A jar of tomato sauce is an essential pantry staple. Its versatility ranges from using it as is for a quick and simple pasta dinner or using it as the base for one of these 12 recipes that use a jar of pasta sauce that aren’t spaghetti. Either way, keeping a few jars in the pantry means you’re always just a few minutes away from a satisfying dinner. But the pasta sauce aisle is full of hard-to-navigate options.
How do you know which one to pick? Well, we started with your favorites from our past Community Choice Awards and pitted them against each other to find out which tomato sauce is the best of the best.
Since many people are biased based on labels and brands, we tasted through all the pasta sauces with covered jars and the tasters were unaware of what sauce was associated with each brand. All sauces picked were labeled “marinara” as there are many different versions and we wanted to go with the basics. We tasted the sauces warm and plain without pasta so you could tell the nuances between the different brands. Testers rated the sauces on texture, flavor, and seasoning.
Here are the Top 3 jars that won.
The Best Store-Bought Tomato Sauces
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Best Standard Tomato Sauce: Prego
While most of the tasters said this sauce was standard and plain, Prego Marinara scored so highly because it was just that: standard and plain. The tomato chunks were ample, the texture thick but not overly so, and the seasoning had just the right amount of garlic, onion, oregano, and tomatoes. For those looking for a tomato sauce that doesn’t overpower the noodles, or for a sauce that might be the base to another recipe, this budget-friendly pick was the winner.
Best Tomato Sauce That Could Pass as Homemade: Rao’s
With great acidity, prominent garlic and herb flavor, and bigger chunks of tomatoes, Rao’s Homemade Marinara tasted the closest to homemade from a jar. It was as if you could taste the late-summer ripe tomatoes bursting through alongside fresh herbs. It’s a little pricier than the others but considering it could easily pass as homemade, it’s worth it.
Most Flavorful Tomato Sauce: Trader Joe’s
When the most affordable also has the best flavor, it’s easy to understand why Trader Joe’s has such a cult following. In taste test after taste test, Trader Joe’s products come out on top and the Tomato Basil Marinara is another winner. The semi-chunky sauce is seasoned well with herbs and garlic plus, the texture has just enough thickness to cling perfectly to pasta. Another win for Trader Joe’s.
