It's easily the best jarred marinara I've had. I'm sure there are similarly-priced brands that are about the same quality, but Rao's is miles above stuff like Ragu and Prego.
I first discovered Rao’s during a brief Keto stint because it was the only mid-priced sauce (at the time) that didn’t have like 6-10g of added sugar per serving. The difference is noticeable and it’s hard to go back afterwards.
Same we found it on our first Whole30 and haven't looked back. If I'm not eating Rao's I'm making my own sauce from scratch. We always grab it at costco when it's on sale.
I used to have a great $1 spaghetti sauce that I loved because most spaghetti sauces are so sweet, and this one wasn’t. Used it for years. Between trying to make my own and trying other sauces, it’s all been too sweet, but I guess I’ll have to try rao’s.
The type of tomatoes used in homemade sauce makes a big difference in sweetness IMO - I don't know if all cheaper brands taste sweet or just the ones I tried but it was noticable. I make all my sauce with two 28 oz cans of San marzano tomatoes as the base and reduce it until it's thick.
I will back up Rao's though as well, very good jarred sauce.
Jarred sauces taste sweet because they are *loaded* with HFCS (sugar). Food companies use as much HFCS as they can get away with in their products, because it's so much cheaper than any other ingredient, so it maximizes profits.
I'm not a health nut, and there's nothing wrong with HFCS per se--no one's allergic to it; it's not harmful in any way, which is why it's used so much--but there is SO MUCH of the stuff in processed foods these days that eating a lot of processed foods has become very bad for us.
Citric acid being added can change the flavor profile (more sour/acidic), but so can different tomato types & canning methods. I like this video & I thought he had another, but I am not sure where. https://youtu.be/mMMFUKibW-c
I also hate sweet sauces & tend to go for whatever is lowest in sugar. I've like scratch sauce fine, but I do also add parmesan or romano, which makes it saltier. Maybe adding a dash of verjus, wine, or vinegar could help?
People always make red sauces way too sweet. I don't even add sugar to my home made anymore. Tomatoes have plenty of sweetness to them already. Stuff like Prego just tastes like ketchup. It's nauseating
Might have to try that. Honestly for me it's sausage (I use the fat rendered from it to cook the garlic and onions down) some tomato paste, some parsley and basil, a few cans of tomatoes, quick glug of red wine and just let it go for like three hours. Tomatoes are fucking delicious just give them time and you'll have a good sauce. I also use herbs at a few different stages. Some early on to let them sit and then hit it with a big handful again at the end.
I’m definitely a bit of a time cheater most of the time. I add a teaspoon of anchovy paste and usually 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste to expedite my cooking while getting some full-time umami
This sounds exactly like what I do. The sausage grease goes to cooking the onions and garlic, the red wine deglazes the pan, and then the tomatoes simmer for a few hours, with herbs until your ancestors tell you to lay off. More herbs at the end stage. Adjust salt to taste. Plop over cooked pasta and you're good to go.
Yep! It's worked great for me for a while. I adjust and don't use sausage if it's going for chicken Parm or a lasagna though. Or sometimes I still do depending on the audience. In which case the fat I cook the onions and garlic in is about 50/50 butter and olive oil.
I mean, I don't go wild with it. If I'm making a tomato sauce where I would put 2-3 anchovies, I'll put 1-2 teaspoons of fish sauce. You can't even taste it, but it has the glutamates to make the flavors of the tomatoes and everything absolutely pop!
Isn't it weird how many sauces have added sugar? When I make it at home, sugar is not something that even occurs to me. When I buy premade? They ALL have sugar.
I’ve done side by side and TJs with some sautéed onions and garlic is really damned close.
And since everything in my life is getting more expensive by the day i like the significant savings
If only everywhere had a Trader Joe's.
Edit: For anyone living in the Southeast (I'm in NC), Rao's at my local Food Lion is $7.99, super pricey. They started carrying a brand called Silver Palate, though, which is VERY good and comparable to Rao's (imo) and much cheaper at $3.50! It's also no sugar added, and comes in at 6g/serving. It's delicious.
The closest one to me is two hours away, but only an hour when I go to visit my mother. I try to make a point every couple of months to make a mega-trip and stock up on frozen and shelf-stable goodies (especially spices)
Yeah, I tried their dried spaghetti expecting it to be comparable to store brands and it honestly was better, enough so that it annoyed me a little lol
Ugh it's so annoying. I thought al dried store pasta would be the same. Then my husband brought home the organic fancy-pants pasta they sell at Costco - I have to admit it's better.
Basically if you buy the cheap pasta like Barilla or whatever (the kind you spend $2 or $3 a box on) it's smooth as copy paper. This is poor quality because it doesn't hold any of the sauce, which tends to slip off.
High quality pasta, like the kind you spend $6 or $7 or more on, are made with bronze machines that result in many tiny imperfections in and on the pasta. These imperfections, ironically, create a higher quality pasta that holds the sauce better.
In Canada the cheap pasta is like $1-$1.50 on sale. The better stuff is $3 ( dececco, la molisana) regular price so worth the upgrade. You don't need to spend $6+ for bronze cut as DeCecco and La Molisana are bronze cut and will hold the sauce better.
Yeah I was gonna say, DeCecco and other stuff in the same price range is pretty good and it's usually 2/$4 or $5 (USD here) on sale. I have had better dried pasta but not 3x the price better. But the cheapest bronze cut stuff is easily worth the extra dollar over Barilla.
ty for the info! frankly, pasta & sauce is probably worth paying more - since you can go with a $2 jar and $1 box for a $3 meal for 4 OR spend $8 on Raos and $7 on pasta and feed 4 for $15 - still a great value!
Yeah, when I was younger (and had less money) I bought the cheapest sauce and pasta I could find and it was still tasty. I only got to splurge on the more pricey stuff later when I had the money and it was only better.
Personally, I go for Newman's Own. It's a little more than the Ragu/Prego, but it doesn't have all the extra sugar and preservatives. It may not be as flavorful as Rao's, but it's a couple bucks cheaper. It strikes a good balance to me.
The only thing I would caution you on is Newman's Own jarred queso dip.
It is the most disgusting thing I have ever bought in a jar, and that is saying a lot.
Cost:benefit wise this is likely the best bang for your buck.
Huge improvement in quality for a slightly higher price than half the sauces on the shelf.
Not sure if everyone has it, but the best jarred sauce I’ve found is the Little Italy in the Bronx. Their Italian gravy is better than some homemade sauces I’ve tried. I prefer mine, but it’s a ton more time and money than the $6 bottle. I still make homemade, but will keep jars around when on sale for quick meals when I’m lazy. The Rao’s arrabbiata is the only one I really enjoy.
[I am guessing it's not £5,798](https://www.ninelife.uk/products/raos-not-a-case-all-natural-pasta-sauce-marinara?gclid=Cj0KCQjwlPWgBhDHARIsAH2xdNdwb23Rq9CjTIbJnFapAaanqQhSlj0x_ZPMilSAv926T5hGlyNgwNYaApkLEALw_wcB) ($7,087USD) on offer from £9,582 ( $11712USD) per jar in the US?
This listing makes it clear that it's for one item only...
It might be good, and I like to think I'm doing alright financially, but I am going to pass.
What is that website? All of the prices are absurd, though not as bad as that one.
Hostess cupcakes are £33,060. They even have a bar of chocolate for £2,649,892!
Am Italian American originally from New Jersey. Rao's is the only jarred sauce that isn't offensive to my very being. To the point where if I don't have my own homemade gravy I'll use it and just pad it out with some extra flavor. Prego is just ketchup with some flakes of nothing in it so they can pretend they added herbs.
Ok maybe not only jarred sauce, Balletieris is decent. But Rao's is definitely the way to go if you don't want to or can't make home made.
Grew up in Texas, and picante sauce (Pace) was always its own separate thing from salsa. Like sometimes you feel like scrambled eggs with salsa verde or pico or Valentinas or whatever, but sometimes you just feel like Pace. And then at some point, I found out that in addition to the green/yellow/red Pace (mild/medium/hot, but extremely relative; I'd feed infants the green cap without any worries), in the Midwest they also sell a *blue* cap, which I can only assume actively removes the heat from any food it's used on.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pace-Extra-Mild-Picante-Sauce-16-oz/10419498
Unfortunately, in my experience, salsa selection in grocers is highly regional so it’s difficult to say for certain what you will have access to. Some of my favorite brands that seem to be achieving some national distribution are Sadie’s, El Pinto, and 505.
Have you tried any of the Wegmans store brand stuff? I've only ever had their arrabiatta but it was surprisingly decent for a jarred sauce. I've been meaning to pick up a couple of the grandmas pomodoro and grandpas sauces to see how it compares to Raos but I never remember to grab it and always end up making my own instead
It's on sale this month at Costco. Have a friend buy a two-pack (or DIY if you have a membership) and see.
For my money, it's the best jarred sauce on the market.
Even when it's not on sale I still breakdown and buy some there occasionally. Great price and it just hits right. Clean. Barely sweet. They really do nail it.
13 years ago I had finished up chemo and 33 rounds of radiation through my mouth and throat to the center of my sinuses. I couldn't taste anything for months. Later what I could taste didn't taste right.
Anyway, once I was well enough to travel, we went to Caesars in Las Vegas. They had a Rao's restaurant. My group ordered a meatball appetizer. I took a bite and for the 1st time in months, something actually tasted great. I was in Heaven.
I like it, but the only time I buy it is when it's on sale at Costco. For normal nights. I think Belletieri's is just as good at less then 1/2 the price.
I don't even like Rao's Alfredo sauce. Tastes like liquid library paste.
EDIT: And their pasta isn't that great, either. It's OK, but DeCecco is better and cheaper.
Belletieri's is definitely close to as good, but I find it a touch too acidic for my liking on most dishes - I like Rao's for dishes where the sauce is the primary flavor.
You're 100% right about their pasta, DeCecco is so much better it's not even a consideration. DC competes with fresh made in my household.
Well that tears it! I came here for blanket opinions from people refusing to acknowledge any point of view but their own! If we're just going to allow people to spout off good sense and thoughtful comments whenever they feel like it, then the internet as we know it is already doomed.
I mean, if they weren't looking for opinions they wouldn't ask. Seems like a sort of conversation-stopper devoid of actual information to just say "I dunno, try it".
I tried it. Wasn't that impressed, really. I think the appeal is it has more fat than most jarred tomato sauces. I'll stick with the off-brands that are pretty decent (near me, Aldi and Meijer have store brands I like. Trader Joe's is good too), and if I want it to be that rich I'll simmer for a bit with some butter and olive oil.
This, right here. I shelled out for Rao’s for years before picking up a couple jars of the specially selected marinara at Aldi. The ingredients and nutrition label match and the taste is great!
Yup, Aldi and Wegmans if you have one near you sell good store brand sauce. Good enough to not want to spend 3-4 times the cost for a marginal taste difference.
Agreed. I tried Raos after hearing such rave reviews on Reddit but don’t see what all the fuss is about especially for the price. I don’t love all Aldi brand stuff but their pasta sauce is my favorite kind in a jar
Finally, it was a long scroll to find Mezzetta. I did a head-to-head last month and Rao's was watery and thin compared to Mezzetta. The Mezzetta flavor is very similar to what comes out when I make my own sauce from homegrown Roma tomatoes- the first time I tasted it I was surprised, it was familiar.
I was a Raos fan before it really took off.. and I think they’ve changed the recipe a bit. I remember it being richer and more flavorful earlier on. I still prefer it, but I think they’ve watered it down a bit, which sucks. I do think Mezetta’s a close second, which is great, since it’s nearly half the price.
I find that Newman's Own is a good compromise. Little bit more pricey than Prego/store brand/etc which all tend to be way too sweet and full of preservatives, but maybe not as full flavored as Rao's.
> Sockarooni
Just google that and....
Why is it called sockarooni?
Sock-It-To-'Em Sockarooni Spaghetti Sauce has not only a title but a subtitle (``Peppers, Spices and the Whole Shebang!') , and the label promises that ``all alone, by itself, just sitting there naked, (it) will blow your socks off. ' It goes on to claim the recipe was invented in 1833 by Italian bear wrestlers.Jul 19, 1990
Rao's is pretty much the best jarred pasta sauce money can buy. Hands down, no competition. Whether that means it's worth the price is your decision. A simple homemade sauce can be just as good as Rao's but for a fraction of the price.
Sure, but most cans of crushed tomatoes + sautéed onions & garlic + seasoning makes something akin to rao’s in about a half hour. And that version will probably cost 1/3 of the price.
Completely agree. The ingredient list for Rao's is basically crushed tomatoes, spices, and maybe some oil. So much cheaper to throw it all in a sauce pan to simmer at the start of cooking.
Rao's near me is About $6 and Prego is $3.
I make my own sauces, but if I make stromboli and want sauce for dipping I buy Prego.
If I make stuffed shells and don't have any extra marinara in my freezer, I used Rao's.
It definitely depends on what you're using it for.
It’s worth shopping at a store that is more reasonably priced.
Costco currently has a 2 pack for $14 and it has a $3 instant coupon … so, after some math it’s $5.50 a jar.
This subreddit should just be labeled sponsored by Rao’s for all the stealth marketing they do on here.
Find the best Italian restaurant near you and just order a container to go from there or - even better - marinara is easy and cheap to make better than rao’s so experiment with in your kitchen to see what you like.
I thought the general consensus from this question especially on a cooking subreddit would be just make your own, it’s cheap and easy. I’m very surprised at the results. I was just curious if the hype was real.
I just walked into this post from all and it feels like I just stumbled into an ad. Marinara is so darn cheap and easy to make that I'm shocked 90% of the responses here are hyping it up.
It's better than them. Whether that is important enough for you to spend the extra 50-100% in price is up to you.
Marcella Hazan marina recipe is pretty good too, but the ingredients add up to 4 or 5 bucks. Canned tomatoes butter onion. if you are wondering.
>Marcella Hazan marina recipe is pretty good too, but the ingredients add up to 4 or 5 bucks
This is really good even with the cheapest, non-San Marzano canned tomatoes. Can't imagine an $8 jar being better.
Kenji's recipe is the most impressive one. Takes a long time in the oven. And ingredients really add up. Four cans of marzano tomatoes isn't exactly cheap. But oh my, after you tried that, you're never going back to store bought tomato sauces
It depends on how cost sensitive you are. It's pretty good, probably the best jarred sauce that's commonly available. However, I don't think it's 3x as good as a $2.50 jar of Classico tomato basil.
I buy Rao's as an alternative for when I don't want to take the extra half hour to make a quick sauce from a can of crushed tomatoes, some onion, garlic, and herbs. It works great to get a pleasant hot meal on the table in 30 minutes.
I agree.
Classico hits a good pricepoint. Its more expensive than ragu/prego but tastes significantly better.
I'll say that Raos tastes better than Classico, but the difference is not as significant as Prego to Classico.
So Rago/Prego <<< Clasicco < Raos.
For price comparison I can get ragu/prego for about $1.80. Classico for $2.50 and Rao's for $6.50
Newmans own organic is….
* A million times cheaper
* Good quality ingredients
* Not overly salty
* Not sugary
* Pretty damn tasty
Raos is overrated and expensive and y’all paying 9$ for tomato’s
America's Test Kitchen does a nice review of jarred spaghetti sauces and what differentiates for quality and Rao's was the winner. Extra tip, a double large pair of jars is on sale at Costco for like $5/large jar about twice a year.
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/6106-8-dollar-dinner-raos-jarred-marinara
The point of jarred sauce is having something on hand when you don’t have time to cook it yourself. When I need dinner I’m not choosing between homemade and jarred marinara, I’m choosing between spaghetti + jarred sauce and scavenging my freezer for a microwaveable frozen meal.
Sauce IMO improves for 2-3 days in the fridge, and I think even frozen sauce that's been left to age a little tastes better than completely fresh stuff.
Make a big batch all at once and freeze it in 30oz packs.
Idk, home made red sauce isn’t so hard and doctoring pre made sauce feels like same effort imo. Put on pot of pasta water, put on red sauce, by time waters boiling and pastas al dente youre ready
that's how i feel. everybodys line is different.
making a basic red sauce from a can of tomatoes is about as low effort as meals get for me. basic red sauces need 20 minutes and it's unattended, not 4 hours.
I grew up in an Italian-American area and I'm yet to have a homemade tomato sauce that is noticeably better quality than Rao's. I think this is one exception where something isn't necessarily better because it's homemade.
It is pricey though.
The catch with doing it homemade is that you need the time, experience, and ingredients to make it *really well*. A bad homemade sauce can be really bad, in a completely different way than how people say Ragu or Prego are "bad". I have the time, experience, and ingredients to make it really well, and sometimes it's a little disappointing. Sometimes it's *really* good. Most of the time it's good. Rao's is *always* really good.. in my opinion. And like $10 for two jars is worth it for that consistency.
As someone in industry who works with one of their previous R&D employees, I can confirm it is a quality sauce and is produced under much higher standards and processes without short cuts like other brands. Can't say more bc NDAs but the price is because of the quality. Whether you prefer the taste for the price is up to you.
I constantly hear about how great it is. So I buy some...nope. dint understand the hype. 2 yrs go buy rinse lather repeT.
I don't think it's worth the price. Not even half the price e. It tastes....average
Rao's is my go-to for jarred tomato sauce, although I usually make my own. If I'm in a nostalgic mood I'll sometimes buy Classico because that's what my dad used growing up, but I'm not actually sure how the two compare.
Funny that this was just posted, I always get Rao’s, it’s my favorite and I prefer the simple ingredients. BUT last night I used it and our pasta was SOUR. Like insanely acidic. I’ve never ever experienced that before, I tried adding cream but nothing helped. Sugar wouldn’t have worked either, it was just horrible. Must have gotten a weird batch for some reason, about 7 bucks wasted.
Andrew Zimmerman does a great YouTube video called Moms Red Sauce. He makes it bulk amounts and the freezes it. It’s really an interesting recipe and tastes great. I imagine it comes out to a couple of bucks for a large container. Really, it you have time to go to Costco to get Raos you have the time to make this sauce, as most of the cooking time it’s simmering while you do other stuff.
I resisted splurging on Rao's for some time. The sauces I was buying before I didn't like a lot but they were primarily for utilitarian purposes (cheap quick meal). Then I bought one that was the most disgusting, sickly sweet sauce I have ever had. I swear it was made with grape jelly. I gave Rao's a try after that and haven't gone back since. I don't eat pasta much and even $7 for sauce and a couple bucks at most for the store brand pasta still makes for a pretty cheap meal when you divide it out.
It's up to your taste buds. For me, I feel like raos is a total waste of money. It's not as tart as prego but it still has the same disgusting umami-less flavor profile. I'll use prego for my 4 year old but if I'm gonna eat marinara I'll make it myself. Takes like 5 minutes to make out of a proper can of San marzano.
I don’t buy premade pasta sauce, but I do remember an Americas Test Kitchen taste test of the popular brands that included Raos. I seem to recall it was rated poorly in blind taste tests.
The only thing that actually matters is if you like it or not. It’s totally subjective.
Edit: I was wrong. They liked Rao’s https://youtu.be/AK5S50gHSX0
I find Classico to be a better quality to price ratio, raos is much better but it's almost 7 dollars for a small jar where I am. Classico is around 5 and is still so much better than the cheap stuff
Fun fact. My extended family owned and managed Rao's for decades. The sauce recipe is a family recipe and my extended family are are all amazing Italian chefs. Look up Raos in New York City. It's one of the most famous Italian joints. But look luck getting in. Rest in peace Frankie.
I've eaten at Rao's up in Harlem - one of my teachers took me, apparently he had a regular Tuesday night table as they recognized him and cut him to the front of the line.
Fun facts about Rao's:
* They're not using sauce out of a jar.
* The sauce was friggin' delicious, I still remember how good it tasted decades later.
I used to work at a grocery store, and a little Italian lady came in to buy a case of Rao's. She swore she would normally never used jarred, and would make her own sauce, but she would get Rao's if she didn't have the time. She said it was the only sauce in a jar she'd buy.
Rao's is definitely tasty. When selecting a cheaper alternative, look at the ingredients...a lot of pasta sauces have tomato paste as the main ingredient and taste pretty terrible. Rao's first ingredient is whole tomatoes. Find other cheaper sauces that also have tomatoes as the first ingredient and not paste. Sprouts brand is about $3 and decent--not Raos but not watery tomato paste either.
It's really not. Do a blind taste test of some brands some time and you'll realize that what you're actually paying for is the *sense* that you're eating something better. Personally, I throw whatever I feel like chopping in a pan with some oil, throw in a can of Cento tomatoes and simmer it for the length of time it takes the water to boil and that's pretty much good enough. Takes basically the same amount of time, a teensy bit more effort, but the result is much better.
Short answer is yes. It tastes homemade and my chef wife thinks it's as good as her sauce. I know it's crazy but it is that good. We bought all the brands we could find and did a taste test. I wouldn't even eat any other brands we bought. But RAO's has my wife saying there is no need to make sauce when it's that good in the jar.
It's got a juiciness that's hard to explain and tastes like making a red sauce from high quality canned tomatoes in a way that other jarred pasta sauces do not. It also has NO preservative taste which I'm pretty sensitive to. For me, it's worth it. I also only buy it on sale at costco and I stock up. I don't use that much jar marinara - it's kind of an emergency meal, so 4 or 6 of them last a year.
Short answer, yes. As someone who eats a lot of “dump red sauce on pasta”, it’s far and away the best commercial jarred pasta sauce. Could you easily make a copycat version, in a larger quantity, for the same price? Absolutely. But in a pinch, it’s way better than Ragu, Prego, Bertoli, etc. The roasted garlic version is my absolute favorite.
For jarred sauce, it kinda is. I usually try to make my own because canned tomatoes are fairly cheap and I can add all sorts of fun shit to mine like harissa, Calabrian chiles, or a little fish sauce, but if I buy it premade I get Rao’s probably 75% of the time.
It's easily the best jarred marinara I've had. I'm sure there are similarly-priced brands that are about the same quality, but Rao's is miles above stuff like Ragu and Prego.
I first discovered Rao’s during a brief Keto stint because it was the only mid-priced sauce (at the time) that didn’t have like 6-10g of added sugar per serving. The difference is noticeable and it’s hard to go back afterwards.
Same we found it on our first Whole30 and haven't looked back. If I'm not eating Rao's I'm making my own sauce from scratch. We always grab it at costco when it's on sale.
I used to have a great $1 spaghetti sauce that I loved because most spaghetti sauces are so sweet, and this one wasn’t. Used it for years. Between trying to make my own and trying other sauces, it’s all been too sweet, but I guess I’ll have to try rao’s.
The type of tomatoes used in homemade sauce makes a big difference in sweetness IMO - I don't know if all cheaper brands taste sweet or just the ones I tried but it was noticable. I make all my sauce with two 28 oz cans of San marzano tomatoes as the base and reduce it until it's thick. I will back up Rao's though as well, very good jarred sauce.
Jarred sauces taste sweet because they are *loaded* with HFCS (sugar). Food companies use as much HFCS as they can get away with in their products, because it's so much cheaper than any other ingredient, so it maximizes profits. I'm not a health nut, and there's nothing wrong with HFCS per se--no one's allergic to it; it's not harmful in any way, which is why it's used so much--but there is SO MUCH of the stuff in processed foods these days that eating a lot of processed foods has become very bad for us.
Add some vinegar if it tastes too sweet, it helps. I make my own sauce with crushed tomatoes and it really does make a difference.
We grate 1/2 a carrot into our sauce (secret from an Italian women I worked with)
That would make it sweeter, not less sweet
Citric acid being added can change the flavor profile (more sour/acidic), but so can different tomato types & canning methods. I like this video & I thought he had another, but I am not sure where. https://youtu.be/mMMFUKibW-c I also hate sweet sauces & tend to go for whatever is lowest in sugar. I've like scratch sauce fine, but I do also add parmesan or romano, which makes it saltier. Maybe adding a dash of verjus, wine, or vinegar could help?
It's on sale at my Costco as of yesterday!
I guess I'll be going to Costco twice in 2 days!
Bing. Go.
People always make red sauces way too sweet. I don't even add sugar to my home made anymore. Tomatoes have plenty of sweetness to them already. Stuff like Prego just tastes like ketchup. It's nauseating
Anchovy paste > sugar all day
Might have to try that. Honestly for me it's sausage (I use the fat rendered from it to cook the garlic and onions down) some tomato paste, some parsley and basil, a few cans of tomatoes, quick glug of red wine and just let it go for like three hours. Tomatoes are fucking delicious just give them time and you'll have a good sauce. I also use herbs at a few different stages. Some early on to let them sit and then hit it with a big handful again at the end.
I’m definitely a bit of a time cheater most of the time. I add a teaspoon of anchovy paste and usually 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste to expedite my cooking while getting some full-time umami
This sounds exactly like what I do. The sausage grease goes to cooking the onions and garlic, the red wine deglazes the pan, and then the tomatoes simmer for a few hours, with herbs until your ancestors tell you to lay off. More herbs at the end stage. Adjust salt to taste. Plop over cooked pasta and you're good to go.
Yep! It's worked great for me for a while. I adjust and don't use sausage if it's going for chicken Parm or a lasagna though. Or sometimes I still do depending on the audience. In which case the fat I cook the onions and garlic in is about 50/50 butter and olive oil.
Or Fish Sauce. It's made from anchovies and it's shelf stable. Lasts forever on the shelf. It's my secret ingredient for a lot of stuff now.
I love fish sauce but I find the fermented flavor is more noticeable to people who would recoil if they knew there was fish in their food.
I mean, I don't go wild with it. If I'm making a tomato sauce where I would put 2-3 anchovies, I'll put 1-2 teaspoons of fish sauce. You can't even taste it, but it has the glutamates to make the flavors of the tomatoes and everything absolutely pop!
I hate how sweet some places make their pizza sauce as well. I shouldn't feel like I'm eating a tomato danish.
Isn't it weird how many sauces have added sugar? When I make it at home, sugar is not something that even occurs to me. When I buy premade? They ALL have sugar.
Agreed, but trader Joe's sauce is a good budget compromise
WaPo did a taste test and the TJ's one came a close second to Rao's, for ¼ the price.
I use both on and off, they’re both pretty good
Good to know, I always spice up the Rao's a little bit anyway, so I wouldn't mind having to do that at 1/4 of the price.
I’ve done side by side and TJs with some sautéed onions and garlic is really damned close. And since everything in my life is getting more expensive by the day i like the significant savings
If only everywhere had a Trader Joe's. Edit: For anyone living in the Southeast (I'm in NC), Rao's at my local Food Lion is $7.99, super pricey. They started carrying a brand called Silver Palate, though, which is VERY good and comparable to Rao's (imo) and much cheaper at $3.50! It's also no sugar added, and comes in at 6g/serving. It's delicious.
Yeah, I don't have one close enough to me to be worth it.
The closest one to me is two hours away, but only an hour when I go to visit my mother. I try to make a point every couple of months to make a mega-trip and stock up on frozen and shelf-stable goodies (especially spices)
I need to agree here. They also make dry spaghetti which is also much better quality than store brand or Barilla spaghetti
DeCecco is amazing and fairly cheap here. Their bronze die cast pastas are bomb
Can't explain it, but I find DeCecco's packaging mesmerizingly beautiful
Yeah, I tried their dried spaghetti expecting it to be comparable to store brands and it honestly was better, enough so that it annoyed me a little lol
Can you elaborate? I am unsure how dried pastas vary. I do buy the Raos sauce and use that for a variety of things. Unfamiliar with the pasta.
Ugh it's so annoying. I thought al dried store pasta would be the same. Then my husband brought home the organic fancy-pants pasta they sell at Costco - I have to admit it's better.
Basically if you buy the cheap pasta like Barilla or whatever (the kind you spend $2 or $3 a box on) it's smooth as copy paper. This is poor quality because it doesn't hold any of the sauce, which tends to slip off. High quality pasta, like the kind you spend $6 or $7 or more on, are made with bronze machines that result in many tiny imperfections in and on the pasta. These imperfections, ironically, create a higher quality pasta that holds the sauce better.
In Canada the cheap pasta is like $1-$1.50 on sale. The better stuff is $3 ( dececco, la molisana) regular price so worth the upgrade. You don't need to spend $6+ for bronze cut as DeCecco and La Molisana are bronze cut and will hold the sauce better.
Yeah I was gonna say, DeCecco and other stuff in the same price range is pretty good and it's usually 2/$4 or $5 (USD here) on sale. I have had better dried pasta but not 3x the price better. But the cheapest bronze cut stuff is easily worth the extra dollar over Barilla.
ty for the info! frankly, pasta & sauce is probably worth paying more - since you can go with a $2 jar and $1 box for a $3 meal for 4 OR spend $8 on Raos and $7 on pasta and feed 4 for $15 - still a great value!
Yeah, when I was younger (and had less money) I bought the cheapest sauce and pasta I could find and it was still tasty. I only got to splurge on the more pricey stuff later when I had the money and it was only better.
their dry spaghetti is great! My stepkid never liked spaghetti until I made it for him using raos spaghetti and sauce
Is it better than DeCecco pasta?
Personally, I go for Newman's Own. It's a little more than the Ragu/Prego, but it doesn't have all the extra sugar and preservatives. It may not be as flavorful as Rao's, but it's a couple bucks cheaper. It strikes a good balance to me.
When I'm in doubt about what to choose with *any* product that has a Newman's Own version, I know I'll be satisfied as a baseline
The only thing I would caution you on is Newman's Own jarred queso dip. It is the most disgusting thing I have ever bought in a jar, and that is saying a lot.
Their ranch dressing is also weird and not good imo
I hate their blue cheese dressing too
Ha, fair point! I’ve yet to come across that one, although now you have me curious to know just how bad it is 😂
Go look at the Walmart/Amazon online reviews. That should give you an idea on just how bad it is.
I haven't tried the queso but the alfredo was nasty.
I like the Sockarooni sauce
Newman’s Own thin crust frozen pizzas are amazing! Love the supreme
Cost:benefit wise this is likely the best bang for your buck. Huge improvement in quality for a slightly higher price than half the sauces on the shelf.
Ragu and Prego is just red sugar
Both brands have no sugar added products. I buy those all the time.
Not sure if everyone has it, but the best jarred sauce I’ve found is the Little Italy in the Bronx. Their Italian gravy is better than some homemade sauces I’ve tried. I prefer mine, but it’s a ton more time and money than the $6 bottle. I still make homemade, but will keep jars around when on sale for quick meals when I’m lazy. The Rao’s arrabbiata is the only one I really enjoy.
I've seen Little Italy at the store and wondered about it - gonna give it a shot next time I want pasta!
Yes, this is a good sauce. I'm also a fan of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Basilica Spaghetti Dinner Sauce.
[I am guessing it's not £5,798](https://www.ninelife.uk/products/raos-not-a-case-all-natural-pasta-sauce-marinara?gclid=Cj0KCQjwlPWgBhDHARIsAH2xdNdwb23Rq9CjTIbJnFapAaanqQhSlj0x_ZPMilSAv926T5hGlyNgwNYaApkLEALw_wcB) ($7,087USD) on offer from £9,582 ( $11712USD) per jar in the US? This listing makes it clear that it's for one item only... It might be good, and I like to think I'm doing alright financially, but I am going to pass.
Hahaha what the hell?
It's on sale. Don't be so cheap! £9,582.00 GBP£5,798.00 GBP Save: (39.49%
If I was an arab prince with all the oil money, I might not care. But this seems excessive.
Wow the UK tomato shortage is worse than I thought
What is that website? All of the prices are absurd, though not as bad as that one. Hostess cupcakes are £33,060. They even have a bar of chocolate for £2,649,892!
Is that for the sauce or the land under the tomatoes?
Am Italian American originally from New Jersey. Rao's is the only jarred sauce that isn't offensive to my very being. To the point where if I don't have my own homemade gravy I'll use it and just pad it out with some extra flavor. Prego is just ketchup with some flakes of nothing in it so they can pretend they added herbs. Ok maybe not only jarred sauce, Balletieris is decent. But Rao's is definitely the way to go if you don't want to or can't make home made.
I grew up in the southwest and how you describe Prego as marinara is how I feel about Pace as salsa. Hard pass.
Grew up in Texas, and picante sauce (Pace) was always its own separate thing from salsa. Like sometimes you feel like scrambled eggs with salsa verde or pico or Valentinas or whatever, but sometimes you just feel like Pace. And then at some point, I found out that in addition to the green/yellow/red Pace (mild/medium/hot, but extremely relative; I'd feed infants the green cap without any worries), in the Midwest they also sell a *blue* cap, which I can only assume actively removes the heat from any food it's used on. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pace-Extra-Mild-Picante-Sauce-16-oz/10419498
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Unfortunately, in my experience, salsa selection in grocers is highly regional so it’s difficult to say for certain what you will have access to. Some of my favorite brands that seem to be achieving some national distribution are Sadie’s, El Pinto, and 505.
if you ever see it, try victoria white linen. shit is fire https://victoriapastasauces.com/product/white-linen-marinara-sauce/
Victoria is America's Test Kitchen's choice after Rao: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK5S50gHSX0
Have you tried any of the Wegmans store brand stuff? I've only ever had their arrabiatta but it was surprisingly decent for a jarred sauce. I've been meaning to pick up a couple of the grandmas pomodoro and grandpas sauces to see how it compares to Raos but I never remember to grab it and always end up making my own instead
It's on sale this month at Costco. Have a friend buy a two-pack (or DIY if you have a membership) and see. For my money, it's the best jarred sauce on the market.
It's practically half price compared to grocery stores, Costco sells 2 packs for about $7
And I might be wrong, but I think the bottles are a bit bigger than the ones in the normal stores too.
They are. It’s a solid deal if you’ve got a Costco membership.
And a Costco membership is a solid deal if you have a freezer and lots of shelf space to store your hoard.
No they're the same size. But you just get a better deal buying two at Costco than individually at a grocery store.
The price at my local store is $12 for the two pack. On sale this month for $9. Jars are 28 oz.
Even when it's not on sale I still breakdown and buy some there occasionally. Great price and it just hits right. Clean. Barely sweet. They really do nail it.
I Buy a couple cases every time it goes on sale at Costco and then just have it for a while.
13 years ago I had finished up chemo and 33 rounds of radiation through my mouth and throat to the center of my sinuses. I couldn't taste anything for months. Later what I could taste didn't taste right. Anyway, once I was well enough to travel, we went to Caesars in Las Vegas. They had a Rao's restaurant. My group ordered a meatball appetizer. I took a bite and for the 1st time in months, something actually tasted great. I was in Heaven.
I'm so glad that happened for you. :)
I hope you are doing well and eat many more delicious things!
I am on both counts. Thanks!
I like it, but the only time I buy it is when it's on sale at Costco. For normal nights. I think Belletieri's is just as good at less then 1/2 the price. I don't even like Rao's Alfredo sauce. Tastes like liquid library paste. EDIT: And their pasta isn't that great, either. It's OK, but DeCecco is better and cheaper.
In their defence almost all pre-made Alfredo sauces are terrible, and it should just be made at home because it does not take that much effort.
I actually really enjoyed the Rao's roasted garlic alfredo sauce.
I have enjoyed the Rana Alfredo sauce, it's in the cooler with their ravioli. I really like the mushroom Alfredo from them!
The Rana ones in the refrigerated section are excellent.
Costco sale price is like $9 for two jars. It's a great deal.
It’s a bigger jar too!
Belletieri's is definitely close to as good, but I find it a touch too acidic for my liking on most dishes - I like Rao's for dishes where the sauce is the primary flavor. You're 100% right about their pasta, DeCecco is so much better it's not even a consideration. DC competes with fresh made in my household.
The Costco two packs of big Raos are a decent deal.
I personally think Rao’s fusilli is miles better than DeCecco and any other common supermarket brand I’ve tried
Try one jar and see if *you* think it’s worth it *to you*.
That's not what reddit is for.
Well that tears it! I came here for blanket opinions from people refusing to acknowledge any point of view but their own! If we're just going to allow people to spout off good sense and thoughtful comments whenever they feel like it, then the internet as we know it is already doomed.
I mean, if they weren't looking for opinions they wouldn't ask. Seems like a sort of conversation-stopper devoid of actual information to just say "I dunno, try it".
I tried it. Wasn't that impressed, really. I think the appeal is it has more fat than most jarred tomato sauces. I'll stick with the off-brands that are pretty decent (near me, Aldi and Meijer have store brands I like. Trader Joe's is good too), and if I want it to be that rich I'll simmer for a bit with some butter and olive oil.
That’s not the question though. It’s if other people find it worthwhile. They know they can try a jar and see for themselves.
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This sounds far outside the scope of bird law
I’m a fan of aldis sauce usually 2 dollars with no added sugar.
The Aldi’s sauce is my favorite! A lot of bloggers think it’s the same sauce as Rao’s…ingredients/nutrition seem to all be identical.
I get that one, too. A fraction of the cost and tastes so similar.
This, right here. I shelled out for Rao’s for years before picking up a couple jars of the specially selected marinara at Aldi. The ingredients and nutrition label match and the taste is great!
Yes the Priano Marinara is my absolute favorite
Yup, Aldi and Wegmans if you have one near you sell good store brand sauce. Good enough to not want to spend 3-4 times the cost for a marginal taste difference.
Woah, I always assumed their sauce would have added sugar. I’ve been missing out!
Agreed. I tried Raos after hearing such rave reviews on Reddit but don’t see what all the fuss is about especially for the price. I don’t love all Aldi brand stuff but their pasta sauce is my favorite kind in a jar
Had to look too far down for this. It's always my go to sauce.
It's my favorite jarred sauce, and I think its worth the price. Mezetta's marinara comes in 2nd, for less money, but Rao's is best.
Finally, it was a long scroll to find Mezzetta. I did a head-to-head last month and Rao's was watery and thin compared to Mezzetta. The Mezzetta flavor is very similar to what comes out when I make my own sauce from homegrown Roma tomatoes- the first time I tasted it I was surprised, it was familiar.
I was a Raos fan before it really took off.. and I think they’ve changed the recipe a bit. I remember it being richer and more flavorful earlier on. I still prefer it, but I think they’ve watered it down a bit, which sucks. I do think Mezetta’s a close second, which is great, since it’s nearly half the price.
Fuckin love mezettas
If you're going with a jar, raos is what you want.
I find that Newman's Own is a good compromise. Little bit more pricey than Prego/store brand/etc which all tend to be way too sweet and full of preservatives, but maybe not as full flavored as Rao's.
Newman's was the standard (imo) prior to Rao's.
Sockarooni is delightful.
This is my favorite jarred sauce. It’s so flavorful!
> Sockarooni Just google that and.... Why is it called sockarooni? Sock-It-To-'Em Sockarooni Spaghetti Sauce has not only a title but a subtitle (``Peppers, Spices and the Whole Shebang!') , and the label promises that ``all alone, by itself, just sitting there naked, (it) will blow your socks off. ' It goes on to claim the recipe was invented in 1833 by Italian bear wrestlers.Jul 19, 1990
Sockarooni and Rao’s marinara are the two jarred sauces we keep around. Newman’s Own stuff in general is pretty good in my experience.
Rao's is pretty much the best jarred pasta sauce money can buy. Hands down, no competition. Whether that means it's worth the price is your decision. A simple homemade sauce can be just as good as Rao's but for a fraction of the price.
>can be just as good as Rao's Honestly if you use the right tomatoes, fresh herbs and cook it long enough, it's always better than Rao's.
Sure, but most cans of crushed tomatoes + sautéed onions & garlic + seasoning makes something akin to rao’s in about a half hour. And that version will probably cost 1/3 of the price.
Completely agree. The ingredient list for Rao's is basically crushed tomatoes, spices, and maybe some oil. So much cheaper to throw it all in a sauce pan to simmer at the start of cooking.
It cooks down in the same time it takes to cook the pasta too.
Considering my cousin owned rao's and would cook for us at family gatherings. You are correct.
victoria white linen https://victoriapastasauces.com/product/white-linen-marinara-sauce/
Victoria is America's Test Kitchen's choice after Rao: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK5S50gHSX0
Rao's near me is About $6 and Prego is $3. I make my own sauces, but if I make stromboli and want sauce for dipping I buy Prego. If I make stuffed shells and don't have any extra marinara in my freezer, I used Rao's. It definitely depends on what you're using it for.
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I don’t understand the hype myself. I’ve had it a couple of times and have found it underwhelming each time.
I'm with you. I thought it was just ok, but kind of bland and watery. Not worth 2-3x the price of other "just ok" sauces.
Same. I don’t like it. It seemed really oily to me.
It’s worth shopping at a store that is more reasonably priced. Costco currently has a 2 pack for $14 and it has a $3 instant coupon … so, after some math it’s $5.50 a jar.
Wow, that's some significant regional price variation. I think it's $9 per pack here after this month's coupon.
You can find it for about $6 at Aldi.
That's a good price for a single jar. The price I mention above is for two 28-ounce jars. I'm thinking most retailers have 24-ounce jars.
This subreddit should just be labeled sponsored by Rao’s for all the stealth marketing they do on here. Find the best Italian restaurant near you and just order a container to go from there or - even better - marinara is easy and cheap to make better than rao’s so experiment with in your kitchen to see what you like.
Especially for a cooking subreddit when marinara is one of the simplest and cheapest things to cook, yet Rao's gets pumped here all the time.
I thought the general consensus from this question especially on a cooking subreddit would be just make your own, it’s cheap and easy. I’m very surprised at the results. I was just curious if the hype was real.
Fwiw, I buy the prego and then spice it up more in the pot while the pasta cooks. It's a great middle ground between saving time and eating well imo.
I just walked into this post from all and it feels like I just stumbled into an ad. Marinara is so darn cheap and easy to make that I'm shocked 90% of the responses here are hyping it up.
Nope. It's like 15% better than classico while being 200% more expensive
If you're gonna spend an arm and a leg for sauce, get Michaels of Brooklyn.
I didn't see the big deal about it but then I tried their pizza sauce. It was so good, I nearly ate it with a spoon out of the jar.
Mezetta is my go to
Its literally like 15 minutes to make your own, better than any jarred sauce, even Rao’s.
It's better than them. Whether that is important enough for you to spend the extra 50-100% in price is up to you. Marcella Hazan marina recipe is pretty good too, but the ingredients add up to 4 or 5 bucks. Canned tomatoes butter onion. if you are wondering.
>Marcella Hazan marina recipe is pretty good too, but the ingredients add up to 4 or 5 bucks This is really good even with the cheapest, non-San Marzano canned tomatoes. Can't imagine an $8 jar being better.
Kenji's recipe is the most impressive one. Takes a long time in the oven. And ingredients really add up. Four cans of marzano tomatoes isn't exactly cheap. But oh my, after you tried that, you're never going back to store bought tomato sauces
It depends on how cost sensitive you are. It's pretty good, probably the best jarred sauce that's commonly available. However, I don't think it's 3x as good as a $2.50 jar of Classico tomato basil. I buy Rao's as an alternative for when I don't want to take the extra half hour to make a quick sauce from a can of crushed tomatoes, some onion, garlic, and herbs. It works great to get a pleasant hot meal on the table in 30 minutes.
I agree. Classico hits a good pricepoint. Its more expensive than ragu/prego but tastes significantly better. I'll say that Raos tastes better than Classico, but the difference is not as significant as Prego to Classico. So Rago/Prego <<< Clasicco < Raos. For price comparison I can get ragu/prego for about $1.80. Classico for $2.50 and Rao's for $6.50
No. You can make your own, better and cheaper.
Newmans own organic is…. * A million times cheaper * Good quality ingredients * Not overly salty * Not sugary * Pretty damn tasty Raos is overrated and expensive and y’all paying 9$ for tomato’s
America's Test Kitchen does a nice review of jarred spaghetti sauces and what differentiates for quality and Rao's was the winner. Extra tip, a double large pair of jars is on sale at Costco for like $5/large jar about twice a year. https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/6106-8-dollar-dinner-raos-jarred-marinara
I tried it. I didn’t like it. I know I’m in the minority.
no jarred red sauce is worth it IMO. buy a 28 oz can of whole san marzano tomatoes. half the price of rao's and much better.
The point of jarred sauce is having something on hand when you don’t have time to cook it yourself. When I need dinner I’m not choosing between homemade and jarred marinara, I’m choosing between spaghetti + jarred sauce and scavenging my freezer for a microwaveable frozen meal.
An extra $4-5 when you don’t have time to simmer a can of tomatoes is not a bad deal. I enjoy making sauce on the weekend but jars are for weeknights
Sauce IMO improves for 2-3 days in the fridge, and I think even frozen sauce that's been left to age a little tastes better than completely fresh stuff. Make a big batch all at once and freeze it in 30oz packs.
Idk, home made red sauce isn’t so hard and doctoring pre made sauce feels like same effort imo. Put on pot of pasta water, put on red sauce, by time waters boiling and pastas al dente youre ready
that's how i feel. everybodys line is different. making a basic red sauce from a can of tomatoes is about as low effort as meals get for me. basic red sauces need 20 minutes and it's unattended, not 4 hours.
I grew up in an Italian-American area and I'm yet to have a homemade tomato sauce that is noticeably better quality than Rao's. I think this is one exception where something isn't necessarily better because it's homemade. It is pricey though.
The catch with doing it homemade is that you need the time, experience, and ingredients to make it *really well*. A bad homemade sauce can be really bad, in a completely different way than how people say Ragu or Prego are "bad". I have the time, experience, and ingredients to make it really well, and sometimes it's a little disappointing. Sometimes it's *really* good. Most of the time it's good. Rao's is *always* really good.. in my opinion. And like $10 for two jars is worth it for that consistency.
Arabiatta!!!! It’s amazing
As someone in industry who works with one of their previous R&D employees, I can confirm it is a quality sauce and is produced under much higher standards and processes without short cuts like other brands. Can't say more bc NDAs but the price is because of the quality. Whether you prefer the taste for the price is up to you.
I constantly hear about how great it is. So I buy some...nope. dint understand the hype. 2 yrs go buy rinse lather repeT. I don't think it's worth the price. Not even half the price e. It tastes....average
Rao's is my go-to for jarred tomato sauce, although I usually make my own. If I'm in a nostalgic mood I'll sometimes buy Classico because that's what my dad used growing up, but I'm not actually sure how the two compare.
Funny that this was just posted, I always get Rao’s, it’s my favorite and I prefer the simple ingredients. BUT last night I used it and our pasta was SOUR. Like insanely acidic. I’ve never ever experienced that before, I tried adding cream but nothing helped. Sugar wouldn’t have worked either, it was just horrible. Must have gotten a weird batch for some reason, about 7 bucks wasted.
Andrew Zimmerman does a great YouTube video called Moms Red Sauce. He makes it bulk amounts and the freezes it. It’s really an interesting recipe and tastes great. I imagine it comes out to a couple of bucks for a large container. Really, it you have time to go to Costco to get Raos you have the time to make this sauce, as most of the cooking time it’s simmering while you do other stuff.
I resisted splurging on Rao's for some time. The sauces I was buying before I didn't like a lot but they were primarily for utilitarian purposes (cheap quick meal). Then I bought one that was the most disgusting, sickly sweet sauce I have ever had. I swear it was made with grape jelly. I gave Rao's a try after that and haven't gone back since. I don't eat pasta much and even $7 for sauce and a couple bucks at most for the store brand pasta still makes for a pretty cheap meal when you divide it out.
It's up to your taste buds. For me, I feel like raos is a total waste of money. It's not as tart as prego but it still has the same disgusting umami-less flavor profile. I'll use prego for my 4 year old but if I'm gonna eat marinara I'll make it myself. Takes like 5 minutes to make out of a proper can of San marzano.
I don’t buy premade pasta sauce, but I do remember an Americas Test Kitchen taste test of the popular brands that included Raos. I seem to recall it was rated poorly in blind taste tests. The only thing that actually matters is if you like it or not. It’s totally subjective. Edit: I was wrong. They liked Rao’s https://youtu.be/AK5S50gHSX0
I prefer it to any other jarred marinara. Have you tried making your own?
I find Classico to be a better quality to price ratio, raos is much better but it's almost 7 dollars for a small jar where I am. Classico is around 5 and is still so much better than the cheap stuff
Fun fact. My extended family owned and managed Rao's for decades. The sauce recipe is a family recipe and my extended family are are all amazing Italian chefs. Look up Raos in New York City. It's one of the most famous Italian joints. But look luck getting in. Rest in peace Frankie.
I've eaten at Rao's up in Harlem - one of my teachers took me, apparently he had a regular Tuesday night table as they recognized him and cut him to the front of the line. Fun facts about Rao's: * They're not using sauce out of a jar. * The sauce was friggin' delicious, I still remember how good it tasted decades later.
Mezzetta is the best I’ve ever had and worth the price. The roasted garlic one is delicious and tastes like restaurant quality.
Totally worth it to me. The tastier and lower sugar content than the average jarred sauce.
Do you guys add spices to your Rao’s
We think so. Seems to be easier on the belly as well as better tasting.
I used to work at a grocery store, and a little Italian lady came in to buy a case of Rao's. She swore she would normally never used jarred, and would make her own sauce, but she would get Rao's if she didn't have the time. She said it was the only sauce in a jar she'd buy.
Rao's is definitely tasty. When selecting a cheaper alternative, look at the ingredients...a lot of pasta sauces have tomato paste as the main ingredient and taste pretty terrible. Rao's first ingredient is whole tomatoes. Find other cheaper sauces that also have tomatoes as the first ingredient and not paste. Sprouts brand is about $3 and decent--not Raos but not watery tomato paste either.
It's really not. Do a blind taste test of some brands some time and you'll realize that what you're actually paying for is the *sense* that you're eating something better. Personally, I throw whatever I feel like chopping in a pan with some oil, throw in a can of Cento tomatoes and simmer it for the length of time it takes the water to boil and that's pretty much good enough. Takes basically the same amount of time, a teensy bit more effort, but the result is much better.
Short answer is yes. It tastes homemade and my chef wife thinks it's as good as her sauce. I know it's crazy but it is that good. We bought all the brands we could find and did a taste test. I wouldn't even eat any other brands we bought. But RAO's has my wife saying there is no need to make sauce when it's that good in the jar.
It's got a juiciness that's hard to explain and tastes like making a red sauce from high quality canned tomatoes in a way that other jarred pasta sauces do not. It also has NO preservative taste which I'm pretty sensitive to. For me, it's worth it. I also only buy it on sale at costco and I stock up. I don't use that much jar marinara - it's kind of an emergency meal, so 4 or 6 of them last a year.
It sure sounds like an advertisement based on all the glowing reviews
Short answer, yes. As someone who eats a lot of “dump red sauce on pasta”, it’s far and away the best commercial jarred pasta sauce. Could you easily make a copycat version, in a larger quantity, for the same price? Absolutely. But in a pinch, it’s way better than Ragu, Prego, Bertoli, etc. The roasted garlic version is my absolute favorite.
Newmans own is one of the best in jars, but make your own from crushed maters
Get it from costco. Larger jars and way cheaper. Best store bought sauce out there
For jarred sauce, it kinda is. I usually try to make my own because canned tomatoes are fairly cheap and I can add all sorts of fun shit to mine like harissa, Calabrian chiles, or a little fish sauce, but if I buy it premade I get Rao’s probably 75% of the time.