The Store-Bought Pasta Sauces That Need No Upgrades

You might not believe us when we say there are actually store-bought pasta sauces that taste good right out of the jar, no additions or adjustments needed. It's okay. We get it. People have very strong opinions about what they pour on their pasta. But just because it comes from a jar doesn't mean it's not made with quality ingredients, thought and care, and importantly for many, an eye on convenience. 

There are plenty of ways to make jarred tomato sauce taste homemade and different methods to level-up store-bought tomato sauce and make it your own. But if it's a weeknight, you have a family to cook for after a long day at work, and you want something simple, quick, and still very delicious, these five sauces are absolutely worth a try. These selections, which include tomato sauces, pesto, and more, are top choices in each of their categories based on a comprehensive search of ratings from food professionals and reviews straight from customers themselves (including yours truly), and they were chosen specifically because you don't have to do anything fancy to doctor them up at all. Just pour, maybe heat up, and enjoy. 

Rao's tops so many lists of jarred pasta sauces, and its Alfredo is no exception. Food blogger and recipe developer Becky Hardin told Simply Recipes, "Unlike other Alfredo sauces, which can lean too heavily on starches, sweeteners, or weird thickeners, Rao's isn't too thick. In fact, it tastes like it's homemade — rich and creamy." Our own taster agreed in Tasting Table's ranking of 14 jarred Alfredo sauces, noting that out of all the sauces they tried, it was the only one that named cream before water in its list of ingredients.

And customers agree. "Most jarred Alfredo sauces are absolutely terrible. I personally liked this one a lot!" one Redditor wrote about Rao's. Another responded, "I have to doctor most jarred Alfredo sauces. I don't have to with Rao's." And that's exactly the point. Whether you pour it straight over pasta or mix it into a weeknight chicken Alfredo bake, Rao's Alfredo is there for you. The price — about $7.50 a jar at the time of writing, depending on where you shop — is potentially a downside, depending on your budget, but the fact that it doesn't require any zhuzhing means you're saving on other ingredients (in case you need an excuse to splurge).

When it comes to jarred marinara, the choices are endless. But once you get to the top of the best-of lists, there are only a few brands we consistently see. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Rao's Marinara is frequently up there, but it often trades or shares the top spot with Mezzetta, which makes a lot of sense. Reviewers tend to note the quality of Mezzetta Marinara's tomatoes, as the ingredients specify that it uses "Italian plum tomatoes from Italy's San Marzano region," and "California plum tomatoes." It's clear from even just the ingredient list that Mezzetta cares deeply about sourcing top-tier tomatoes and other ingredients, including imported olive oil, for its marinara.

One reviewer shared possibly the nicest thing someone could say about a jar of pasta sauce: "My maternal Grandma was a wonderful Italian woman who had a gift in the kitchen. Unfortunately, her cooking style was very loose and not necessarily written down. I recently tried Mezzetta's Marinara Sauce, and it brought back such strong memories of sitting in her kitchen with my extended family." A jarred tomato sauce that tastes just like your Italian grandma's? It doesn't get better than that, folks.

Giovanni Rana Basil Pesto can be found in the refrigerated pasta section of your grocery store, and we're telling you this because you should go there right now and pick it up. Not only is this classic, fresh basil pesto sauce rated highly among professionals and regular customers alike, but it's my personal favorite pesto you can buy at the grocery store. 

Giovanni Rana is definitely a pesto for cheese lovers; there's a strong Pecorino Romano presence, and what's not to love about that salty, sharp taste? However, the cheese doesn't overpower the other flavors. It's garlicky with a fresh basil brightness, and there's none of that funky, acidic taste you often get with shelf-stable pesto. 

One customer who tried this pesto wrote, "This is by far the best store-bought pesto I have found outside of Italy. The flavor is delicate but delicious, and it has just enough oil so it's not too greasy. There's no overpowering garlic or bitter aftertaste that you get with some other brands. And it actually has pine nuts in it!"

If you grew up in the late '90s and early 2000s, chances are every single family party, bar mitzvah, or school function was marked by trays and trays of penne alla vodka. We're not complaining — it was a beautiful time. And we feel pretty great about the fact that vodka sauce has made a big comeback in the last couple of years. Luckily, the Trader Joe's jarred version is so good it will bring you right back to that dance floor from your childhood.

Our favorite Trader Joe's sauce makes store-bought pasta feel homemade without needing any extra additions. And many others agree! One Reddit user wrote, "I love a good quick meal using vodka sauce and this stuff tastes soooo good! Diced chicken, spinach, pasta and this sauce ... yum! Didn't even need any extra seasonings added." Another concurred, revealing their own favorite use for the sauce: "This sauce with breaded chicken patties and linguini noodles for a chicken parmesan is actually just the best meal tasting meal I could ever imagine making."

When you're craving a tomato-based pasta sauce with a rich depth of flavor and a complex, umami punch, look no further than Dave's Gourmet Wild Mushroom Pasta Sauce. This tomato sauce is enriched with portobello and shiitake mushrooms, several types of mushroom powder, carrots, and heavy cream, along with all the other traditional tomato sauce ingredients. There's no need to add anything to it because it already has everything you could want out of a mushroom pasta sauce.

"I had this over pasta and sprinkled shredded Parmesan over it," one reviewer wrote. "It was fabulous! Some of the best sauce I've ever had." That's all you need for a hearty and delicious meal. Food blogger Carolyn Jung said Dave's Gourmet Wild Mushroom was "quite earthy tasting." She continued, "There's almost a meaty quality to it because of all the shiitakes, porcinis and creminis. It can easily stand on its own."