Yesterday I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up a couple of jars of Cucina Antica sauce. We had the garlic marinara with spaghetti and meatballs last night. When I first tasted the sauce, directly from the jar and right after opening, I found the taste and astringency of the garlic to be overwhelming. However, after cooking the pre-cooked and frozen meatballs in the sauce, and adding some grated parmesan and a glug of olive oil, the resulting sauce was quite good. I also liked the sauce because it wasn't completely smooth, but, rather, had a bit of texture to it. The ingredients seemed fresh, and what was a very pleasant surprise, there was very little water or watery juice to be found. My sweetie said that the meal reminder her of eating in a restaurant. I guess that's a pretty good compliment ...
It's a little spendy, but probably worth it compared to the more common commercial sauces. I'd buy it again, and would look for a sale. I got these jars for, I believe, a $1.50 off the regular price.
Ingredients: Imported Italian San Marzano tomatoes, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, salt, basil, white pepper, black pepper.
