We’ve had polls on just about every major food brand battle but I don’t remember this one. The recent “Prego Challenge” commercials got me wondering where the Dope stood. Personally I found it surprising that Ragu was considered the “Coke” of Pasta Sauces but admittedly I never put much thought into it.
Yes, I’m aware there are dozens of other national brands out there, many much better than either of these, but that’s not what this poll’s about. I figure we all grew up with these and everyone is probably either a Prego family or a Ragu family.
Feel free to post comments about those other fancy brands and goofy varieties, but this is a binary poll.
I really only like pasta when there is mozzarella and/or ricotta cheese involved, but when I do make lasagna or manicotti, I use Ragu. However, my husband feels deprived if he doesn’t get spaghetti with meat sauce at least once a week, and he wants Ragu. ONLY Ragu. My daughter is the same way. So, I’ll fry up ground chuck and onion and bell pepper and mushroom and garlic, and take out my portion before adding the sauce.
I’ve tried serving Prego, but it was not acceptable.
Ragu is a nicer word than Prego so it wins… my vote has nothing to do with quality of the sauce which is most likely exactly the same or at least very close in taste.
I don’t know if I’ve ever had either - I know I’ve never bought either. I prefer to make my own, and my family has been happy with that choice for many decades…
Much of my childhood was spent in a Prego home, so that gets my vote. But I’ll be honest - I haven’t had either one in about 20 years. Now I doctor the heck out of jarred sauce, and since I’m doctoring it anyhow, I buy the really cheap stuff from Aldi. One jar of Mushroom Flavor and one jar of Meat Flavored with some ground pork, fennel, oregano, marjoram, garlic, lots of onion, crushed red pepper flakes…actually makes a pretty darn good sauce. I’ve tried making it from plain tomato sauce/crushed tomatoes, though, and it’s lacking. Apparently we really like additives and preservatives.
Classico or Trader Joe’s. I find both Prego and Ragu nearly indistinguishable from ketchup and about as appealing. Homemade is even better if I have the time.
Honestly, I can’t remember either very well, although I know as a kid we had Prego and Ragu around the house, with no brand preference. I always make my own, because I honestly don’t like any of the commercial sauces except for Rao’s, and Rao’s is too damned expensive. That, and the types of sauces I like: arrabiata, puttanesca, sugo all’amatriciana, don’t take all that long to make (30 minutes or less) and aren’t always readily available in sauce form. The Prego/Ragu brands both taste too sweet to me.
When I was buying jarred sauce, Prego. Ragu is too watery.
I haven’t used prepared tomato sauce in years. It’s such an easy thing (and significantly cheaper) to make that I can’t see myself buying jarred sauce ever again.
I am not actually a fan of either, but if I had to pick one I like Prego a lot more than Ragu. I don’t actually recall why I feel this strongly, but I have a sort of knee jerk reaction that Prego is a whole lot better, but it has been easily 10 years (maybe more?) since I have had either so I don’t really know anymore.
I buy which ever one is on sale, and doctor the hell out of it. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten either one “as is.” Ragu seems to be cheaper most of the time, so I picked that one in the poll.
We all? Growing up, we never had jarred tomato sauce. It was and is just as easy, and considerably cheaper, to make it from quality canned tomatoes. Even better in late summer when one has a surplus of fresh tomatoes.
Stater Brothers generic and doctor the hell out of it, if we’re too lazy or strapped for time to make it from scratch. Otherwise break out the San Marzanos and cook it ourselves.