# Jarred Pasta Sauce Without Too Many Herbs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316 "2012-01-04T00:17:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/1 "2012-01-04T00:17:45Z")
Over the years I’ve gotten less and less happy with jarred pasta sauces and tonight I think I figured out why. They seem to be shooting for a “fresh” taste by adding solid chunks of tomato and a whole lot of herbs. I used “Classico” tonight and it had so much oregano and basil it actually upset my stomach a little. But fresh pasta sauce, meaning sauce where you don’t cook it long enough to reduce all the tomatoes to liquid and shreds, is a whole different sauce than regular simmered sauce. It is not something that would do well in a jar. Why do they try? If this trend continues they might as well start labeling it salsa. Is there a jarred sauce that doesn’t overdo it with the herbs and tomato chunks? ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/2 "2012-01-04T00:27:47Z")
Are you restricting the options to jarred sauce only? When I don’t make homemade sauce, I use Hunt’s canned sauce then add browned sausage, garlic, spices, etc. to it. The base sauce is very bland and has no chunks of anything in it, but it makes a reasonable baseline to add other ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lovely_Margo_Lane)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/3 "2012-01-04T00:33:55Z")
Definitely stay away from Classico in all varieties chunky and smooth. It’s my favorite brand, but my tastes are pretty much the opposite of yours - I looove tons of herbs and spices. Hunt’s is a good suggestion, also try store brands in big cans - they are often pretty bland and if you experiment you can find one that has the right sweet/savory balance for you. How do you feel about Ragu? Also comes in cans, and I seem to remember it being pretty basic and tomato-y. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/4 "2012-01-04T00:41:59Z")
I might give Ragu a try again. That was what we used when I was a kid. Prego I can’t abide - too sugary. I do make my own sauce occasionally, and I start from canned whole tomatoes with a little paste to intensify it a bit, before adding all the other stuff. What I would like is a decent, traditional simmered sauce from a jar, for when I don’t have time to do it from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/5 "2012-01-04T03:21:37Z")
Rao’s is good, but pricey. Closest to actual homemade pasta sauce I’ve ever had. I seem to recall Newman’s Own being pretty reasonable in the spicing category. I’m like you–I like my pasta sauces a bit more delicate and nuanced, and, for that reason, I make them myself. Like I said, Rao’s is pretty damned close to homemade, but you’ll pay for it, something like $8-$10 a jar. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/6 "2012-01-04T03:51:02Z")
I like Francesco Rinaldi marinara, low sodium if I can find it. It does list “spices” as an ingredient and I don’t know what that entails, exactly, but it’s pretty mild and a good base for some doctoring up, like with mushrooms or ground beef or more garlic. I generally dislike Classico and Newman’s Own because there’s too much going on. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/7 "2012-01-04T03:53:25Z")
> [@Zjestika](#): > > I like Francesco Rinaldi marinara, low sodium if I can find it. It does list “spices” as an ingredient and I don’t know what that entails, exactly, but it’s pretty mild and a good base for some doctoring up, like with mushrooms or ground beef. I generally dislike Classico and Newman’s Own because there’s too much going on. Maybe I’m misremembering Newman’s Own, then. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/8 "2012-01-04T04:02:35Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Maybe I’m misremembering Newman’s Own, then. I think it really depends on the one you buy. I try not to get anything fancier than marinara when buying a jarred sauce, with as few ingredients as possible. Some of Newman’s tend towards the rococo, with lots of tastes and chunks. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/9 "2012-01-04T04:23:37Z")
I personally don’t care for the taste of Ragu Original. But I’ll get Ragu Homestyle (I think that’s what it is) or Hunt’s, and then add a can of diced tomatoes. You could probably do the same, but add a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce, instead. We like the chunks of tomatoes. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/10 "2012-01-04T04:28:39Z")
> [@Zjestika](#): > > I think it really depends on the one you buy. I try not to get anything fancier than marinara when buying a jarred sauce, with as few ingredients as possible. Some of Newman’s tend towards the rococo, with lots of tastes and chunks. Well, it was the marinara that I was thinking of. Same with the Rao’s, although I’ve also had their arrabbiata (which I thought was great, too; hell, I’d say it’s the best jarred pasta sauce I’ve ever had.) ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/11 "2012-01-04T15:40:14Z")
There’s a “traditional” pasta sauce that’s sold in a large can (similar size to cans for pineapple or apple juice) that is cheaper and less spiced than the brand name sauces. I can’t remember whether it’s Hunts, DelMonte or generic. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/12 "2012-01-04T21:35:53Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, it was the marinara that I was thinking of. Same with the Rao’s, although I’ve also had their arrabbiata (which I thought was great, too; hell, I’d say it’s the best jarred pasta sauce I’ve ever had.) I have heard so much about how great Rao’s is. I’ll have to try it as a treat some time. Do you add anything to it, or is it good enough to just serve right over pasta? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/13 "2012-01-05T01:55:48Z")
> [@Zjestika](#): > > I have heard so much about how great Rao’s is. I’ll have to try it as a treat some time. Do you add anything to it, or is it good enough to just serve right over pasta? Straight up. But like I said, I’m not a jarred pasta sauce guy. Last time I had Rao’s was four or five years ago. I just can’t justify spending $10 on something I can make for $3. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarred-pasta-sauce-without-too-many-herbs/608316/14 "2012-01-05T02:02:53Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > There’s a “traditional” pasta sauce that’s sold in a large can (similar size to cans for pineapple or apple juice) that is cheaper and less spiced than the brand name sauces. I can’t remember whether it’s Hunts, DelMonte or generic. Years ago when I was more into sauces IIRC it was Delmonte I used as a pretty decent and well priced based sauce.