Rao’s in New York City may be one of the hardest restaurants in the country to get into, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get hold of the iconic restaurant’s pasta sauce in grocery stores. Many people say it’s the best jarred sauce you can grab.
Is that true? It’s expensive, that’s for sure — some grocery stores charge up to $10 for a 24-oz jar. What should you choose if you’re laying out the dough (pun semi-intended) for some Rao’s pasta sauce? I grabbed 10 of the most popular flavors and ranked them for you: Here are the best Rao’s pasta sauces you can buy.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
Best: Tomato Basil
$7.22 from Walmart
Boy, I sure didn’t expect the most seemingly average sauce to steal my heart this way. If I’m buying pasta sauce, I always want to reach for something simple, but I usually end up with something that has the word “garlic” in it.
I’m not really sure how any other classic, jarred pasta sauce is supposed to compete here, flavor-wise. This is so bright and fresh, and the depth of flavor isn’t something you see very often in a grocery store pasta sauce. There are immediate basil flecks to be seen when you open the jar, and there’s a lovely aroma to match. If you want to liven up the classic marinara, grab this guy.
2. Calabrian Chili
$16.99 from Rao’s
If you can stomach the price tag and the fact that this isn’t really as spicy as it probably should be, this is a terrific tomato sauce. It’s got some heat for sure, but it’s not what I was expecting from something that says Calabrian chili on it.
I love the consistency here; thick with chunks of tomato and chili skins. This is very much for me.
3. White Truffle Marinara
$16.99 from Rao’s
Oftentimes, truffle-flavored things are a little richer than I can handle. I’m certainly not going to accuse this sauce of that, since it’s pretty subtle here, but impossible to miss. It’s honestly just right, though I’m a fan of bold flavors so I wouldn’t mind just a hint more.
Either way, this is one of the best marinara sauces you can buy in a jar. So long as you’re willing to shell out for it.
4. Four Cheese
$6.88 from Walmart
I had one of those, “OK, remember where you are and put the spoon down” moments when I was trying this sauce. I got lost in it. There are deep, smoky flavors in that jar, and the stretch of some cheese only adds to the experience. You’re not going to have anything as melty as fresh cheese, but overall this is just outstanding.
5. Bolognese
$6.88 from Walmart
Bolognese is rarely my sauce of choice, but Rao’s has made this one according to my exact specifications. The meat here has been ground to bits, creating a freckled sauce full of tiny meatball pieces. What a perfect consistency. This truly tastes like something you’d get at a restaurant.
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6. Marinara
$6.88 from Walmart
I don’t really buy a lot of pasta sauce, and when I do, plain marinara is never the flavor I’m getting. That’s mostly because none of them taste like this one. It’s just good. Every flavor is balanced, fully of tangy zip and absolutely begging to be used as a dip for some garlic knots. 6th place seems harsh for something of this quality, but that’s really just because there are five things that are even better.
7. Mushroom and Bell Pepper
$6.88 from Walmart
This one will play strongly to individual bias of course, but since I’m the type of person who’s probably going to put some mushrooms in my sauce, I love it. Rao’s has stuck some big ole chunkers into this thing; one pepper was the size of my entire spoon. If you like mushrooms and you like bell peppers, this is a must.
8. Caramelized Onion
$6.88 from Walmart
There’s a creaminess to this sauce that’s irresistible to me. I wish Rao’s would combine this with the mushroom and bell pepper sauce to make one, even better super-sauce. I’m a little nervous that a bowl full of sauce drenched in this pasta would turn into too much of an onion flavor-blast, but that’s only if I’m searching for something to criticize. This is incredibly tasty.
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9. Vodka Arrabbiata
$6.88 from Walmart
Something about this didn’t fully hit for me. Usually I’ll lean towards either vodka sauce or arrabbiata sauce, so I’m not sure why the combo didn’t do it. Generally I like vodka sauce with a little bit more creaminess to it, but at the end of the day, for a sauce I didn’t love, this one is still better than most other brands on the shelf.
10. Roasted Garlic Alfredo
$6.88 from Walmart
The truth is, and I’m sorry to be this guy, but, every Rao’s sauce is pretty damn good. You’re spending your money well if you’re buying one.
I don’t really jive with Alfredo sauce very often, but thanks to an extremely liberal dose of garlic, I can get behind it more. Regardless, this sauce is far too rich and creamy for an Alfredo coward like myself.
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