Community Chat

[Mindy D]

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@dimin wrote:

Prego, that's what I start with then add stuff.

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@dimin @A word of caution, in case it's been awhile since you used a jar. Do a taste test of a little the heated sauce the day before you start an important recipe just to make sure that Prego hasn't changed recently. Better to do this than chance ruining your recipe. 

[Mindy D]

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@Sapphiregal wrote:

For years I have preferred Traditional Ragu over Prego. I don't like a sweet spaghetti sauce and Prego is sweet to me. Having said that, I recently strayed from my Ragu and tried Bertolli traditional Marinara sauce. It is really good! So, now I have two favorites. I haven't noticed that Ragu has changed.

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@Sapphiregal @Keep pretasting your Bertolli before use in your recipes. The company might pull the same stunt with the Bertolli Marinara Sauce they did with their  Ragu Traditional. They are both owned by the same company and the company also controls Bertolli Olive Oil so I'm just waiting to see how they cut costs by adulterating those products. 

[stevieb]

I'll use most jar sauces as a base, but don't find any of them to be exceptional as a stand alone. Was never a fan of either Ragu or Prego and find Rao to be overpriced, over-rated, with a funny aftertaste and quite tart.

[eddyandme]

I use Hunt's pasta sauce in a can - 99 cents on sale.  Then I add whatever.....

[shoekitty]

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@qbetzforreal wrote:

I make my own sauce.  It's easy- canned crushed tomatoes (no salt) garlic, onion, basil, olive oil and seasonings.

I find jarred sauces with the exception of Rao's to be too sweet and high in sodium.

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Shoekitty said   There is no comparison to RAO'S,  best ever!   Love the arriabatta, the spicy one.  I failed to spell it correctly I think.  I bought a case a while back.  Big investment  lol   The homemade taste of it.   Americas kitchen voted it best.  I had to try, and hooked ever since.  I make a quick chicken caccitore with it, just add onion and olives

[Spurt]

I use GIA RUSSO HOT SILICIAN-Imported Italian Plum Tomatoes, Onions, Olive Oil, Salt, Fresh Garlic, Spices, Basil. Produced at Summer Garden Food a green facility.  

Zidian Manufacturing Corporation and later changed the name of the company to Summer Food Manufacturing in 2009. A 50,000 square-foot “Green LEED Certified“ food manufacturing facility, situated on a 6-acre campus complete with an additional 11,000 square foot building housing on-site research and development center, quality assurance laboratories and a Culinary Arts Center, is now part of the landscape in the Boardman, Ohio.

Peppery and slightly hot. Fresh garlic. 100% Italian-grown plum tomatoes. Imported olive oil. All natural. No preservatives. No paste added. No puree added. No sugar added. Gluten free.\

Because less is more, our pasta sauces are always prepared in small batches. We choose the best plum tomatoes from Italy. Add just the right amount of fresh basil, garlic and onion. Then we sample, repeatedly, to make sure everything is in perfect balance. No paste, puree, sugar, additives or preservatives are ever used. You see, we create sauces that are true to nature. And true to Italy's traditional pasta sauce making methods.

[hennypenny]

One needs to be so careful now when buying foods.

Big corporations buy out wonderful small companies and make huge changes.

Most of the pork companies we know are now owned by the Chinese. The Chinese are buying up many of our food companies.

We try to buy from local farms, but it is not always possible.

[beach-mom]

I can't remember if I mentioned this before. I'm a Prego girl, but after we went into quarantine I ordered Otamot M67298. Now I'm using that all of the time. My family loves it. I make spaghetti with spaghetti squash, and it is perfect for that. I've also made tomato soup with it. It may be a little more expensive, but that's my new favorite!  

[Mindy D]

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@bikerbabe wrote:
I only use Rao’s or make my own with San Marzano tomatoes.

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@bikerbabe @shoekitty @On Rao's website there are many recent reviews that are complaining that Raos has changed the recipe for their Marinara sauce.* There were no complaints for their sauce that contains basil, Tomato Basil, which is made in Italy. 

Tomato Basil Ingredients:

Ingredients – ITALIAN WHOLE PEELED TOMATOES (PEELED TOMATOES, TOMATO PUREE, SALT, BASIL LEAF), OLIVE OIL, ONIONS, BASIL, SALT, GARLIC, BLACK PEPPER, OREGANO.

❤️PRODUCT OF ITALY

Marinara Sauce Ingredients:

Ingredients: ITALIAN WHOLE PEELED TOMATOES (PEELED TOMATOES, TOMATO PUREE, SALT, BASIL LEAF), OLIVE OIL, ONIONS, SALT, GARLIC, BASIL, BLACK PEPPER, OREGANO.

❤️Some product may be imported.

Just one of the many reviews denoting recent changes to the Marinara Sauce. Quoted from the Reviews for Rao's Marinara Sauce on the Rao's website:

1

"not unless recipe reverts back to original!

Submitted 4 days ago

By Dean

From Phoenix Arizona

Why on earth would you change your recipe! I am Italian and grew up with grandmas, moms, and now my sauce, (which are all slightly different and incomparable). Yet I have boasted to many friends about how incredibly delicious your sauce was heated right from the jar (no sprucing it up). Best bottled sauce ever!! Now I have to recant my words so they don't go buy a premium bottle of sauce with an ordinary taste. The change is distinct and not for the better. WHY I ask??? Did you not learn from "New Coke" mistake! Your sauce Was a clear winner above all others.Now the sauce is ordinary and needs help.An explanation is in order here, as I cant reccommend your sauce again.

Bottom Line No, I would not recommend to a friend"

*

[stevieb]

As for Rao's, who knows, maybe I got the 'new' sauce. I bought three jars of it based on the rave reviews, but won't be buying more when they're gone. I did try the tomtao basil too and while I did prefer it to the marinara, neither of them was outstanding in my view. I guess we all have different taste buds. I do, though, like some of their soups.