Rao's started selling their famous marinara at grocery stores in 1992, and have since
branched out to offer over a dozen other flavors.
So people want to know — which Rao's Homemade sauce is the best?
Let's start by acknowledging that this may be our least favorite among Rao's Homemade
pasta sauce collection — but we don't hate it.
We appreciate that sundried tomato pesto is an alternative take on a traditional pesto
alla Genovese — the basil and pine nut sauce you generally associate with pesto.
We also enjoy that basil still plays a strong part in this sauce, despite no longer performing
as the top-billed ingredient.
As for the star ingredient, it's obviously sundried tomato, and we sadly don't love its
performance here.
Sundried tomatoes are especially sweet.
So combining them with basil makes the pasta just too sweet for a meal.
It borders on a taste better suited for dessert than dinner.
So if you're the type who likes fruit sauces on your meat, then you might love sundried
tomato pesto on your pasta.
But it's not for everyone.
"Mmm, pesto."
Sensitive marinara is a hilarious way of saying that this sauce is for those with a natural
aversion to Italian food because it lacks onion and garlic.
Truthfully, Rao's classic marinara doesn't have a predominantly oniony or garlicky flavor
profile, so this is really for those who simply can't stand seeing either of those ingredients
in their food.
To make up for the ingredient loss, sensitive marinara includes carrots.
That's fine because the result is still a bright-tasting marinara.
However, we're confused about where the increased calories and fat content come from.
Sensitive marinara has 30% more calories and over 50% more fat than classic marinara, and
we really don't think that's coming from carrots.
We realize it sounds like we hate this sauce, but we don't.
There's just nothing especially exciting or great about it, so it's simply one of our
least favorite.
Among Rao's Homemade collection, tomato herb is probably the closest in taste you'll come
to restaurant-style red sauce.
Sounds pretty good, right?
Sure, but it's not particularly special, so we'd opt for one of the more interesting sauces
in Rao's catalog.
Still, you may be trying to please a crowd or fussy eaters, in which case a jar of tomato
herb will do the trick.
It's slightly thicker than Rao's marinara and has a hint of a deeper flavor that should
be universally appealing to anyone not in the anti-onion or anti-garlic camps.
Roasted garlic Alfredo falls toward the bottom of our list because we're not exactly sure
why it exists.
Rao's Homemade already offers a standard Alfredo sauce, and we appreciate the effort to include
more variety in the lineup.
That being said, we don't think roasted garlic Alfredo actually adds much.
Visually, it's a tinge darker than the classic Alfredo, which is a good sign that the roasted
garlic has had an impact on the sauce.
Unfortunately, it doesn't deliver quite as noticeably in the flavor department.
To be fair, there is certainly additional garlic flavor, but the impact is minimal.
Garlic naysayers will obviously want to stay away, but garlic lovers are likely to be disappointed.
As long as meat is a part of your diet, who doesn't love a Bolognese sauce?
Traditional Bolognese can be made from any combination of beef, pork, and veal, and Rao's
Homemade Bolognese contains the first two.
Furthermore, uncured pancetta crumbles are also featured in this recipe.
We love that this sauce is so thoroughly meaty, which helps it cling to big, textured pasta
like a chunkier sauce should.
But we especially enjoy the noticeable impact of Romano cheese mixed into the meat crumbles.
Many Bolognese sauces contain a dairy component and are topped with freshly grated cheese,
but cheese isn't often cooked into the recipe.
We loved the relatively large influence of this small adaptation.
We must admit we thought this sauce would rank higher on our list, especially as there's
only one other meat option in the entire collection.
Unfortunately, the overall flavor came across as more of a spiced ketchup than a hearty
Bolognese after extended eating, so it slipped a bit.
Speaking of meaty options by Rao's Homemade, here's the other one.
Italian sausage & mushroom is meaty in the ways both carnivores and vegetarians love
— though obviously unsuitable for those who don't eat meat.
Regarding the mushrooms, Rao's does not skimp on this sauce.
Sliced mushrooms are plentiful, leaving us seriously impressed with their inclusion.
We were similarly happy with how boldly the Italian sausage flavor came through in both
aroma and taste, without overpowering the mushrooms.
Despite the meaty ingredients and the use of deeper herbs and spices like oregano and
black pepper, the tomato base remains brightly flavored and balanced.
"Fresh pepper?"
"Sure."
"Say when."
However, we did find the sauce to be somewhat incohesive — but only slightly.
And if you're a true mushroom lover, this is the jar for you.
The first thing you're likely to notice about Rao's Homemade vodka sauce is that it looks
a little different than most vodka sauces you're probably used to.
If you imagine an orange or pink pasta sauce, it's understandable.
Heavy cream is usually added to deliver that super creamy texture, and it certainly lightens
the bold red of the tomato base.
However, there's no cream in the recipe for Rao's vodka sauce.
While you might assume eliminating cream would have a major impact on the finish, Rao's Homemade
vodka sauce still manages a similar texture to most variations.
It also delivers the dairy through a couple of strong cheeses.
We're not sure why Rao's made this major change to a popular sauce, but it works, so we're
good with it.
While mushrooms do add some beautiful depth to this sauce's rich overall flavor, bell
peppers are the dominant ingredient — so mushroom chunks are far less abundant.
However, the bell peppers shine through with a surprising sweetness in the mushroom & bell
pepper sauce.
That's surely to do with the large chunks of bell pepper, which is a significant upgrade
over the skimpy offering from other brands.
In fact, there are large chunks of several ingredients, so smooth saucers beware.
In fact, we would argue that even those who don't particularly love mushrooms will enjoy
this sauce.
After all, they are easy to avoid and not particularly noticeable in the overall flavor.
Tomato basil is the third of the simpler sauces offered by Rao's Homemade.
This sauce is similar to the tomato herb sauce and actually contains almost identical ingredients,
but in different proportions.
That small change makes a big difference.
The only actual herbs in tomato herb are basil and oregano, and both appear in tomato basil too.
Appropriately, basil is more prominently featured in the recipe this time, and to good effect.
The herby sweetness of this heftier dose of basil brightens the sauce without overdoing it.
Furthermore, tomato basil offers a taste that is a tad more unique than tomato herb without
straying too much from a traditional tomato sauce.
We love an original and we also appreciate smart adaptations, so tomato basil is our
clear preference between the two.
As we mentioned, pesto alla Genovese is the type of pesto that usually first comes to mind.
It has dominated the category worldwide and become simply pesto to most of us.
Rao's Homemade goes a step further by naming its contribution basil pesto, perhaps to help
distinguish it from its sundried tomato pesto.
We think the basil version is a perfect pesto.
Unlike its drier counterpart, Rao's Homemade basil pesto offers an ideal consistency for
easy tossing and coating.
We recommend a long wide noodle, like fettuccine, to grab maximum flavor from this oil-based sauce.
You won't want to miss any of its delightfully-balanced blend of basil, cheese, and nuttiness from
the combination of cashews and pine nuts.
The simplest of sauces, Rao's Homemade marinara is also one of the very best this premium
brand offers.
A marinara can make or break an Italian restaurant, and this perfect pasta topper put Rao's on
the map, becoming the first jarred sauce it sold in 1992.
Rao's Homemade marinara is the quintessential red sauce you crave, with a delicate balance
of sweetness, salt, and acidity in a vibrant sauce that spreads easily over any noodle.
It's a perfect workhorse for any pasta night and will never disappoint.
Above all, we think it's the purity of this jar that makes it a top marinara, and one
of our top favorite Rao's sauces overall.
"Rao's homemade.
Make every day delicious."
Roasted garlic Alfredo may have ranked low on our list, but recall that we just felt
it was unnecessary, not bad.
And that's because Rao's Homemade Alfredo is exceptional.
And yet Rao's Homemade Alfredo is not entirely purist.
Alfredo is typically made with Parmesan, and so is Rao's, but it also contains Romano.
The addition of this strong sheep's milk cheese brings this Alfredo to the next level of cheesiness.
Using Rao's Alfredo is like pouring a jar of liquid cheese over your pasta.
We're talking about a thin coating that looks like cream, tastes like cheese, and is actually
both, ultimately clinging to every noodle evenly.
Where roasted garlic Alfredo falls short, Rao's tomato-based roasted garlic soars.
This jar is absolutely bursting with both garlic flavors and aromas, which is apparent
from the moment the lid is popped.
There's very little else in Rao's Homemade roasted garlic, which has no herbs and is
seasoned only with salt.
This surely contributes to the fabulous effect of the garlic's dominance, but we also suspect
that the acidic tomatoes complement the garlic better than the cream in Alfredo.
Not to knock our beloved marinara, but we found roasted garlic to be even more vibrant
in both appearance and taste.
"Arrabbiata" is Italian for "angry," and the name is given to a spicy tomato-based sauce
enlivened by garlic and red chili peppers.
While other goodies like black pepper and oregano round out Rao's Homemade arrabbiata,
the essential inclusion of basil adds a touch of sweet relief for the spice-shy, while also
complementing the tomato base.
Rao's Homemade tops other jarred arrabbiata sauces thanks to its careful moderation of heat.
It's present and undeniably the key takeaway, but it's also accessible to those who can't
tolerate too much spice.
It could be the use of naturally sweet Italian tomatoes or just a masterfully balanced and
cooked recipe.
In any case, this delicious sauce manages to satisfy just about anyone on the spice
scale in an almost mystical way.
If there weren't some people who simply couldn't handle any heat at all, this would be number
one on our list.
If there's a single food category with the most die-hard fans, it might be cheese.
There's some science as to why cheese cravings are so powerful for some, so we're not judging.
Still, we typically like to exercise some constraint when incorporating cheese into
a recipe.
Like salt or sugar, too much of a good thing can completely overpower a dish, and drowning
a plate in grated cheese is a common mistake people make at Italian restaurants.
That said, some cheese-focused recipes are spectacular and Rao's Homemade four cheese
sauce is among them, so forget everything we just said.
"Oooh, cheese."
The four types of cheeses in this recipe blend seamlessly, but there's no mistaking the clear
flavor of Romano that leads the way once again.
The sodium content of this jar may make you wince, but it's worth the splurge for the
bold cheese content within.
With no added herbs, seasonings, garlic, or onion, it's no wonder the cheese shines.
However, it's the texture that really knocks this one out of the park.
Neither runny nor gloppy, this well-blended sauce carries a consistency similar to a finely
ground Bolognese.
Even whiffing an empty jar of Rao's Homemade four cheese makes us salivate.