We Tried 100 Jarred Tomato Sauces — These Are 15 of the Best

Meet your new favorite marinara.

Picture this: It’s pasta night. You don’t have time to make your own sauce, so you run to the grocery store to pick up a couple jars. You walk down the aisle and turn to look at your options. There are dozens — hundreds even — of tomato sauces before your eyes. You see affordable sauces, premium sauces, mom-and-pop sauces, and even sauces with the same name as that one famous restaurant in New York City. Where oh where do you begin? Well, we at Food & Wine dove deep into the sauce to help with that conundrum. We tasted a whopping 100 tomato sauces (exclusively marinaras and tomato basils) to determine the ultimate best sauce for every category and occasion.

Best overall: Monte’s Original Family Recipe Tomato Sauce

Monte’s tomato sauce is everything you could ever want in a marinara. It’s smooth (but not too smooth), well-seasoned, complex, and yet somehow still nostalgic. The decades-old family recipe comes from Monte’s at the Manor in Montauk, New York. However, the plum tomatoes that they use are vine-ripened in California, giving the sauce a bright, luxurious flavor. It’s the best jarred tomato sauce we’ve ever tasted, and we recommend you add it to your pantry, stat. $40 for six 16-ounce jars at montessauce.com

Best old school red sauce: Carmine’s Tomato Basil

With five Italian-American restaurant locations across the United States, Carmine’s knows a thing or two about red sauce Italian cuisine. The tomato basil sauce, which is available to purchase nationwide, is a case in point. Its combination of extra-ripe plum tomatoes and fresh basil leaves is perfectly balanced, and the addition of thinly sliced, sautéed yellow onions gives every spoonful a delightfully chunky texture. Throw this sauce over some spaghetti and meatballs and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into an episode of The Sopranos. $45 for three 32-ounce jars at carminespantry.com

Best imported: La San Marzano Marinara Sauce

This marinara sauce comes straight from the tomato capital of the world: San Marzano, Italy. Each of the ingredients in the sauce are sourced and processed in Italy — the simple, high-quality components resulting in a sauce that shines on its own. Pour this sauce over some creamy polenta and top it with a sprinkle of parmesan. $10 for one 24-ounce jar at lasanmarzano.com

Best value: Newman’s Own Tomato Basil

When you’re in need of a sauce that’s both tasty and affordable, you can always rely on Newman’s Own. This tomato basil may not be revolutionary, but it has a flawless just-thick-enough texture, it’s seasoned well, and it’s not too sweet (a common flaw in many of the tomato sauces under the $5 mark that we tasted). Fresh basil in the sauce gives it a sophisticated profile that is ideal for your next pasta party. Plus, 100% of Newman’s Own profits are donated to the Newman’s Own foundation, supporting children who are struggling with adversity. $14 for one 24-ounce jar at amazon.com

Most reliable: Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce

Initially invented by the Pellegrino family (owners of Rao’s restaurant in New York City) and recently acquired by Campbell’s, Rao’s Homemade is consistently excellent. The flavor is rich, with just the right amount of acidity, and the texture is chunky enough to evenly coat every last noodle on your plate. $9 for one 24-ounce jar at raos.com

Best grocery store brand: Aldi Specially Selected Premium Marinara Sauce

Grocery store-branded sauces get a bad rap, but this sauce from Aldi’s can go head to head with any jar in the tomato sauce aisle. The inclusion of sweet Italian tomatoes, garlic purée, and black pepper make for a rich, savory sauce that’s great on pasta and would be a stellar ingredient in a veggie-forward stew or a spicy bean chili. $5 for one 24-ounce jar at aldi.us

Most versatile: Lucini Rustic Tomato Basil Sauce

Out of the 100 sauces we tried, this one stood out for its flavor of fresh, straight-from-the-garden basil leaves. This sauce is made in Tuscany, and all of the ingredients go from farm-to-jar within 24 hours. The sauce is cooked in small batches, and starts with a sofrito of onions and carrots, cooked in extra virgin olive oil (also produced by Lucini) until caramelized. This sauce’s juicy, slightly sweet flavor would be just as delicious on a pizza as it would over ravioli. $9 for one 24-ounce jar at californiaoliveranch.com

Best for baking: Michael’s of Brooklyn Fresh Tomato & Basil Sauce

The biggest jar in the bunch, Michael’s of Brooklyn, should be poured over some shells, layered in a lasagna, or mixed into a casserole of rigatoni right before it goes in the oven — it’s full of zippy acidity that helps balance creamy ricotta or bechamel in a rich bake. Michael’s of Brooklyn is also the only major sauce brand that makes and packages on-site at their restaurant of origin. $72 for six 32-ounce jars at michaelsofbrooklyn.com

Just like grandma’s: Vesper Brothers Tomato Basil Sauce

Want to eat a sauce that reminds you of Sunday supper at your nonna’s house? Philadelphia-based company, Vesper Brothers, has got you covered. In fact, Bill and John Vesper use the same exact “gravy” recipe that their grandmother cooked for them as kids. The blend of the sweet ripe tomato flavor and whole basil leaves is just begging to be used in a chicken parm or as a dipper for fried calamari. $30 for three 24-ounce jars at vesperbrothersfoods.com

Best base: Mezzetta Family Recipes Tomato Basil Sauce

For over 85 years, the Mezzetta family of California has been bringing the Italian pantry staples to American tables. This sauce, made in Italy, consists of sweet plum tomatoes cooked low and slow with onion, garlic, and basil. The simple, fresh flavor is a terrific shortcut to a bolognese, arrabbiata, or puttanesca. $7 for one 25-ounce jar at mezzetta.com

Honorable mention: Il Mulino Marinara Sauce

This is the kind of sauce that you want to dunk a calzone into. The marinara sauce, from Italian-American restaurant group Il Mulino, is garlicky, not too oily, and has a well-developed sweetness that would pair perfectly with warm mozzarella. $16 for one 24-ounce jar at immy.com

Honorable mention: Rita’s Marinara Sauce

One of the more unique marinaras we tried, Rita’s may not be the most versatile, but it’s sophisticated flavor would make for an excellent all’amatriciana. It’s clear that there’s a lot of effort put into the recipe, and it pays off — we tasted caramelized shallot, roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes, and a nice hit of black pepper. $24 for two 24.5-ounce jars at ritassauce.com

Honorable mention: Vincent’s Marinara Sauce

Like many of the sauces coming from Italian-American restaurants on this list, Vincent’s marinara is ultra satisfying. From The Original Vincent’s Clam Bar and Restaurant in New York City’s Little Italy, this red sauce is hardy and robust — exactly what you’d want poured over a plate of ravioli. $115 for a 12-pack of 25-ounce jars at vincentsclambar.com

Honorable mention: Dave’s Gourmet Organic Red Heirloom Pasta Sauce

We generally disliked any of the sweeter pasta sauces we tried, but somehow, this one worked for us. The sweet flavor tasted more natural in comparison to others, where the added sugar practically made our teeth rot on the spot. For the price, this is an incredible option for any purpose, especially stewed chicken or fish. $9 for one 25.5-ounce jar at davesgourmet.com

Honorable mention: Sundays with Joe Sweet Marinara Sauce

With the addition of carrots and celery, this was probably the most vegetal sauce we tasted — it reminded us of a delicious tomato soup … and we’re not mad about it. In that fashion, this marinara would be best used as a dipper for a grilled cheese sandwich. $8 for one 25-ounce jar at hereheremarket.com

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