This “Chef-Favorite” Jarred Pasta Sauce Is the Only One I’m Buying from Now On (Tastes Just Like My Mom’s!)

Sarah M. Vazquez
Sarah M. VazquezCommerce SEO Editor
For the past 8 years, I've covered all things shopping. My work's been published by Hearst, PureWow, and Bauer Media Group. I'm a Brooklyn-born Jersey Girl (with a BA in English from Montclair State University) who loves a good playlist, a good bagel, and my family (but not necessarily in that order).
published Jan 30, 2025
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overhead shot marinara in a large pot with the spaghetti being added
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Ben Weiner

A couple of years ago, I gave up jarred pasta sauces for good. I was experiencing something I guess you could call “sauce fatigue” where no matter which brand or style I picked up, nothing tasted good to me. Ever since then I’ve been making my own, and I haven’t looked back. Well, that is until recently. 

I enjoy a good fall down a YouTube rabbit hole, and one day it led me to a video where professional chefs were putting some of the top jarred sauces to the test to see which one reigned supreme. Naturally, because I hadn’t enjoyed a sauce in a while, I was curious to see what the pros thought. Many of their complaints about jarred sauces echoed mine (too much sugar, an overuse of dried herbs, etc.), but one surprised all of them with its taste and ingredients: Mutti’s Marinara Sauce. Let’s just say, I was impressed too. 

What Is Mutti Marinara Sauce? 

Since 1899, Mutti has been hard at work creating packaged tomato products that taste just as good as (if not better than) homemade. Quality is at the core of its mission, and the proof is in the jar. Mutti’s sauce is made with a blend of simple ingredients — what you see is what you get. Inside each jar, you’ll find chopped Rossoro tomatoes grown in the heart of the Valle d’Oro in Tuscany, Rossoro tomato purée, onion, olive oil garlic, Mediterranean sea salt, basil, black pepper, and oregano (and no additives or preservatives). 

Credit: Sarah Vazquez

Why I Love Mutti Marinara Sauce 

After watching the aforementioned video, I decided that the next time I went to the store I’d put Mutti to the test myself. The first thing I noticed when I opened this sauce was that its smell was different from the sauces I’ve used in the past. It didn’t smell saccharine sweet, it wasn’t overpowered with basil or oregano, and, to be honest, it smelled just like my mom’s homemade sauce. All that was left was the taste test. 

That night I decided to keep it simple and try it out on spaghetti — no meatballs, no cheese. I really wanted to give this sauce a chance to shine without anything doctoring it up. After coating my pasta, I was immediately impressed by the fact that I could see the ingredients (the chopped tomatoes, the onions) in the sauce, which made it feel even more homemade. And after the first bite, I knew I had found a new staple.

Mutti’s tomatoes taste incredibly fresh, and the herbs are so perfectly balanced. If you put this sauce in front of me and told me it was jarred, I probably wouldn’t believe you. You can bet I’ll be keeping a couple of bottles of this sauce in my pantry moving forward. 

Buy: Mutti Marinara Sauce, $7.93 ; Mutti Marinara Sauce, 6-Pack, $33.36 

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