If you, like me, were practically raised on pasta with jarred marinara sauce — I'm not the only one, right? — then you'll likely agree that it's still blissfully nostalgic. Yes, I'm keenly aware that homemade marinara is top-tier, but sometimes the jarred stuff just hits. And even if it doesn't hit quite as hard as a from-scratch sauce, the convenience factor alone makes up for it.
But listen, folks: Every jarred marinara sauce is unique. As a former kid who grew up on Ragú, I'll tell you right now that you probably can't compare it to the fancy (read: pricey) stuff — but is that the case with every brand?
In my endless quest to determine the best brands of all your favorite pantry and refrigerator staples, I embarked on a taste test of the most popular marinara brands — from the cheap to the shockingly expensive. And let's just say the results were not at all what I was expecting.
For the purposes of this experiment, I separated the sauces into three main categories: the "fancy" stuff, the common standards, and the house-brand versions you'll find at stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. All in all, I landed on eight total sauces:
Here's how this went: To find out whether or not the fancier stuff really is better,I knew I had to make this a blind taste test. Luckily, my very willing (and hungry) partner was more than happy to mix up some saucy pastas for me.
I quickly made my way through the eight different sauces, and it didn't take long to realize that, yep, NOT ALL JARRED MARINARAS ARE CREATED EQUALLY. Some tasted like actual tomatoes, others left weird aftertastes, and some tasted like they contained an entire jar of Italian seasoning, which might just be the biggest offense of all.
After jotting down every single one of my thoughts, I tried to guess which sauce was which. Ultimately, I got 2/8 correct, which wasn't bad. I tried.
Before my boyfriend finally revealed the order in which I tasted the sauces, I sorted them to finalize my thoughts.
The following is my definitive ranking — from the absolute worst to the inarguable best.
8. Ragú Traditional — It tasted like SpaghettiOs, but distinctly bitter.
🍝 Overall score for Ragú — 3.5/10
Given the SpaghettiOs-like flavor and the bitter aftertaste, I was deeply disappointed by my childhood fave and I can't exactly recommend buying this one, either.
7. Prego Traditional — Basically just syrupy garlic.
🍝 Overall score for Prego — 4/10
Vampires, beware. This sauce is unnecessarily garlicky, IMO, and I also didn't love how sweet it was. All in all: pass.
6. Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marinara — If you've ever had the Italian Herb and Cheese bread at Subway, that's what this sauce tastes like...and I don't mean that in a good way.
🍝 Overall score for Trader Joe's — 4.5/10
While I appreciate the fact that they went for flavor here, I think it was ultimately overkill. Their fine-tasting tomato sauce was completely overshadowed by the distinct, polarizing Italian seasoning taste.
5. Tuttorosso Marinara — For the price, it's honestly a pretty solid option.
🍝 Overall score for Tuttorosso — 6/10
If you need a cheap, budget-friendly tomato sauce that's by no means offensive — even if it's not exactly jam-packed with flavor — Tuttorosso is a solid option.
4. Classico Marinara — While it's certainly not the most budget-friendly option, it does pack in some bold, impressive flavor.
🍝 Overall score for Classico — 7/10
For a middle-of-the-road pasta sauce (in terms of taste and price point) that you can find at just about any grocery store, Classico's cabernet marinara definitely impressed.
3. Whole Foods 365 Organic Marinara — As far as your wallet is concerned, this is THE sauce for you.
🍝 Overall score for Whole Foods — 7.5/10
If you live near a Whole Foods, run to stock up on this budget-friendly, delicious-tasting marinara sauce. It's cheap, undeniably tasty, and just so happens to be organic, too.
2. Cucina Antica Marinara — It's a near-perfect, blank-slate sauce at a higher price point.
🍝 Overall score for Cucina Antica — 8.5/10
While I didn't love the flavor as much as my #1 pick, I did appreciate that it was incredibly tomato-forward without any excessive herby notes to cover up all that freshness. You'll pay a little more for this one, but if you need a sauce that's truly fresh-tasting, Cucina Antica is a great pick.
1. Rao's Homemade Marinara — I don't know how else to say this...this stuff is 🔥.
🍝 Overall score for Rao's — 10/10
Rarely do I taste "premium" products that are worth every penny. Rao's is the exception. If you can find it on sale at your local grocery store or at a wholesale club, like Costco, stock up.
Over the years, I've also tried several brands of jarred marinara sauce that weren't initially included in this taste test (but are still very much worth reporting on). We'll update these occasionally, with an idea of where they might fall on this list.
Late Addition: Carbone Marinara — 7.5/10
There's no denying that Carbone's jarred marinara sauce is good. But is it $10 good? Well, if Rao's is the pinnacle of "$10 good," the answer is a resounding no. Still, it's fresh-tasting and bursting with bright, basil-y flavors, which makes it the perfect sauce to add to a dish where you don't want it to totally steal the show; think seafood pasta or a meaty, cheesy lasagna.
Late Addition: Michael's of Brooklyn Marinara — 9/10
Everything about Michael's marinara gives big homemade energy, from the vibrant tomato and garlic flavor to the exceptionally charming, bulbous jar it comes in. While not as flavorful as Rao's, it's a slightly better deal at less than $9 for 32 ounces in most stores, and you could still likely fool a friend into thinking you simmered it all day to end up with something that delicious.