What's Your Favorite Bottled Pasta Sauce?

[Okanagancook]

Doesn't sound as though you would like the fresh tasting Rao sauce.

I will use my garden tomatoes for the Serious Eats sauce...when they have ripened under the newspaper downstairs.

[Martin Fisher]

I happened upon Rao's marinara sauce at my local Sam's Club — I'll give it a try soon. 

Rao's Marinara Sauce (40 oz. - 1133g) at Sam's, $8.92 each.

[rotuts]

@DiggingDogFarm  

 

almost 1/2 the price of Target 

 

Cr*p

[Lisa Shock]

I make my own sauce, I usually use #10 cans of San Marzanos. Once in a while, I'll get good fresh tomatoes and make it from scratch, but, that's rare here in Phoenix. Anyway, I make a lot and then freeze in square containers, pop them out, and vacuum seal 4oz and 8oz portions.

 

The only jarred sauce I like is made by a local Italian deli, Romanelli's. They now have several flavors, and professional packaging. But, I've been buying it ever since the owner started putting up marinara in Mason jars with photocopied labels. His recipe is the same as mine (well, my grandmother's) we've had conversations how this is a huge coincidence seeing as he's from a different region than my family. I'd share the recipe, but, in the past, when I gave it out people would alter it so much that it wasn't the same. So much so that I did not want my name associated with it.

[Anna N]

For ages and ages I have been trying to remember who it was that was freezing things in square containers and then  vacuum sealing them. I seem to remember flat packs that could be stacked.  If I am correct can you tell me which containers you are using? 

[rotuts]

 

$ 6.49  at Market Basket.   no tax on food MA .  2 % cash-back card :  $ 6.36   USD

 

Ill be sending someone a bill

 

@Okanagancook

 

if it  " tastes jus like Trader Joe's ! "

 

 

had to get it out of my system.

 

[Okanagancook]

My fingers are crossed.

[Paul Bacino]

I like Rao's too

 

But another-  is    Cucina Antico   ( WFoods)

[Lisa Shock]

19 hours ago, Anna N said:

For ages and ages I have been trying to remember who it was that was freezing things in square containers and then  vacuum sealing them. I seem to remember flat packs that could be stacked.  If I am correct can you tell me which containers you are using? 

 

That's me! I use some medium rectangles that are from Smart & Final, their First Street Brand (they do have rounded corners). The majority of the containers are Ziplock brand, they are reasonably priced and the company makes several sizes as squares and rectangles. Amazon has a lot of different sizes. I got mine at a supermarket a few years ago -I lucked out they made some in Christmas colors and I scooped them up on sale in late January. I mostly freeze things in the green lidded Cambro containers, both the 2qt and 4qt size, you do not need to fill it to make this work, just get an amount of 1 inch high or greater. So, if the amount I want in one block is more than a pint, I use the Cambros.

 

For small amounts I use the large, 2" each cube, silicone ice cube tray, available under several brand names (got mine at TJ Maxx, but have also spotted them at Bed, Bath & Beyond) You can, of course, vacuum seal a bag of multiple ice cubes and just re-seal as they get used up. Some foods can be really useful as small portions, like, I make a red chile and bean stew then freeze leftovers as the 2" cubes. Then later, I thaw the chile out to make chili dogs (with vegetarian Smart Dogs). I would never bother to make red chile from scratch to be the topping on one hot dog.

 

But, yeah, there's no reason to have your container collection in the freezer, vacuum sealing works MUCH better. Plus, I don't have to own a lot of containers. For refrigerator storage, I tend to use canning jars because they are tall and utilize the space more efficiently. All of my plastic storage containers, well the empty ones used for leftovers and such, fit on half of one shelf in a kitchen cupboard. I don't have a giant crazy stack like a lot of people. (I do store flours, sugars, dry beans, etc. in Cambro containers, and smaller amounts of grains and beans in vacuum sealed canning jars. But, they tend to stay in place in the pantry.)

 

There are certain foods that freeze well and help get meals made faster. I generally make large batches of: tomato sauce, some soups, cooked rice, and some Indian dishes. Having the soup on hand is very useful, I have been able to 'stretch' a meal when unexpected guests showed up for dinner, by adding a soup course and then serving the main dish in smaller portions.

 

Hope this helps!

Edited September 27, 2016 by Lisa Shock
amazon links got messed up (log)

[Anna N]

@Lisa Shock

 

 Thanks for taking the time for such a detailed explanation.

[Shel_B]

17 hours ago, Paul Bacino said:

I like Rao's too

 

But another-  is    Cucina Antico   ( WFoods)

 

That would be Cucina Antica if some people are having difficulty finding info online.

[Paul Bacino]

Yep!!

 

[Shel_B]

21 hours ago, Paul Bacino said:

I like Rao's too

 

But another-  is    Cucina Antico   ( WFoods)

 

I checked out Cucina Antica sauces and liked what I saw.  The next time I'm at one of the nearby markets that carry the product, I'll make it a point to purchase a couple of jars.  I like the ingredient lists on the sauces ... simple, no added sugar, etc.

[Shel_B]

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.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2016 by Shel_B (log)

[Paul Bacino]

@Shel_B --  works for me as a Pizza sauce too.

Cheers glad you liked it.

 

Paul

[Shel_B]

I went to Costco today and found this sauce, which I purchased.

What interested me was the ingredient list, which is  similar to the

ingredients of Cucina Antica mentioned above.  The texture is also

quite similar.  The sauce isn't completely smooth.  The price for two

40-oz jars was $8.99, which works out to be about half the price of

the Cucina Antica and the Rao's sauce, also mentioned above. I'll

have a chance to try it after the weekend, but I am hopeful it will be

satisfactory.

 

Ingredients: Italian and diced tomatoes, imported olive oil, fresh garlic,

basil, onions, sea salt and spices.

 

[rotuts]

ive finally gotten around to trying these two jarred sauces :

 

 

 

the one on the R is Tj's  and cost 1.33 for 510 gms   Rao  was 6.50 for 680 grams.  most stores sell Rao for 7 $$ + here, but one of those

 

stores has a week long sale @ $ 4.00.

 

the ingredients are very similar by label.  Tj's uses Soybean oil , Rao Olive oil.

 

Tj's seems to be more acidic , and has pronouced flavors of the add-ins :  garlic , basil , onion , oregano.   Rao's flavors are less pronounced.

 

Im trying the Rao in an IP turkey sauce right now.  

 

Edited October 14, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[suzilightning]

19 hours ago, Shel_B said:

I went to Costco today and found this sauce, which I purchased.

What interested me was the ingredient list, which is  similar to the

ingredients of Cucina Antica mentioned above.  The texture is also

quite similar.  The sauce isn't completely smooth.  The price for two

40-oz jars was $8.99, which works out to be about half the price of

the Cucina Antica and the Rao's sauce, also mentioned above. I'll

have a chance to try it after the weekend, but I am hopeful it will be

satisfactory.

 

Ingredients: Italian and diced tomatoes, imported olive oil, fresh garlic,

basil, onions, sea salt and spices.

 

Not a member of that wholesale club but have bought the smaller size at my local Shoprite and like it quite a bit but I (and my cat, Smudge, it seems) am quite partial to Shoprite's imported marinara...same 40 oz  for 4.59 with my rewards card.

 

[Toliver]

I love Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Sauce. When you pick up a jar, you can see a myriad of tiny chunks of garlic floating in the sauce. The last time I heated up frozen ravioli's in the sauce for dinner, I salivated the entire next day thinking of the leftovers awaiting me that night and that lovely garlicky sauce.   Swoon. 

 

edited for clarity

Edited October 17, 2016 by Toliver (log)

[Shel_B]

On ‎10‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 1:22 PM, Shel_B said:

 I'll have a chance to try it after the weekend, but I am hopeful it will be

satisfactory.

 

Ingredients: Italian and diced tomatoes, imported olive oil, fresh garlic,

basil, onions, sea salt and spices.

 

 

Overall, I was quite disappointed with this sauce.  While it was somewhat fresh tasting, other similar sauces were brighter and more lively, although mostly by a small margin.  The biggest complaint, however, is how oily the sauce is.  The as yet unopened jar has a small lake of oil floating on the top, similar to how the oil separates from natural peanut butter, although this lake is not as deep.  A few days ago I used this sauce on spaghetti and meat balls, and found the oiliness to ne a problem.  In addition, the sauce felt and tasted greasy - quit unpleasant.  After heating the sauce for the pasta, I had to skim a fair amount of fat from it, and even with that, the greasiness persisted.  I'd not buy it again, and may just give the unopened jar to someone here in my apartment building.

 

There is another Victoria marinara sauce, and the ingredients are slightly different.  FWIW (and to me it's not worth a lot), it won the Cook's Illustrated taste test for "premium" spaghetti sauces.

[Okanagancook]

On 10/14/2016 at 8:32 AM, rotuts said:

ive finally gotten around to trying these two jarred sauces :

 

 

 

the one on the R is Tj's  and cost 1.33 for 510 gms   Rao  was 6.50 for 680 grams.  most stores sell Rao for 7 $$ + here, but one of those

 

stores has a week long sale @ $ 4.00.

 

the ingredients are very similar by label.  Tj's uses Soybean oil , Rao Olive oil.

 

Tj's seems to be more acidic , and has pronouced flavors of the add-ins :  garlic , basil , onion , oregano.   Rao's flavors are less pronounced.

 

Im trying the Rao in an IP turkey sauce right now.  

 

 

So?  What did you think?  Is my name mud?

[rotuts]

Not at all.

 

the RAO was delicate and with light  ' herbed ' flavor.

 

the TJ's had more powerful herbs in it , so if you want something more ' delegate ' than that's RAO

 

oddly  RAO was on sale a week ago at one MegoLow for 4.00

 

then at another this week for 4.99

 

Im not much of a red sauce on pasta person.

 

Killer Lasagna  and Cannelloni al forno  Id make my own red sauce from the best canned sauce tomatoes.

 

if I did those two dishes and decided not to go to take the time to make the Red  :  Id use RAO.

 

but foe me , TurkeyRagu IP'd  might be made with something from TJ's

 

Im making a Pot of TR with TJ's Traditional right now.  Its cooling and will be made for one dinner tonight

 

and the rest chilled and vac for the future.

 

RAO is very nice and very delicate for sure.

[Okanagancook]

I agree about how delicate it is.  I like it just plain on 18 egg yolk pasta with a grind of black pepper and freshly grated Parm on top, oh, and a glass of Barolo! 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I seldom purchase jarred tomato sauce -- and when I do I am invariably disappointed -- however all the talk of Rao's got me interested.  This afternoon I brought home a jar of their artichoke sauce.  As has been noted the stuff is horribly expensive.  At least artichokes are the second ingredient.

 

The ingredients are Italian tomatoes, artichokes, olive oil, salt, fresh garlic, fresh basil, black pepper.  Product of Italy.

 

But no, I have not tried it yet.

 

[Jaymes]

Think I posted about this back in the olden days here on eG but, just in case, this is the jarred sauce I keep around for emergencies.  Light and tasty, with whole cloves of garlic (particularly tasty little treats) and large pieces of basil.  Pretty good, I think.

 

Mom's Garlic & Basil Pasta Sauce

 

Edited October 25, 2016 by Smithy
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