Mario Batali's Jarred Pasta Sauces
"Usually I'm skeptical of celebrity-launched lines of anything, be they measuring cups or leggings."
I know, I know. It’s so easy to make your own tomato sauce. I’ve heard everyone say it, from my mother to Rachael Ray. But the truth is, when I make spaghetti and tomato sauce, it’s the one night I take off from the kitchen. I don’t feel like doing anything but opening a box and a jar. And frankly, making tomato sauce may be easy, but making excellent tomato sauce is certainly and decidedly not. I believe strongly in jarred tomato sauce, if it's good.
But I haven’t found my match on the supermarket shelves yet. I do love the pomodoro sauce from San Marzano, but it can cost as much as $15 a jar, and that just doesn’t fit into my cheap and cheerful hardly-cook plan. I recently stumbled upon a jar of supermarket tomato sauce that had a Mario Batali label. It claimed to be made with San Marzano tomatoes and slivers of garlic, in a green facility, with no added sugar or preservatives. At around $6, I decided it deserved a try.
Usually I'm skeptical of celebrity-launched lines of anything, be they measuring cups or leggings. But after eating spaghetti at Mario's restaurants, I thought, if these are even a shadow of that at home, it's worth the six bucks. So, I did what Mario taught me to do on Molto Mario years ago.
I cooked my pasta al dente, finishing it in the sauce. It was perfect. It was fresh, light, naturally sweet, and essentially tomatoey.
Check out that garlic sliver!
Most jarred tomato sauces are just a touch off. They are too thick to mix with pasta or so thin, they create a red lake at the bottom of the dish. Too tart and acidic or so sweet you’d swear ketchup was the first ingredient, they usually fail. But I loved Batali’s sauce because it was thin enough to meld with the pasta and became a condiment as opposed to a glob, but it was still thick enough that my fork tines could scoop up the tomatoes.
There was no acidity or sweetness—it was perfectly balanced. I could see real bits of diced onion and tomatoes, not just pureed or left whole, and there were real slivers of garlic. It was like eating at a restaurant. Nobody I served it to could believe it was from a jar. To me, it was as authentic and reliable as Mario's restaurants themselves.
Thanks, Mario. I'm ready to try the other varieties. Have any of you tried them?
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51 Comments:
Haven't even seen them. Is it just a New York thing?
My go to canned sauce is Paul Newman's marinara.
lemonfair at 3:49PM on 08/26/09
I haven't seen them in New York. Kerry is in London. My go-to jarred sauce is Rao's Marinara, but it is crazy expensive. I am certainly intrigued by the Batali sauce.
Ed Levine at 3:52PM on 08/26/09
Interesting. I've been using Classico sauces for a few years, and they are good but not great. We also make a big batch of homemade marinara periodically, so there's normally a jar or two in the freezer, but those can take 2 whole days to defrost so they don't always fit into the quick category.
I'll give this a shot, but at $6/jar it had better be ROCKIN' compared to my $3/jar Classico.
JGordon at 3:55PM on 08/26/09
Just so everyone knows, I found these sauces at a Publix in South Florida, when I was in town from England. If anyone else has found them, let us know where!
Kerry Saretsky at 3:56PM on 08/26/09
Just bought a two pack of the Arrabiata at Costco in N. CA for I around $8. Haven't tried it yet.
dberlin at 4:12PM on 08/26/09
I don't like paying too much for pasta sauce because I am not a huge pasta eater. I usually use one of Prego's sauces which happen to be pretty good. But I will definitely give Mario's a try!
jlewfoodie at 4:18PM on 08/26/09
You can find the sauce online at www.cooking.com under Gourmet Foods > Sauces & Marinades > Pasta Sauces.
AZN Connoisseur at 4:34PM on 08/26/09
Ya know, I've not tried any of his pasta sauces, and I'm usually loathe to try celebrity-endorsed (or -launched) products. But I love my Mario Batali vegetable peeler.
baboo at 4:40PM on 08/26/09
A follow-up to Kerry's comment.
I've seen them in Publix in Gainesville (Central Florida) and pretty much every grocery store in South Florida I've been in.
AznJoker at 4:50PM on 08/26/09
My go to jar sauce is Gia Russa vodka sauce. World Market is carrying it now.
bca102 at 5:01PM on 08/26/09
you know, I really like Emeril's sauce. I, too, share a skepticism over these things, but I've been pleasantly surprised each time. Going to have to try Mario's if it hits shelves at the Food Emporium!
Nikki Goldstein at 5:01PM on 08/26/09
Have seen these at Whole Foods in Evanston, IL. Does anyone remember that he use to sell his sauces at Trader Joe's? They're more expensive now.
fleurdesel at 5:39PM on 08/26/09
I too usually go to Paul Newman for my sauce. I also recall Emeril's not being too bad either (though a few of their flavors have HFCS). I will now be on the lookout for Mario too!
SaucyTomato at 5:54PM on 08/26/09
Ah - I love Publix! I'll look for these next week. My go-to is also Rao's, but as someone said, it's crazy expensive. Sometimes, I'll find them on sale $2 off or even buy one, get one and I stock up like a madwoman. I really don't use them more than once a month, but they're great for emergencies.
Nothing cures a hangover like a pound of pasta with spicy tomato sauce and an absurd amount of Parmesan cheese. Just sayin'...
bitchincamero at 6:10PM on 08/26/09
His sauce seems intriguing. I always make my own sauce since it's cheaper just to buy a can of San Marzano tomatoes than jarred sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes. I used to like Classico, but I had it recently a few months ago while I was at my in-laws and found the taste really repulsive.
bearsonawire at 6:11PM on 08/26/09
I'm a big fan of Rao's. It is far too expensive (7-10 bucks per jar generally) but REALLY good. My homemade doesn't even come close.
tangledgray at 6:13PM on 08/26/09
@JGordon
I freeze my sauce in quart ziplock freezer bags, just make sure they're lying thin and flat when you freeze them. Sit them in warm water for about 5 minutes and they're ready to go into the pot.
plots at 6:21PM on 08/26/09
I found some at a Publix in Sarasota, Florida (Gulf Coast). I did try it and I have to say I really liked it. I often use Mario's recipe for marinara sauce anyway, and his jar version tasted just about the same as the homemade.
StickyGooeyCreamyChewy at 7:50PM on 08/26/09
Mario's sauce sounds good. I'll be looking for it on my next shopping trip. Emeril's sauce isn't bad but my go to sauce is Bertolli.
nesea at 8:10PM on 08/26/09
Mario's basic tomato sauce only takes 5 mins to prep and 20 mins to cook. I make a big batch every few weeks, freeze most of it in serving portions and take some out whenever I need marinara sauce. Maybe buying it from a jar will inspire people to make their own.
msecondo at 10:26PM on 08/26/09
Take a 28 ounce can of hold tomatoes, crush them with your hands. Dice an onion, sautee for five minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes with a clove of minced garlic. Cook for ten minutes.
Tomatoes are salty enough that you don't need to season them...unless you're in the mood to add some pepper.
Your pasta will be cooked by the time you're done with the sauce.
Is this easy and cheaper than buying tomato sauce. Yes. Is it better? Yes.
eatup at 11:06PM on 08/26/09
I'm with the Rao's bottled sauce fans, although its a splurge. Has anyone tried the recipe at the Rao's website? Is it as good as the ready-made stuff? I might go for the hour's simmering if it can save me some $$s (Rao's Marinara is $9+ locally, but definitely a quick 'n' easy weeknight pasta solution.)
pourgirl at 12:06AM on 08/27/09
Please -- unless you're a total wreck in the kitchen, you can make better than store bought in twenty minutes or less.
Pasta sauce, almost by definition, is fast and easy to make. Stop wasting your money on these BS, corn syrup-laden monstrosities.
eatup at 12:56AM on 08/27/09
They were sampling this at Whole Foods. Although I don't recall there being any corn syrup in it, it was less thick than I'd expected, and slightly less acidic than I would have expected. I was told that the arrabiata packs a nice bit of heat, though.
firni at 1:01AM on 08/27/09
Have not tried Mario's sauces. However, I am a huge fan of the Silver Palate sauces, especially the Marinara. At Kroger they were selling for about $5.99/jar, but I recently found them at the DeKalb Farmer's/World Market for $3.00/ea. I stocked up for those nights when the kids have a lot going on and I don't have time to cook a big fussy meal, and frankly, when I don't have even an extra five minutes to chop my own onions/garlic/basil and simmer my own sauce (which I love to do when I DO have the time). Honestly, Silver Palate is so good that I've even been able to fool my kids that it's my own homemade, and they are super fussy about their sauce.
juliebugsmama at 8:37AM on 08/27/09
look, we all know that it is relatively easy and cheaper to make your own, but sometimes, you just want to open a jar of sauce. these kinds of reviews are helpful for that reason, and those of us who do don't need to be dressed down by those of you who would never let jarred sauce touch your lips. i love the serious eats community, but sometimes the condescending and superior attitude of those who are organized enough to make sauce and keep it in the freezer and look down on me because i don't makes me crazy. if you are not interested in jarred sauce, don't read the post. if i want a recipe for sauce, which i don't because i have one and am perfectly capable of using it, i will ask for it.
carriebwc at 9:52AM on 08/27/09
I've been really liking Brad's organic sauces, specifically the Roasted Garlic one. I've been getting them on sale for about $2.99 a jar and it is amazing. No corn syrup either. I'll try Batali's if I see it in the store.
caitlinb at 11:20AM on 08/27/09
I like tito's salsa from RI on my pasta.
SkinnyFatty at 12:01PM on 08/27/09
Just picked up two jars of Rao's Marinara yesterday at Fresh Market. Yes, it's a little expensive but if I'm not in the mood to make my own, Rao's is the BEST! Have tried several other brands without success. At Kroger's,(last week) I picked up the smaller jar, 15.5 OZ. of Rao's on sale, $4.99! Guess they were promoting the smaller jar size? New to me.
dixiesue at 4:15PM on 08/27/09
Thanks carriebwc.
twosavoie at 10:27PM on 08/27/09
I looove Stop&Shop's brand of sauces! and target's vodka sauce.
literatured at 3:21PM on 08/28/09
Also a big fan of the Stop&Shop brand, especially the tomato/basil version. It's surprisingly the closest thing I've found to Rao's Marinara, for me the holy grail of jarred sauces... and for a lot less money too.
beetlejus at 5:41PM on 08/29/09
Just a little update! So far I've seen four varieties of Batali's sauces: Marinara, Tomato and Basil, Vodka, and Arrabiata. I've tried marinara and vodka, and they were both fantastic. I added some peas and a splash of cream and parmesan and romano to my penne with vodka sauce, and I couldn't stop eating it. I'll get back to you once I've tried the other two.
Kerry Saretsky at 10:24PM on 08/30/09
Made my own for years and on occasion would try the jarred, but it was always the same---Bla--Have great respect for Batali, can'''t wait to try it!
Kerry, thanks for the article and imput. Dave
old chef at 9:15AM on 08/31/09
It is so easy to make your own sauce from garden grown heirloom tomatoes. We grow many, and make varietal sauces and can them in both pints and quarts. Just pop open the can of sunshine in the chill of winter is heavenly!
Nothing like my Mean Green Sauce made from Green Zebra tomatoes, or mt oregano kissed Aunt Gerties Gold sauce, or Brandywine with garlic, Italian flat leaf parsley, garden basil and a kiss of chile-YUM!
shantihhh at 12:05PM on 08/31/09
Mario's basic sauce is my go-to recipe but it does take 30 + minutes. On a weeknight this would be great. I'm going to try and find it.
bayareafoodie at 1:14PM on 08/31/09
Yeah, we all have that killer sauce recipe that takes a bit of preparation to fix. But we don't always have the time. I've yet to find a sauce that suits my taste out of the jar no matter how much or little I pay for it. So I buy a quality sauce to start with [paying close attention to SALT content, watch for HFCS's and even then the SUGAR content due to dietary restrictions now, but by choice years ago] so I begin with a jar of sauce and tweek it a little or alot til I achieve the flavor I'm looking for. It doesn't matter whose name is on it they all need a slight adjustment or three.
butterfingers at 1:55PM on 08/31/09
Thanks for the report. I'm going to investigate and see if any markets in my area are carrying Batali's sauces; I would definitely like to try them.
Webrina at 2:27PM on 08/31/09
If you watch Batali's "Authors@google" talk(youtube it), you will see that one of the audience questions is a man essentially begging him to bring back his line of sauces. Appartenly, they originally were released through Trader Joe's exclusively, but Batali terminated the agreement when TJ's altered the recipe without consulting him. I think $6 a jar is just too much for a broke college student like me.
:(
Sharkky9 at 4:01PM on 09/01/09
I like Newman's Own, good and not a ton of sugar (no corn syrup), Mid's (a regional brand) is also darn tasty
cjpenfield at 8:11AM on 09/02/09
I found Mario's sauce at Publix in Nashville. They offered three different kinds...all of them had a tag mentioning they were "a new item". I bought it...tried it...and it was delicious.
AdamW1234 at 3:04PM on 09/02/09
The sauce was light and tasted good, I loved that it wasn't overwhelmed with basil, I enjoyed it because it was different from most bottled sauces, and the price was good. Thank god it didn't have sugar in it. The only negative thing was, it was a little watery., Wally Fredrickson
Walter F at 10:23AM on 09/03/09
@Walter F: What I've been doing is cooking the pasta to al dente, putting the sauce into the pot on fairly high heat, and then tossing the pasta in and cooking it until the pasta has sucked up the moisture. It's been working brilliantly. Maybe try that next time?
Kerry Saretsky at 10:27AM on 09/03/09
So, I have now officially had all four sauces. The Marinara and the Vodka are tied as favorites, but I'll tell you this: the Arrabiata packs serious heat. I stirred into some penne with an unorthodox scoop of ricotta, and even with the cheese, it was fiery!
Kerry Saretsky at 1:33PM on 09/03/09
I found them at Whole Foods in NY Columbus Circle. I tried the Alla Vodka and Arrabiata, both were wonderful. The Alla Vodka actually had real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in it. The Arrabiata was truly hot but I loved it. I tossed it will Parm Regg cheese and it was yummy.
nygirl1999 at 7:06PM on 09/03/09
@carriebwc : hear, hear!
Personally, I simply cannot make a huge batch of sauce and freeze it -- my miniscule apartment has a miniscule fridge with a miniscule freezer in it... all it holds is one ice cube tray and a couple of chicken breasts.
As others have said, spaghetti is my "I'm dog-tired and I'm not cooking tonight" meal. When I want to dirty a bunch of pans and stand over the stove for 30 minutes, I make something a lot more interesting than spaghetti!!
I haven't seen Batali's sauce in my supermarket... I'm a little taken aback by the price tag, but I'd be willing to try it once, just to see if it really blows my old stand-by, Classico, out of the water.
Jengraf at 9:51AM on 09/04/09
Thanks, Kerry
Walter F at 10:01AM on 09/06/09
I just discovered MB's Vodka and Marinara Sauces. Because I'm such a fan I bought one of each. We had the Vodka sauce the other night and I decided I never need to make pasta sauce again! I could never touch the quality of this sauce. It had a little heat, bits of fresh tomato and garlic. It was so yummy. Now I have a problem. I cannot find the sauce anywhere! Either I can't remember where I found it, or where I got it has run out, or they aren't carrying it anymore. I am obsessed. I must find where to purchase this sauce.
mayab7 at 3:45PM on 09/13/09
@Mayab7: if you are in NYC area, sauces will be in Food Emporium as of this week.
The Sauces have no added sugar, paste or puree and use fresh ingredients. That is why they taste fresh but also carry a higher price tag than the Pregos and Ragus and Classico or Newman's or Barilla which all use these additive ingredients.
johnny5 at 10:34AM on 09/15/09
just bought this at publix in central fl for $6. i chose the arribiata sauce because i wanted some heat. IT WAS HOT!! delicious, but if you aren't into spicy foods..this is not for you.
jerseyeats at 3:32PM on 10/06/09
I'm with the other posters on here. If I wanted a recipe i'd have asked for one. Bought Mario Batali's sauce last night at Food Emporium in midtown Manhattan.
"Pasta sauce, almost by definition, is fast and easy to make. Stop wasting your money on these BS, corn syrup-laden monstrosities. " Uh, there is no corn syrup or sugar added to the Batali sauces. They are incredible!
Keep you comments to facts girlie...
NYeats at 3:03PM on 10/12/09