The Best Marinara Sauce You Can Get At The Store
When you don't want to cook, reach for these jars instead.
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In about 50 percent of all real-life situations, homemade pasta sauce is worth it. The other half of the time—when you have a million other things to do or you're short on time or you're feeling lazy and hangry—starting with a store-bought jar of marinara is for the best.
Don't get us wrong. Your spaghetti will always taste better when the sauce is made from scratch. And things like bolognese and alfredo are nonnegotiable. But overall, we feel really good about recommending these 11 to you.
Best-Ever Marinara: Rao's Homemade
Fun fact: We use this in every single Delish recipe that calls for marinara as an ingredient. It's so good, we could eat it by the spoonful. It is more expensive than most other bottles on the shelf (it'll set you back around $9), but it's worth it.
BUY NOW Rao's Marinara Sauce, $9
Best Budget Jar: Whole Foods 365
Seriously! Whole Foods can be annoyingly expensive, but this jar only costs $1.99. With no sugar added, it has a clean and pure tomato taste. Others were wayyyy too sweet and reminiscent of SpaghettiOs.
Best Flavored Marinara: La San Marzano
Like Rao's, this one tastes homemade and has a semi-chunky texture. We also ❤️ the ingredient list. There are just tomatoes, puree, olive oil, onions, basil, sea salt, garlic, black pepper, and oregano.
BUY NOW La San Marzano Tomato Sauce, Pack of 4, amazon.com
Best Low-Sodium Option: Trader Joe's Organic
What it lacks in salt, it makes up for in a very peppery and decent sauce. (It also has fennel, basil and oregano.) It's not the most flavorful, but it's a good base for a recipe that has a ton of other things going on—like Chicken Parm Egg Rolls or a Spaghetti Meatball Crescent Ring, ya know?
Best To Build Flavor: Newman's Own
Though you may be looking for a marinara sauce that's already packed with flavor, if you—by chance—want something that makes it easy to add your own flare to, this is the brand you need to go with. While the ingredient list notes it has all of the makings of a good marinara sauce, don't expect too much flavor from this one.
BUY NOW Newman's Own Pasta Sauce, $4, instacart.com
Best For Authenticity: The Meatball Shop
Quite possibly one of the best marinara sauces to hit the market, The Meatball Shop's Classic sauce can literally be put on anything. From meatballs—which is the first thing you should try it on—to veggies or fish, this particular sauce has a tomato-heavy taste that balances well with its simple list of ingredients.
BUY NOW The Meatball Shop Classic Tomato Sauce, $12, freshdirect.com
Best Vodka Sauce: Il Mulino
Creamy, decadent, and made with vodka? Yes, please! This is one sauce you won't regret adding into your baked ziti for dinner.
BUY NOW Il Mulino Vodka Sauce, $15, mercato.com
Best For Meatballs: Buitoni
This classic Neapolitan-style sauce gives everything a meatball topper is supposed to give: the taste of ripe tomatoes, fragrant basil and onion, and the perfect amount of garlic. And the best part is, it won't overpower your delicious meatballs.
BUY NOW Buitoni Marinara Sauce, $6, instacart.com
Best For Pizza: Bertolli
While Bertolli can be used for making your pasta too, if you're looking for a cheap yet tasty option to throw on the base of your pizza, this is it. Made with Italian herbs and fresh garlic, you're guaranteed to get an unforgettable pie experience.
BUY NOW Bertolli Traditional Marinara, $3, instacart.com
Best For Parmesan Chicken: Mezzetta
Big on chicken parm? You'll want to pick up Mezzetta's sauce for your next round. You can literally taste all of the flavors in this sauce in each bite. That doesn't mean, however, it will overpower your meal. Your guests might even think it's homemade!
BUY NOW Mezzetta Marinara Sauce, $10, instacart.com
Best For Dipping: Victoria
Whether it's mozzarella sticks or plain ol' breadsticks, this is the one sauce you'll always want to have handy. Heavy on the tomato flavoring, it's a perfect cheese pairing, no matter what the cheese.
BUY NOW Victoria Marinara, $6.99, amazon.com
Lauren Miyashiro is the former Food Director of Delish. She graduated culinary school in 2016 and mastered the art of the Crunchwrap in 2017.
Ni'Kesia Pannell is an entrepreneur, multi-hyphenate freelance writer, and self-proclaimed Slurpee connoisseur that covers news and culture for The Kitchn. She's the former Weekend Editor for Delish who also writes about faith, health and wellness, travel, beauty, lifestyle, and music for a range of additional outlets.
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