357227 Fri Jan 05 12:42:24 -0800 2007 56 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2155562 My wife uses the 16-oz. jar of Colavita, and sometimes she extends the volume with a can of Hunt's No Salt Added. Neither of these products contains High Fructose Corn Sweetener. We used to use a canned product with an Italian name until we read the ingredients list on the label. The current producer has added HFCS to the product that once was a superior one. Fri Jan 05 12:42:24 -0800 2007 11977 ChiliDude 1 2155563 There was just a thread about this:http://www.chowhound.com/topics/356746 My favorite is the Trader Joe's organic vodka sauce. It is to die for--I only add extra-hot red pepper flakes and loads of freshly-grated parmesan Fri Jan 05 12:43:55 -0800 2007 2155562 39328 IndyGirl 2 2159404 Yes, I saw the other thread with over 50 replies. I figured that with so many replies no one would read mine. Sat Jan 06 12:16:25 -0800 2007 2155563 11977 ChiliDude 3 2159606 No problem :) Just wanted to make sure you saw it, too. And you're probably right about all the replies. Sat Jan 06 15:06:08 -0800 2007 2159404 39328 IndyGirl 1 2155604 I like the classico brands. I especially like the 4 cheese one or the tomato/basil. Fri Jan 05 13:19:00 -0800 2007 2155562 12606 MeffaBabe 2 2159406 We have used Classico sauces for years, and I saved and use some of the 26-oz. jars to store herbs and homemade condiments. My wife decided that she wanted to fund a restaurant thru purchases of the more expensive marinara and olive oil. I saw this restaurant on the grounds of the Culinary Institute of America in NY. Sat Jan 06 12:19:49 -0800 2007 2155604 11977 ChiliDude 1 2155698 I like Newman's. I will eat any of the varieties, but my picky kids only like the basic marinara. Fri Jan 05 14:06:28 -0800 2007 2155562 61910 semmen 1 2155898 Victoria--especially the artichoke. not sure how widely available it is, but it is certainly in sahadis in brooklyn Fri Jan 05 15:21:03 -0800 2007 2155562 15175 Produce Addict 1 2155953 Bertolli brand won the Cooks Illustrated taste test, and I have to admit that having tried it, it's been hard to go back to the other brands. Bertolli has a bright fresh tomato flavor, and not overly sweet the way most jarred sauces are. I've liked all the varieties I've bought. Fri Jan 05 15:33:59 -0800 2007 2155562 14456 ladelfa 2 2801764 I'm a Bertolli-ite too. Not sweet, good tomato flavor. I go with the basic marinara. Tue Jul 31 18:42:33 -0700 2007 2155953 28006 Jennalynn 1 2155987 I like Rao's. Expensive, but really good. Fri Jan 05 15:44:02 -0800 2007 2155562 10205 valerie 2 2801788 Count me in on Rao's. For me, and I have read too many subject threads to get into this one again, but it is wonderful, and worth the money, as some of us don't have the time to make from scratch. It works. It works wonderfully. The Arribiata, for give the spelling, please. The simple Marinara is fine and can be expanded upon. In a pinch I would use Emeril's Kicked Up, however, have not seen it on shelves in a very long time. I am paying the price and sticking to Rao's. Tue Jul 31 18:49:59 -0700 2007 2155987 23350 Jesdamala 3 2804580 I've seen the Rao's, and I can't make myself buy sauce-in-a-jar for $8.50. Is it really worth it? I can get the Bertolli or Barilla for $3, or Newman's for $2.50. Wed Aug 01 14:34:41 -0700 2007 2801788 12023 Hungry Celeste 4 2806415 Only you can decide if it's worth it. To me, it is most definitely worth it and nothing else compares, on sale or not on sale. Period. I do like the Barilla sauce with olives and capers. But I have not had it since I started buying Rao's, and if I tasted it now, I'm not sure I would still like it. Thu Aug 02 07:07:04 -0700 2007 2804580 10205 valerie 2 2801791 I have to second, or third, this. I recently picked up the Rao's marinara and arrabiata sauces at Bed, Bath and Beyond (go figure). The best I've ever had out of a jar. Tue Jul 31 18:50:05 -0700 2007 2155987 11193 cvc 1 2156129 Rao's and Batali are the only two that make the cut. Batali used to be distributed at TJs and is now distributed at WF. Ammusing note about the change here: http://www.mariobatali.com/sugo.htm Fri Jan 05 16:20:02 -0800 2007 2155562 10099 JudiAU 2 2158740 Wow. What happened between his sauces ad TJs? Was it just that not enough people were buying them? I know that they rotate things out pretty quickly. I'm going to have to get my hands on some of his sauce. (tee hee!) Sat Jan 06 02:50:43 -0800 2007 2156129 39328 IndyGirl 1 2159424 I have always made my own, even after the family is grown and gone. I used to do the Sunday (gravy), with sausage,meatballs,and a piece of salt pork. Lots of fresh garlic & olive oil. Two hours on the stove and it's heavenly. I still make a shorter version, as most of the ones I have bought in the jar, are loaded with sodium. What is citric acid anyway? If you don't have to worry about he sodium, Rao's is a good choice. Thanks. Sat Jan 06 12:46:41 -0800 2007 2155562 15691 mcel215 2 2161798 Citric acid is Vitamin C used as a preservative. Sun Jan 07 13:26:39 -0800 2007 2159424 11977 ChiliDude 3 2166250 Wrong. Vitamin C is ascorbic acid, a different compound. Citric acid was originally extracted from lemons and limes (hence the name), but these days is produced microbially from sugar. In its refined form it is a white crystalline powder that is (unsurprisingly) used to make foods taste sour when you don't want them also to taste "lemony" or "vinegary." Indian, Middle-Eastern and Asian markets frequently stock it. Mon Jan 08 20:42:14 -0800 2007 2161798 14456 ladelfa 1 2161922 Chili Dude's recipe here: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/357846 Sun Jan 07 14:45:39 -0800 2007 2155562 2 The Chowhound Team 1 2168692 I've posted this in the other thread, but it bears repeating. Cento's imported sauces are tastier than Rao's, cheaper than Rao's, and use all natural ingredients starting with San Marzano tomatoes. Their basic marinara is great on its own or as a base for more complex sauces; their Arrabiata and Vodka sauces are also excellent. I used to be a Rao's fan, but no more. If you can find Cento's locally, give them a try. Tue Jan 09 13:40:54 -0800 2007 2155562 12622 Striver 2 2169140 If you are in S.F.... I contacted Cento, and they said Molly Stone's carries them...I haven't looked myself yet, but I will! Tue Jan 09 15:56:11 -0800 2007 2168692 10485 ChowFun_derek 2 2801729 My husband's very picky about Italian sauces. He's a good cook and his Italian mom made a great sauce that he can do just as good. We both like Rao's a lot but we would most certainly love to find something we like as much for less dough. We're in Baltimore. I've already checked a few supermarkets. Do you know where Cento's is sold? Tue Jul 31 18:31:20 -0700 2007 2168692 115845 suetiggers 3 2801742 this is how jfood found out where cento is dold in his 'hood. send them an email. http://www.cento.com/main.html BTW jfood likes the marinara but is not wild about the vodka. And jfood still thinks that rao's is the best, patsy's second. Sometime a local grocer has the 32 oz raos for 2 for $10. jfood buys a few but mainly in the winter. Tue Jul 31 18:35:00 -0700 2007 2801729 11290 jfood 4 2801773 THANKS VERY MUCH.... Tue Jul 31 18:46:06 -0700 2007 2801742 115845 suetiggers 2 2804589 Thanks for the Centos vs. Rao comments. My rural supermarket does carry Cento, so I'll give it a whirl. Wed Aug 01 14:36:04 -0700 2007 2168692 12023 Hungry Celeste 1 2169169 I've tried both Cento's and Rao's. My personal preference is for Rao's Marinara, which is awesome. Depending on where you buy it, it's either 26 or 32 ounces, and is pretty pricey, but totally worth it. I can just sit there and drink the stuff. That said, their other sauces are just meh. Rao's cookbook has the recipe for the Marinara. It turns out really well and is very easy. Tue Jan 09 16:02:13 -0800 2007 2155562 49433 rockykay 1 2170758 I like Prego (which is available everywhere). I brown a pound of lean ground beef, and dump the jar in. My wife loves it (and admits that this is probably the reason she married me). I don't like big chunks of tomatoes, which a lot of other sauces have. If I want something more "foodie", I will make something completely from scratch, but for everyday, Prego definitely hits the spot. Tue Jan 09 22:01:50 -0800 2007 2155562 45848 Booger 2 2804190 I'm all about the Prego. Doctored up with several shakes of garlic, basil, oregano and onion powder. If I'm feeling ambitious I'll brown an onion in olive oil then add the sauce. Always get a lot of compliments on my "homemade" sauce. Wed Aug 01 13:02:55 -0700 2007 2170758 76226 Oh Robin 3 2839507 Our family loves Prego. I'm sure I would like other brands also. But my family is stuck on Prego...so I don't venture far from...Prego. Mon Aug 13 00:31:02 -0700 2007 2804190 47097 southerngal 1 2801834 I've answered this before, but I'll chime in for Rao's again. Love the Marinara and the Marinara with Basil. Perfect basic sauces. Yes, pricey but I wait for sales and scoop them up. We're only 2 people at home, so 1 jar usually last us through 2-3 meals anyway, depending on what I'm making (we're not the kind of people who believe in drowning our pasta in sauce). I use it as a base to doctor up for my own sauces too. I like Mario Batali's also, but have been having trouble finding it in my area lately. Tue Jul 31 19:05:48 -0700 2007 2155562 12099 sivyaleah 2 2805393 I play a mental game where I pay myself prep cook wages of ~$15/hour. As this applies to pasta sauce it means if I can prep something fast enough to come in under what the retail price is of premade, then I'm making it myself (or doctoring up a decent-enough base sauce to my liking). Rao's doesn't make that cut because it retails here in the $8-9 range. I can shop and chop fresh for less. If there was a sale here of 2/$10, I'd go for it, but honestly, I've had two varieties of Rao's it and I don't think it's twice as good as something half as much. For those in Pgh, the PennMac marinara was $5.99 last week. It's a terrific base and actually pretty decent on its own. Wed Aug 01 18:37:20 -0700 2007 2801834 24421 Panini Guy 1 2802119 You know I just buy some regular sauce and dress it up with seasonings and herbs myself. Tue Jul 31 20:59:32 -0700 2007 2155562 115828 hotteacher1976 2 2802464 Regular meaning, what? What brand? Some are better than others. Wed Aug 01 03:50:58 -0700 2007 2802119 12099 sivyaleah 3 2803047 Prego or maybe Ragu. Sorry about the omit. Wed Aug 01 08:28:49 -0700 2007 2802464 115828 hotteacher1976 1 2802468 i am very picky the only thing (to me) that the stuff from a jar is good for is for pizza they all share 1 common thread no matter what the brand they don't taste homemade/fresh Wed Aug 01 04:00:03 -0700 2007 2155562 113619 foodperv 1 2803083 I use Bertolli Marinara when I am too busy to make my own. I would like to try Rao's but I saw how expensive it was for a jar, and I cannot bring myself to do it. Wed Aug 01 08:40:19 -0700 2007 2155562 26725 swsidejim 2 2804231 If you are not willing to spend the money on buying Rao's, then don't try it...because once you do, you will be hooked! I tried Cento based on CH recommendations to see if it compared, and I threw away more than half the jar. It wasn't even close! There is a store near me (Stew Leonard's) and Rao's sauce is often on sale -- 2 jars for $10. I stock up. And sometimes I forget what I have in my cabinets, so now I actually have 4 jars that I bought on sale in the cabinet! Wed Aug 01 13:17:11 -0700 2007 2803083 10205 valerie 3 2804307 the best deal around is stewies 2 for $10 and it's the 32 oz jar. People need to be careful on price because raos comes in 32 and 24 oz sized. Wed Aug 01 13:34:54 -0700 2007 2804231 11290 jfood 1 2804204 My own...can't beat it and easy as heck! Tried Lidias...very good!! Wed Aug 01 13:08:20 -0700 2007 2155562 102697 lml 2 2804226 Has anyone tried the San Marzano sauce in a jar? It was way too expensive at Wegman's otherwise I would have liked to try it. Wed Aug 01 13:16:01 -0700 2007 2804204 98685 katesprings 2 2804309 lidias is very good as well and similar price point to pattsys and raos. just can;t stand looking at her picture on the label tho. Wed Aug 01 13:35:43 -0700 2007 2804204 11290 jfood 1 2804342 I always make my own using Pomi boxed tomatoes, but I once accidentally bought their marinara. I opened it on a quick weekday and couldn't believe it - it's very good. Not good enough for me to stop making my own, but very fresh and garlicky. It's easy to find at World Market stores. Wed Aug 01 13:44:21 -0700 2007 2155562 87249 katecm 1 2810251 I'm a fan of Classico sauces...but for vodka sauce I LOVE Gia Russa...it's got a kind of crunch to it...I know that's a bad explanation but it's the only word I can think of! Fri Aug 03 07:31:50 -0700 2007 2155562 109812 crosby_p 1 2810322 Newman's Own Fra Diavola Fri Aug 03 07:51:16 -0700 2007 2155562 51489 Jimbosox04 1 2810354 We like the Vincent's sauce, mild or medium. It's thick without being chunky. Fri Aug 03 08:01:26 -0700 2007 2155562 67461 shellyesq 1 2816215 We had a marinara sauce contest a few weeks ago. Tasters were blindfolded. There were 8 sauces, 6 homemade, 2 from jars (Rao's and Bella D'amore). First, second, and third place all went to the various homemade ones. Neither bottled sauce made the cut and, in fact, were pathetic by comparison. Marinara doesn't take very long to do. Make a double or triple batch and freeze what you don't use. Sun Aug 05 17:49:55 -0700 2007 2155562 111345 rexsreine 1 2833255 Paul Newman's sauces are my favorite. Fri Aug 10 10:56:50 -0700 2007 2155562 14158 JanR 1 2834728 It's not marinara, but I tried Bove's vodka sauce on a whim last year and have been hooked ever since. I could eat a jar of this sauce on its own, it is THAT good. I haven't tried their other sauces because it would mean a bowl of pasta without the vodka sauce, but I would hazard a guess that they are as good. www.boves.com Fri Aug 10 17:52:31 -0700 2007 2155562 28696 i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream 2 2843881 I like Boves too, have not tried the vodka sauce never saw any point to it. I find mopst of the big name commercial brands way too sweet. Boves gets it right.Mostly I make my own using Marcella's simple recipe with butter, tomatoes and half an onion. Tue Aug 14 08:33:32 -0700 2007 2834728 10285 Candy 3 2843910 You HAVE to try it, Candy!!! It's amazing. I literally eat it with a spoon sometimes. Tue Aug 14 08:41:47 -0700 2007 2843881 28696 i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream 1 2840306 Normally we use Alessi- nice basic list of no weirdness ingredients with no added sweetners. I'll pick up Rao's when it shows up on clearance at Target for $3.49 a jar, but we don't feel like we can justify buying it full price. Mon Aug 13 09:01:54 -0700 2007 2155562 11781 beachmouse 1 2843731 I love Muir Glen, particularly the Fire Roasted Tomato sauce. It's reasonably priced ($3.75 at SuperTarget and a bit more in Whole Foods or Central Market) and very good. I also like Classico. Rao's is good, but too pricey for me. Tue Aug 14 08:00:03 -0700 2007 2155562 71196 dalaimama 1 2843761 I love a local Kansas City restaurant's brand, Cascone's. The restaurant has gone downhill quite a bit the last 10 years, but the marinara sauce is fantastic. You find tons of whole basil leaves when you're cooking, which always makes me feel good. And when I'm making a tomato broth or I want a super thin marinara, I use another KC local, V's Italian Ristorante. It's the thinnest marinara sauce possibly ever, but I love it when I want a really light tomato taste. Tue Aug 14 08:07:59 -0700 2007 2155562 112103 reubensandperrier 1 2843848 This is absolutely the best jar tomato sauce I've ever found. Literally, as good as home made: http://www.vigo-alessi.com/itemView.php?id=83 Check the ingredients: Sicilian Pear-Shaped Tomatoes, Alessi Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Onion, Garlic, Alessi Sea Salt, Basil No paste, no random herbs, no canola oil...not even regular olive oil, just extra virgin. Unfortunately, its good enough you almost give up making homemade sauce, and that's coming from a Sicilian who 5 years ago wouldn't consider sauce from a jar! Tue Aug 14 08:27:41 -0700 2007 2155562 116345 ChefBoyAreMe 1 2843978 Hubby picked up a jar of Hooper's Tomato Sauce from Fresh Market last weekend and it is VERY good. Tue Aug 14 08:55:28 -0700 2007 2155562 11990 Janet from Richmond