5 Best Store-Bought Pasta Sauces, According to Chefs
Pasta is one of the most beloved comfort foods because it strikes that sweet spot of convenience, creativity and is easy to make at home. Plus, it’s delicious. It’s also diverse and can be enjoyed in countless ways, but one thing that makes a standout pasta is the sauce. Good homemade sauce is obviously the best, but when you’re short on time and don’t feel like making one from scratch, store-bought pasta sauces are great options. To find the best ones, Eat This, Not That! asked Chef Andrew Owens, a private chef based in California, for his go-tos.
Rao’s Homemade Marinara
Rao’s is famous for their pasta sauces that rival home-cooked and the Homemade Marinara is a kitchen staple for Chef Andrew. “Rao’s Homemade Marinara is for its slow-cooked Italian tomatoes that bring out natural sweetness and bright acidity,” he says. “It has simple ingredients with fresh basil and garlic to create layered, authentic depth that tastes like a long-simmered Sunday gravy.”
Carbone Marinara
Carbone Marinara is a premier jarred pasta sauce from the Carbone restaurant, beloved for its homemade Italian flavor. It’s slow-cooked in small quantities with high-quality, limited ingredients. “The brand is known for its rich, savory profile with natural tomato sweetness,” says Chef Andrew. He explains, “The thick texture clings perfectly to pasta, evoking the complex flavor of restaurant-style sauce simmered low and slow.”
Cucina Antica Tomato Basil
Cucina Antica Tomato Basil is a brand shoppers praise for its taste and quality, noting its natural ingredients and low sugar content, making it a healthy alternative. Chef Andrew agrees and says it’s a must-try. “Cucinas has a fresh taste with a vibrant tomato purity,” he says. “It has visible basil flecks with minimal processing delivers a garden fresh flavor, but yet deeply developed flavor reminiscent of homemade flavor with hours of simmering.”
Victoria Marinara
Victoria Marinara has the perfect blend of its seven natural ingredients–whole tomatoes, onions, olive oil, salt, garlic, basil and spices. According to Chef Andrew, it has a “robust, hearty tomato base with balanced herbs and garlic; smooth yet chunky consistency and savory richness make it feel like it’s been bubbling on the stove all day.”
Buitoni Pesto alla Genovese
A good pesto sauce adds freshness, depth, and contrast, transforming simple ingredients into something vibrant and satisfying. The right pesto brings a chef-like quality to pasta—turning an everyday meal into something that feels special and thoughtfully made and Buitoni Pesto alla Genovese is that pesto. It’s a classic sauce found in the refrigerator section of your local grocery store and a favorite of Chef Andrew’s. “The sauce has fresh basil, Parmesan and pine nuts blended for intense aromatic depth,” he says. “Its creamy texture and bright herb notes taste like a freshly made, slowly infused pesto with authentic Ligurian character.”