864 I make my own, but like to have something on the shelf. I don't think Rao's will be it. I've had Newman's a few times and thought it better. Tue Jun 23 16:01:24 -0700 2009 4799298 137946 Scargod 3 4799595 i can't see ever paying $8 for rao's! i like the newman's marinara, but i still doctor it with garlic and anchovies, maybe oregano (and basil, if i feel like it). Tue Jun 23 16:10:36 -0700 2009 4799559 105717 alkapal 3 4799633 interesting difference of taste. jfood would rather eat it plain than any of the Newman's products. To each his own. Like you jfood and mrs jfood each make a batch and then jfood cans them. Has about four more jars in the basement from the last sauce-fest. Tue Jun 23 16:22:09 -0700 2009 4799559 11290 jfood 1 4800899 RAO, RAO, RAO...I could drink it over ice. I love it so much! Wed Jun 24 03:05:55 -0700 2009 2150315 146405 stricken 1 4801282 Victoria Marinara. Wed Jun 24 06:58:52 -0700 2009 2150315 157528 howaboutthat 1 4801317 I love the plain/original versions of the following: Classico Rao's www.thelunchbelle.com Wed Jun 24 07:09:08 -0700 2009 2150315 110996 LeahBaila 1 4830756 Have always been partial to Classico...doesn't have that overly sweet after taste that Ragu and Prego have. Just discovered Trader Joe's sauces and like them as well (prices are great). Sun Jul 05 08:32:17 -0700 2009 2150315 35053 judka 1 4832540 favorite sauce is not trader joe's roasted garlic marinara sauce. 'twas heavy and dull tasting. i'm finding it easier and better just to add to a can of tomato puree or crushed tomatoes minced garlic, sauteed onions, evoo, herbs and sometimes roasted eggplant. i'm really happy with this "tuttorosso" brand i get at harris teeter, and usually i stock up when they have a great sale price. http://www.redgold.com/tuttorosso/products.asp it ends up being better than half the cost of the prepared, jarred sauces. i see that the products are packed by "red-gold" company, and available on the east coast (though you could order online) >>"" Tuttorosso canned tomato products can be found in major supermarkets in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington DC. 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