Now that that madness also known as the holiday season has come and gone and we’re back to our usual routines, I’m sure that includes “What’s for dinner”? Though it was hectic prepping and cooking for the multitude of gatherings, potlucks and parties that started in November, you could always count on leftovers to carry you through the week. However with the arrival of the Year of the Ox, that also means weekly meals once again becomes part of the endless tasks of the weekly grind.
While watching the Food Network for new recipe ideas, I noticed that TV chefs invariably always refer to using a homemade marinara or good quality bottled sauce… Duh! I NEVER have a homemade marinara sitting in my ‘fridge. I know this goes against the grain of Ina or Giada but the only tomato based product I always have in my ‘fridge is ketchup and it’s not homemade. More likely labeled Heinz. And perchance if I did have marinara in the ‘fridge, it likely wouldn’t have my name on it either. Which left me contemplating… how many of you out there in Nichibeiland also use bottled marinara? And do we simply purchase what’s on sale or do we really have a favorite for our lasagna or Bolognese sauce?
Only one way to settle this: with the Great Marinara Challenge.
The Challengers
Newman’s Own Marinara $3.49
Rao’s Homemade Marinara $10.89
Safeway Select Marinara $2.99
Prego Traditional $2.99
Ragu Traditional $2.50
Barilla Marinara $3.49
To even the playing field (and because basic marinara sauce is the most versatile), I only chose basic marinara. No roasted garlic, fresh herbs, Cabernet wine, mushrooms, extra virgin olive oil. Just good old marinara. The marinara ran the gamut from house brand Safeway Select all the way up to Rao’s (the 10 seat restaurant in New York that’s virtually impossible to dine in). The tasters also ran the gamut from your’s truly to the rest of the Gochiso Gourmet’s ohana and everyone was blinded as to which sauce was which. The same amount of sauce was placed in custard dishes and briefly warmed at the same time in a microwave. Tasters then rated each sauce from 1 (the best) to 6 (the worst) with no ties. Tasters also gave each sauce a numerical score from 5 (the best marinara they ever tasted) to 0 (the worst they ever tasted) with ties being possible. The double scoring method was used since the best sauce of the six could still be a dog of a sauce (like a D+ being the best because the rest were D, D-, F+, F and F-).
Critical Evaluation
Newman’s Own
Nice color, thickest of the 6 sauces but with a tomato soup flavor. Consistency of tomato paste with a nice color but with a ketchupy taste. Blah, didn’t like the flavor at all – nice color and consistency but odd taste. Perfect blend.
Rao’s
Lighter color but chunky, nice earthy garlic flavor with good tomato flavor. Chunky with lighter orange/red color with nice blend of spices. Like the taste and consistency a lot with good tomato flavor – rich flavor with good mouth feel and visible herbs and tomato chunks. So-so.
Safeway Select
Thick with lots of visible herbage, fresh tomato flavor with balance of herbs and spices. Darker rust color with good oregano and spice flavors with chunks of tomatoes and onions. Looks good like homemade with small chunks of tomato and visible herbs – don’t like the taste though, too tart though with nice crunch of the visible veggies. Good color, lots of chunks including something resembling dill but hard like a tawashi.
Prego
Nice color with good tomato flavor but slight starchy taste – not as chunky, a little runny. Most visible spices of the 6, very sweet with good spice flavor but not as chunky. Very sweet with a sugary aftertaste – not much texture and way too sweet. No comment.
Ragu
Light red with no visible chunks and a weak tomato flavor with a slight canned taste. Orange color with a smooth consistency, no overt spices tasting like basic tomato sauce. Looks like ketchup, tastes like Chef Boyardee, bad all around with no texture, just soupy. Faint color and taste.
Barilla
Nice color with an earthy tomato flavor with nice chunks. Reddish orange color with visible chunks, heavy garlic, some spice and a little watery – garlic overwhelms the other flavors. Too garlicky, too watery and not much texture. Good dark color but too tart.
Drum Roll Please
With an average score of 3.87 out of 5 (77.4%) and two 1st and two 3rd place scores… Safeway Select Marinara. Rao’s came in a close 2nd with a 3.75 out of 5 (75%) with one 1st, two 2nd and one 4th place score. Rounding the rest of the field was Prego (3.25), Newman’s Own (3) and Barilla (2.37) with Ragu taking last place (1.5).Even though it bested this field of six, the Safeway Select still only came up with a C+ grade so it obviously didn’t taste anything like the best homemade marinara sauce. But since it was only a third of the price of the runner up, I’ll certainly keep a bottle or two on hand the next time I need some “homemade” marinara in my next recipe. Though I might not serve it as is on pasta, I can always jazz it up with some chopped fresh herbs, use it as the tomato base for a lasagna or mix with grilled chicken, beef or sausage for my own Italian hoagie. That’s semi-homemade… but wait, that’s another Food Network show.
While watching the Food Network for new recipe ideas, I noticed that TV chefs invariably always refer to using a homemade marinara or good quality bottled sauce… Duh! I NEVER have a homemade marinara sitting in my ‘fridge. I know this goes against the grain of Ina or Giada but the only tomato based product I always have in my ‘fridge is ketchup and it’s not homemade. More likely labeled Heinz. And perchance if I did have marinara in the ‘fridge, it likely wouldn’t have my name on it either. Which left me contemplating… how many of you out there in Nichibeiland also use bottled marinara? And do we simply purchase what’s on sale or do we really have a favorite for our lasagna or Bolognese sauce?
Only one way to settle this: with the Great Marinara Challenge.
The Challengers
Newman’s Own Marinara $3.49
Rao’s Homemade Marinara $10.89
Safeway Select Marinara $2.99
Prego Traditional $2.99
Ragu Traditional $2.50
Barilla Marinara $3.49
To even the playing field (and because basic marinara sauce is the most versatile), I only chose basic marinara. No roasted garlic, fresh herbs, Cabernet wine, mushrooms, extra virgin olive oil. Just good old marinara. The marinara ran the gamut from house brand Safeway Select all the way up to Rao’s (the 10 seat restaurant in New York that’s virtually impossible to dine in). The tasters also ran the gamut from your’s truly to the rest of the Gochiso Gourmet’s ohana and everyone was blinded as to which sauce was which. The same amount of sauce was placed in custard dishes and briefly warmed at the same time in a microwave. Tasters then rated each sauce from 1 (the best) to 6 (the worst) with no ties. Tasters also gave each sauce a numerical score from 5 (the best marinara they ever tasted) to 0 (the worst they ever tasted) with ties being possible. The double scoring method was used since the best sauce of the six could still be a dog of a sauce (like a D+ being the best because the rest were D, D-, F+, F and F-).
Critical Evaluation
Newman’s Own
Nice color, thickest of the 6 sauces but with a tomato soup flavor. Consistency of tomato paste with a nice color but with a ketchupy taste. Blah, didn’t like the flavor at all – nice color and consistency but odd taste. Perfect blend.
Rao’s
Lighter color but chunky, nice earthy garlic flavor with good tomato flavor. Chunky with lighter orange/red color with nice blend of spices. Like the taste and consistency a lot with good tomato flavor – rich flavor with good mouth feel and visible herbs and tomato chunks. So-so.
Safeway Select
Thick with lots of visible herbage, fresh tomato flavor with balance of herbs and spices. Darker rust color with good oregano and spice flavors with chunks of tomatoes and onions. Looks good like homemade with small chunks of tomato and visible herbs – don’t like the taste though, too tart though with nice crunch of the visible veggies. Good color, lots of chunks including something resembling dill but hard like a tawashi.
Prego
Nice color with good tomato flavor but slight starchy taste – not as chunky, a little runny. Most visible spices of the 6, very sweet with good spice flavor but not as chunky. Very sweet with a sugary aftertaste – not much texture and way too sweet. No comment.
Ragu
Light red with no visible chunks and a weak tomato flavor with a slight canned taste. Orange color with a smooth consistency, no overt spices tasting like basic tomato sauce. Looks like ketchup, tastes like Chef Boyardee, bad all around with no texture, just soupy. Faint color and taste.
Barilla
Nice color with an earthy tomato flavor with nice chunks. Reddish orange color with visible chunks, heavy garlic, some spice and a little watery – garlic overwhelms the other flavors. Too garlicky, too watery and not much texture. Good dark color but too tart.
Drum Roll Please
With an average score of 3.87 out of 5 (77.4%) and two 1st and two 3rd place scores… Safeway Select Marinara. Rao’s came in a close 2nd with a 3.75 out of 5 (75%) with one 1st, two 2nd and one 4th place score. Rounding the rest of the field was Prego (3.25), Newman’s Own (3) and Barilla (2.37) with Ragu taking last place (1.5).Even though it bested this field of six, the Safeway Select still only came up with a C+ grade so it obviously didn’t taste anything like the best homemade marinara sauce. But since it was only a third of the price of the runner up, I’ll certainly keep a bottle or two on hand the next time I need some “homemade” marinara in my next recipe. Though I might not serve it as is on pasta, I can always jazz it up with some chopped fresh herbs, use it as the tomato base for a lasagna or mix with grilled chicken, beef or sausage for my own Italian hoagie. That’s semi-homemade… but wait, that’s another Food Network show.
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