The Best Jarred Marinara Sauce

Lidia’s Marinara Sauce, a Cento product, received mixed reviews from our tasters. While some testers appreciated its subtle heat from the crushed red pepper, many found it acidic and metallic.

Victoria Marinara Sauce deterred some tasters with its concentrated, ketchupy savor and paste-like texture. One described it as “reminiscent of Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup.” It was also one of the more expensive sauces we tested.

A solid and punchy option when tasted on its own, Paesana Marinara Sauce delighted most tasters with its bright, fresh Italian plum tomatoes and balanced seasoning. But it was less striking on pasta, with one taster describing it as “among the blandest on my palate so far.” Another said it was “rancid” and “strange” when paired with mozzarella sticks.

Silver Palate San Marzano Marinara received unremarkable reactions from our tasters, with many finding it rather dull and flavorless. We were surprised to see pear concentrate and carrots among the ingredients, but they didn’t significantly enhance the overall flavor.

Overall, the Cento Marinara Pasta Sauce offered a good balance of acidity and sweetness. We also appreciated its smooth yet slightly chunky texture, which could be described as rustic. We had a hard time finding it in local grocery stores, though, which is why we dismissed it.

While its thick texture was appealing to many of our tasters, SMT Marinara Sauce’s deep, caramelized onion flavor was divisive. Many found its cloying sweetness and pungency especially overwhelming when paired with bread and pasta.

Target’s Good & Gather Marinara Pasta Sauce is a basic marinara that can be doctored up. Given its affordable price point, it’s not a bad option. But its organic counterpart, the Good & Gather Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce, left much to be desired. It tasted heavily concentrated, and its texture was unappetizingly thick, resembling baby food.

We unanimously found Pastene’s The Chateau Tomato Sauce too sweet. Its flavor, reminiscent of pizza sauce, and mealy texture were likely due to the inclusion of calcium chloride, citric acid, and sugar, which testers disliked.

Pomì Marinara Sauce had an odd, funky flavor and watery composition. Tasters noted subtle, umami-rich hints of beef tallow and parmesan rind, while one person detected a plasticky aftertaste.

Our tasters were consistently underwhelmed by the three Trader Joe’s marinaras we tested: Tomato Basil Marinara, Organic Tomato and Basil Marinara, and Organic Marinara. While the dried herbs (including oregano and basil) in these sauces provided a nostalgic quality, the resulting flavor didn’t appeal to our palates. (The Organic Tomato and Basil Marinara performed marginally better out of the three.)

Great Value Marinara Pasta Sauce (from Walmart’s house brand) had a strong, almost soapy oregano flavor. But its grainy, fibrous texture was what deterred tasters most.

Tasters agreed that Amazon Grocery Marinara Pasta Sauce lacked freshness and had an overwhelmingly floral, garden-like scent. Its mealy texture was also rather unpalatable.

We were underwhelmed by 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce and its fat-free version, Organic Fat Free Marinara Pasta Sauce. The former had an inconsistent texture and an overpowering, herb-forward quality that masked the tomato flavor. The latter in particular was described as flat and muddled, and it featured too-large tomato chunks.

One taster said Aldi’s Simply Nature Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce tasted like roasted salsa minus the spice, while many others said it was on the sweeter side, akin to ketchup.

Yo Mama’s Original Marinara, a lower-sodium option, ranked poorly among our tasters in terms of flavor and texture. Many described it as “mealy” and “pulpy” with an unsavory bitterness.

We hesitated to categorize Monte’s Tomato Sauce as a “true” marinara due to the inclusion of fire-roasted bell peppers and shallots, ingredients uncommon in most traditional marinara recipes. While our tasters were pleased by the sauce’s dairy-like creaminess (and surprised by its actual lack of dairy), some found its potent garlic flavor overpowering for a marinara sauce.

We thought Bianco DiNapoli Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce lacked punchiness and tasted like straight tomato puree. Several tasters also detected a soapy aftertaste and noted its grainy, mealy off-putting texture.

Prego Classic Marinara Sauce tasted balanced yet straightforward and like your run-of-the-mill, store-bought marinara. While its thin consistency and somewhat “cheap, flat tomato flavor” were drawbacks to some of our tasters, its budget-friendly point and widespread availability could make it a convenient option when in a pinch.

Many testers thought that Bertolli Organic Marinara Sauce had an unpleasant, artificial, and processed taste. It also included woody, dried herbs that were particularly unappealing and difficult to swallow. We much preferred its counterpart, Bertolli’s Traditional Marinara.

Our tasters unanimously found Botticelli’s Marinara Sauce excessively sweet. Its gelatinous texture was also a significant deterrent.

Barilla Marinara Sauce was too thick and goopy for our liking, and its strong basil flavor was overpowering.

The Classico Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce had an overly bitter, floral taste, dominated by potent oregano. The sauce’s mealy and gritty texture was also very unappealing.

Many tasters likened the flavor and consistency of Ragú Old World Style Marinara Sauce to canned tomato soup. If you’re looking for affordable options, Bertolli’s Traditional Marinara offers a much better flavor and value.

Though its rustic texture was pleasant, Michael’s of Brooklyn Marinara Sauce was overly acidic, reminding one tester of roasted tomato salsa.

Tasters found Muir Glen Organic Classic Marinara Pasta Sauce unappealing due to its thin, incohesive texture and large tomato chunks. One tester also detected a bitter, tangy note, likely from the calcium chloride, an additive often used in canned tomatoes to retain their shape.

Most tasters found Newman’s Own Marinara Pasta Sauce subpar and uninspired. It had a noticeably orange hue and chunky texture (likely from carrot puree) that we didn’t find particularly appetizing.

Emeril Lagasse Pasta Sauce Homestyle Marinara tasted heavily sweetened, vaguely chemical, and far too similar to canned tomato soup. One taster said its thin, overly pureed texture reminded them of V8 vegetable juice.

Our tasters were taken aback by the sweetness of Francesco Rinaldi Marinara Sauce. Some said it evoked childhood memories of Lunchables Pizzas (unfortunately not in a positive way).

Organico Bello Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce was unremarkable, lacking balance and body. Its thin, watery consistency made it fall flat compared with other samples.

We found Lucini Organic Oil-Free Tuscan Tomato Marinara medicinal, acidic, and funky. Two tasters said the extreme tartness and saltiness instantly woke up their salivary glands, while its thin texture reminded one taster of an airplane-style Bloody Mary. Another compared it to gazpacho.