The Best Store-Bought Pasta Sauce That Taste Totally Homemade

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One of the most reliable, easiest, quickest weeknight dinners? A bowl full of al dente spaghetti topped with a generous dollop of chunky (or creamy!) marinara sauce. You simply can’t go wrong with the classic Italian dish — and it’s even better when studded with mounds of juicy, herb-spiked meatballs. And what truly makes this dish such a breeze to make is our reliance on store-bought, jarred pasta sauce. But not just any ‘ole store-bought pasta sauce will do. Nope, reach for the wrong one, and you’ll be left with a salt-bomb of a dish. (Or, worse: a flavorless one!).

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Now, when choosing pasta sauce at the grocery store, you must consider a few factors: How much sodium is printed on the nutrition label? And, how many — and what kind of — ingredients are listed?

“Many jarred sauces aren’t that different from what you would make yourself,” says Dana Hunnes, Ph.D., R.D., senior clinical dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, tells Consumer Reports. “Look for ones with simple ingredient lists of things you recognize, such as tomatoes, olive oil, and herbs.”

“Marinara is a simple tomato-based sauce,” adds Amy Keating, Consumer Reports Nutritionist. “So, when we taste them we’re looking for the fresh flavors of tomato, onions, garlic, and herbs to come through.”

Last but not least, there’s the final factor when deciding on which sauce to pair with your pasta: What kind of reviews does the sauce have? Of course, answering this takes some research — but lucky for you, we did the hard work for you.

Ahead, we’ve rounded up the best store-bought pasta sauce, based on reviews, ingredients and more.

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Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce
Thanks to its always-stellar taste, Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce well-loved by thousands (it boasts more than 5.5K reviews and a 4.8 overall rating on Amazon). Among the fans is Barefoot Contessa chef Ina Garten.
“I think you can spend the entire day making good marinara sauce, or you can buy Rao’s Marinara sauce, which I think is just fantastic,” Garten tells Bon Appetit. “It’s great for lasagna. It’s great for pasta. It’s great for putting together a really fast dinner.”
Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce
$8.29
on Amazon.com
Rao’s Homemade Vodka Sauce
Also at the top of the list of best pasta sauces? Another Rao’s sauce: the brand’s vodka sauce.
“When I make pasta at home, in a pinch, this sauce provides warmth of flavor and all the tastes I love,” Erin Shambura, chef and owner of Fausto in Brooklyn, tells The Strategist. “It’s thick enough that it grabs onto the pasta perfectly, creamy, and flavorful”
Rao’s Homemade Vodka Sauce
$8.29
on Amazon.com
La San Marzano Tomato Basil Sauce
Produced in Italy, La San Marzano’s Tomato Basil Sauce is a reliable pasta sauce that boasts great flavor and zero sugar.
La San Marzano Tomato Basil Sauce
$13.99
on Amazon.com
TRUFF Pasta Sauce
There’s a reason Oprah included the TRUFF brand on her Favorite Things list in 2021: It explodes with black truffle pomodoro flavor.
“The Truff pasta sauce is definitely delicious. Probably the best truffle pasta sauce I’ve ever had. Five star on taste,” writes one Amazon reviewer.
TRUFF Pasta Sauce
$23.39
on Amazon.com
Victoria All Natural Marinara Sauce
Based out of Brooklyn, Victoria’s All Natural Marinara Sauce features just six ingredients: onions, olive oil, sea salt, garlic, basil, spices, and — most importantly — 100 percent imported whole Italian tomatoes.
Victoria All Natural Marinara Sauce
$4.74
Michaels of Brooklyn Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce
Another East Coast-made jarred sauce, Michael’s of Brooklyn Arrabbiata Sauce is an Amazon shopper favorite, too. Why? It truly tastes homemade.
“This sauce tastes like it started in a small Brooklyn apartment and was given as gifts to Mike’s family and friends for years until they finally convinced him to quit that crappy job he hated and make arrabbiata sauce full time. Mike left that job and horrible commute and never looked back, and now we can all enjoy his sauce. Ok, so I don’t know if that’s how the story goes, but this sauce tastes like that…” writes one reviewer.
Michaels of Brooklyn Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce
$6.74
on Amazon.com
Trader Joe’s Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
What makes Trader Joe’s Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce so great? Aside from its low-low price of $2.99, it’s perfectly creamy.
“Excellent!” raves a commenter on Trader Joe’s Reviews. “Creamy and tangy without the bite of the vodka sauce. Has a little texture from the veggies without being a distraction. Sticks to the pasta and also good if you add grilled chicken to the mix.”
And we couldn’t agree more.
Barilla Tomato & Basil and Traditional Premium Pasta Sauce
Another fantastic store-bought pasta sauce that truly tastes homemade is Barilla’s Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce, which is made with 100 percent EVOO and naturally sweet vine-ripened tomatoes — and no added sugar.
Barilla Tomato & Basil and Traditional Premium Pasta Sauce
$14.99
on Amazon.com
The Meatball Shop’s Classic Tomato Pasta Sauce
No sugar added, keto-friendly and made with simple, whole ingredients, The Meatballs Shop’s pasta sauce tastes fresh — and anything but artificial.
The Meatball Shop's Classic Tomato Pasta Sauce
$22.96
on Amazon.com
Carbone Marinara Pasta Sauce
Another all-natural sauce, Carbone’s Marinara Pasta Sauce is one of the healthier, diet-friendly options, as its also keto-friendly, gluten-free, sugar-free and only 5 net carbs per serving.
Carbone Marinara Pasta Sauce
$23.99
on Amazon.com
Yo Mama’s Original Marinara
Racking up more than 6,000 mostly positive reviews on Amazon, Yo Mama’s Original Marinara is clearly a favorite among shoppers due to, well, we’ll let this review explain why…
“This classic sauce was clearly crafted by a master chef. It is a flavor sensation that works beautifully with pasta, chicken, pizza, sandwiches, and beef. It delivers or surpasses homemade flavor without my needing to spend the time and effort trying to create a batch from scratch,” writes the reviewer.
Yo Mama's Original Marinara
$18.98
on Amazon.com