Any good canned (already prepared) pasta sauces?

Question

I eat a lot of pasta, but I couldn't make my own sauce if my life depended on it so I end up buying sauce from local grocery stores. Most pasta sauces sold in todays stores are garbage, never taste good enough, and all the packaging is very misleading, every label has some sort of a BS line such as "authentic Italian sauce" etc.

My question is if anyone out there knows of a good and authentic pasta sauce manufacturer that can be found in stores, or at least ordered online?

I would like to add.....

I am in Canada and I should have said the sauces I buy are not canned but in glass jars.

Answer 1

The best thing to come in cans are SAN MARZANO tomatoes (crushed, whole or pureed). With these you can make your own marinara, arrabiata, puttanesca....

Making your own sauce is not that difficult and I am sure will taste better than ready made sauces. Make large batches of just marinara and freeze them. When you defrost and heat them --- add capers, olives, mushrooms, sausages....

There are alot of great bottled sauces, esp the artisanal sauces (Dave's Gourmet, Rao...), they are much better than the Ragu's & Prego's.

Online:

http://www.raos.com/

http://www.davesgourmet.peachhost.com/ct_CGpremiumpastasauces.htm

http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/shoppe.aspx?cat=5&subCat=Pasta+Sauce&source=pepperjam&OVRAW=gourmet%20pasta%20sauces&OVKEY=gourmet%20pasta%20sauce&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=754908021&OVKWID=4323541521

http://www.rossipasta.com/

http://www.antonello.com/sauces/

http://www.josephsgourmetpasta.com/sauces.cfm

Answer 2

Madmio - trust me, it's easy to make a simple tomato sauce. That jar stuff will ruin your palate and run more salt (and even sugar) though your body than you realize.
1 can crushed (preferably Roma) tomatoes
2 table spoons of olive oil
1 piece of garlic - sliced
2 table spoons of diced carrot
3 table spoons diced yellow or white onion
1 tiny dried pepper or a dash of cayenne - optional.

Put the onion and carrot and the pepper in a sauce pan with the oil and heat... watch that the onion doesn't burn - pour yourself a glass of red wine. As the onion just starts to yellow add the garlic, stir a few times - count to 20 and add a bit of wine from your glass, stir some more.... Add the tomato, rinse the can of tomato out with a bit more of your wine and pour into the pan. Heat (keep flame low / medium) uncovered for about 10 minutes. At this point your water should be boiling and you can drop the pasta in. Grate the cheese, set the table. The pasta should be about ready, check to see that it is cooked to your liking. Done? Serve, pour a little olive oil on the pasta and then the sauce that you've slaved over. Pour another glass of wine (this time all of it is yours) and enjoy your meal.

Answer 3

I generally go with President's Choice
I mix the President's Choice 7-Vegetable Primavera Pasta Sauce (which is loaded with large pieces of veggie) and either their PC Splendido Quattro Formaggi 4-Cheese Pasta Sauce or PC Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce

I always add minced garlic because we love garlic. I find mixing them really adds a better flavour.

Recently, I bought a very good fresh sauce from the deli at Zehr's (Loblaws) but I can't remember the brand. It was close to $5 and I found it to be very worth the cost. It wasn't the ones near the fresh pasta (I find most of those to be very bland).

Answer 4

Do you have an Aldi's food store? They are off-brand foods, but for very low prices. Their pasta sauce is the BEST I've had. The name escapes me at the moment, but I think you can go look at their website and check it out. They come in glass jars: plain, meat, or mushroom. Their frozen ravioli is the same brand as the sauce, and it's great.

You didn't mention if you close to the US boarder, but it doesn't appear that they have a Canadian store. But maybe you can search and/or contact them for information.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I use the jar stuff a lot. Look for roma, plum, or Italian tomatoes in the ingredient list. I like to add tuna to the sauce. It may sound weird, but there is a famous gourmet sauce for veal that uses tomatoes and tuna or tuna-like fish. Also, my cats like the pasta this way, too.

Answer 6

i think you are best to buy sauces in a jar or like those sealed platic bag things rather than a can. Dolmio's the italian food company make some really great white and red italian pasta sauces than can be heated in the microwave or on the cooker. Dolmio's products are in all british supermarket's if you live there, and may be other countries too but i am unsure!

Answer 7

No afraid not they all use sugar and salt as main flavourings
some oil,onion,garlic,wine( optional) tomatoes and herbs in that order is all you need add salt and pepper at the end and some water the pasta has cooked in put some chopped herbs in too if you like make lots jar or bag and freeze
job done,
enjoy

Answer 8

We always buy Marinara sauce packed in jars. I like the Muir Glen Organic line best.

Answer 9

I absolutely love Barilla. They have great pasta, but the sauces are fabulous, too. I tried to check the Barilla site to see if they are in Canada, but I couldn't find it. I hope it is so you can try it! :)

Answer 10

i like dolmio- they have some really nice ones. you can also buy fresh pasta sauces with no preservatives that you find in the fridge at the supermarket, which are even better. one brand here in australia that is really good is latina (don't know if you have that in canada)

bon apetit~!