An Italian Finds The Best Grocery Pasta Sauce

[@ThePasinis]

Wanna clarify! This Mutti is DIFFERENT than what we always recommend. This was a premade marinara. We always buy Mutti passata and with that, you use it to make your own sauce. It’s like a base. The marinara we tried here was way too garlicky so we didn’t like it.

[@CharlenePink-Dufresne]

I make my own maranria sauce and can it. I also make my own vague and can it.fresh is best. The tomatoes have to be the perfect ripness. Otherwise you can have to tart of a sauce. I do not ever add sugar to any of my sauces. If done right, they are perfect.😊 Thanks for info to use in a pinch.😉

[@Michi-sj2vo]

​@@CharlenePink-Dufresne Yes, we did it too this year. At first we plant our tomatoes and made our own sauce. But I am not sure if Alessio would like it 😂😂😂 But we like our sauce.

[@NatiHerron]

Now you need to try the menu at the Carbone Restaurants

[@kelel47]

Try the mutti rossoro tomatoes and basil. It's in the same kind of jar

[@brianyoung3]

Italians in my city grow their own tomatoes and make their own sauce from them. It is a big deal when they are ripe. The tomatoes in NA are unreliable so you have to grow your own. Myself, I use Mutti Pomadoro as a base for my sauce. It is the best readily available. This is a really interesting video. What is Alessio's background? Has he worked in the industry before? He doesn't present himself as a chef but has he worked in restaurants in Italy or is his knowledge just picked up as a person would growing up in a culture that cares about food? He is clearly knowledgeable and as somebody who has worked in the industry in North America, he knows more than most chefs that I have worked with. To be clear, I define a chef as somebody who has been the boss in a working kitchen, not just worked in one. Thank you for posting.

[@marklutker9720]

I see a lot of comments about "I make mine homemade!" or "never use jarred sauce", I think the point is they are noting this is a taste test of American sauces. Not compared to true Italian sauce. I'm sure it is hard for Alessio to make judgments on these because he is Italian biased. I think this was great because even if he did not like them he gave information about what to expect if we buy them! Love these taste tests!!! Loved the first one too!

[@profanepersonality]

I use the jarred sauce as the base and add to it. I like a chunky thick sauce, so the jarred sauce alone doesn't do it for me. I add mushrooms, onions, garlic, tomatoes, burger/sausage, spices, and cheese. I like it.

[@sarahrupert5320]

@@profanepersonality same here, although I’ve been looking for a better jarred sauce to try. I’m excited to see how the Carbone sauce tastes as a base with my sautéed onions, garlic, mushrooms, and sausage! What kind of cheese do you put in your sauce?

[@Dakarn]

Rao's is good in a pinch, but I always prefer to buy canned whole San Marzano tomatoes and make my own sauce when I have the time. I really like Rao's Arrabbiata sauce, though.

[@joycela2617]

I use both Rao’s and Carbone, so this makes me happy! However, I never use it straight out of the jar. I usually start the sauce with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, a little caramelized onion, a smidge of garlic when the onion is cooked and then add the jar sauce. I also add a little red wine and bring the sauce to a simmer. I can’t bring myself to using the jar sauce without adding some of my love

[@chitinaak]

Love this idea!

[@kevinjones5560]

Me too!

[@June-tb4vi]

Why not make your own then

[@joycela2617]

@ I do make my own, but when I forget to take it out of the freezer, I go to my favorite jar sauce. 😳

[@johnraygun9868]

my grandfather was 100% Italian, as a kid i was always with him in the garden, the wood shop and cooking, he passed of bone cancer when i was 9. This makes me happy because of all the sauces i have tried the Raos is the only thing I can deal with in the house with my wife and kids since before i found this channel lol I have never seen the Carbone so i will be keeping an eye out ❤ My wife is Honduran and their ideas of marinara is much different lol I am mostly Irish and Scottish but i guess Grampa rubbed off on me lol

[@encrypter46]

My mom was Italian and a great cook. If I have a jarred sauce, I'll take Victoria or (believe it or not) BJs'.

[@The_10th_Man]

Was a big fan of Rao’s until a I had a jar with a glass shard in it. It’s banned now.

[@kolchak357]

Carbone and Rao’s are the two in my pantry for when I’m in a hurry. They are ok with me. I hate when they add sugar to jarred sauces. That is usually what turns me off a jarred sauce. I don’t mind herbs/spices in there.

[@biro1280]

for most of us most of these sauces will do just fine usually they only need a little correction like some salt or another spice and you completely turn the tomato sauce into something very delicious.

[@wightclaudia]

your moms a jarred sauce

[@ShaneTheGeek]

I'm in the same boat with sugar added to sauces. It really puts me off also any jar sauce made with tomato paste, or dehydrated spices is also a no go for me.

[@glzgowlass]

Yeah, quality tomatoes do not require sugar. San Marzano for me. I lived in Italy for a few years. Food was out of this world. Simple quality.

[@Spoke76]

​@ShaneTheGeek My 2 NO SUGAR sauces are Publix Basil and Tomato Sauce and Mezzetta Marinara Sauce. I use the Publix Sauce for my Spicy Sausage Sauce and I add dried herbs to it. It is thicker and chunkier. The Mezzetta Sauce is very thin. My son will only eat this Sauce with no added herbs. So I make 2 different sauces🤣🤣🤣

[@RamblingRose08]

Carbone and Rao's are my two favorites. This video makes me feel justified. Thank you for this, very entertaining.

[@mddell58]

Let's hope that Campbell's soups does NOT change anything about Rao's!

[@chriswb7]

@@mddell58Raos is actually made in Italy - its imported.

[@Ann-vi5ns]

@@chriswb7I can easily eat Rao’s right out of the jar - delish!

[@vontrude3310]

Amazing, love it. Now try all of them again but hot and with some pasta. Would be so interesting to see how you ranked the sauces then.

[@lisamaunus7658]

My thoughts exactly 😊

[@anaalves3658]

Good point ☝️😊

[@ShaneTheGeek]

I do like Botticelli sauces since they use whole Italian tomatoes, olive oil, no added sugar, no tomato paste. I have had Botticelli Sicilian Eggplant, mushroom/porcini/truffle, tomato/basil and caramelized onion sauces that are all really good to me. I've had Rao's and Victoria but neither are anything to rave about. Another go to brand for me is Mezzetta so try their stuff if its available near you. Carbone is not super common here on the west coast but I will keep an eye out for it. Maybe it will open a new world of what a better sauce should taste like... haha! Thanks for the review you two!

[@Cramercy]

Botticelli is great I think he isn’t a fan of any chunky things in the sauce

[@adim00lah]

I bought a jar of Carbone today, we'll see how it goes. My go to brand is Mezzetta, so you and I have similar taste. My dad's gf like Botticelli, and she's Italian American, I'll have to give it a try. I tried the Victoria brand, and I thought it was okay, but Mezzetta is better to me. Like you said, I try to avoid the sauces that use sugar or paste and if they use cheap oil like soybean etc... it's a deal breaker, olive oil only. I would like something organic if possible tho. Costco's brand kirkland has an organic sauce that uses whole tomatoes, not paste, no sugar, and has olive oil. It says made in italy as well.

[@marym.338]

Sugar cuts the acidity

[@Linda-j2o]

While I was on the east coast (USA), I ate at an authentic Italian restaurant. I had spaghetti. There was very little sauce on the spaghetti. It had the most amazing taste! The owner came out to introduce himself. Just the sweetest little man ever. He said he flavored the spaghetti and balanced it with the sauce. I think in some restaurants they over fill the spaghetti with sauce.

[@pamgrat5126]

Never thought of doing it that way🤔

[@pamgrat5126]

I like Mids

[@sarahrupert5320]

Yeah, I always end up having a bit of spaghetti with my sauce & that obviously isn’t right. 😆 I’m sure if the pasta itself is flavorful, you don’t need that much of it! 🍝

[@elisemariebibeault3991]

That's the authentic Italian way. Just enough sauce to coat the spaghetti. Americans over sauce their pasta.

[@kayrosis5523]

I used to live near an Italian grocery, ran by this old couple straight from Naples and their adult children, they would actually make their own marinara sauce, which was by far the best you could get in town, but the only more commercial marinara sauce they carried was Carbone. They called it Lazy Sauce, in that if you didn't want to go through the work of making your own, it was a decent enough replacement. Ever since I moved away, Carbone is my goto Marinara.

[@miketoth9320]

I enjoyed this video very much. Here in Ohio, we have Mids, named after the founder of this sauce, Mideo, a first generation American with roots in Sicily. My Mother was 100% Sicilian and while she definitely did not get her Mother's skill at making the family sauce, it was what I grew up with. Mids is the closest thing I've ever tasted to Mama's sauce, from a jar. I was certain Alessio would at least respect it and he did!

[@susanbackes4651]

I'm in PA and our stores just stopped carrying Mids, and that was my go to :(

[@jeffsandler6190]

Mids meat sauce is by far the best.

[@TruthBecomesHer]

I'm obsessed with mids and I'm also from pa. It just tastes like meat sauce is supposed to taste to me and I have no reason to ever mess with making my own 😬 side note: I mix the meat bolonese and Italian sausage (then freeze the extra jar amount). Soo yummy and nostalgic. I just ate the leftovers tonight and made myself eat more noodles cause I hate throwing any of it away! (And I'm not even a huge fan of tomatoe sauce!!) I wish they had tested it, I'm so curious!

[@jnprather]

Been binge watching these with my girlfriend. We were talking about how their combo of personalities are perfect, and then my girlfriend gets a wry smirk on her face and says "And she's your type and he's my type." And then I was like "I'm the least Italian white dude ever wtf" and then I listened to her spend a minute trying to explain it, and then we laughed really hard and powercuddled while I tried to explain that Jessi is EVERYONE'S type and she wasn't buying it and called me biased.

[@albertarose1433]

I’ve always bought Rao’s and love it. But I’m German/Scottish 2nd generation American. However, my next marinara purchase will be Carbone! I love these videos and learning some Italian sayings. You two are adorable! ❤

[@kathyself8816]

Carbone is delicious! 😊😊😊

[@LouisAurizio]

Buy a can of San Marzano peeled tomatoes and some basil. Squeeze the tomatoes, add some salt, pepper and the basil at the end.... excellent!

[@barbaraeverly1922]

☺️ I agree!

[@vegitalian285]

Super easy!

[@FrankieFrankerson-nq3xg]

Nope

[@ADrunkBassist]

You need a sofrito before you plop the can of tomatoes in. I actually start with pancetta myself before adding the onions, and then I add carrot and celery, but you should have chopped onions at the minimum before you add any tomatoes. Otherwise you're just wasting the good tomatoes. Also, I've found the canned San Marzano often still have a good bit of skin on them, which you need to finish removing when you squeeze them.

[@LouisAurizio]

@ADrunkBassist I agree with you. My point was one can buy a $3 can of quality tomatoes, some basil and use basic spices you have at home to make a good quality basic sauce vs most of these high priced jarred sauces.

[@lexor84]

I tried Carbone based off this video and I will say the family liked it very much. I did get the roasted garlic one and everyone said that it was a balanced sauce. Very glad I watched this video. Thank you guys for adding a new jarred sauce to my list.

[@aqueenceereid4249]

Where did you buy it? I don't think I've ever seen it.

[@josephferrara6309]

When you say it’s Americanized and the herbs are overpowering, it’s more than likely made with dry herbs. The higher end brands use fresh herbs.

[@RobAttridge]

It’s always best to season the sauce at the end when making your own. When they mass produce they probably just throw it all together and cook it

[@sciagurrato1831]

@@RobAttridge+++

[@TaniWeinstein]

I've been using Carbone sauce for over a year now, and I am so happy it is officially Italian approved! Good to know I have high taste standards for my marinara!

[@RedWhiteAndBlue4evr1]

Numerous websites reviews said Raos was #1. I had never heard of it. I found it watery and left a lot to be desired. I grew up on Ragu and Prego, so maybe I just got too accustomed to Americanized sauces. But I can't stand sweet, sugary sauces now. It seems like every frozen pizza and jarred sauce is full of sugar. I once dated a girl whose mother was 1/2 or 1/4 Italian. She used a family recipe and made everything but the pasta by hand. Meatballs, sauce, bread. One of the best meals I've ever had. I wish I had gotten the recipe for the sauce, at least.

[@maximeberthiaume9943]

Problem with Carbone is it's soooo expansive.

[@lilnbigman]

2 expensive and to much sugar.

[@jpbanksnj]

@@lilnbigman Carbone marinara has no sugar.

[@HanoverFiste001]

@@maximeberthiaume9943 $8.00 a jar in St. Louis. But it is good. Bought 3 jars on clearance for $2.00 each. Any day.

[@NicoleM_radiantbaby]

Thanks for the little lesson with 'non ci siamo'. I'm a beginner at learning Italian and it's always nice learning new words and phrases. :)

[@joesstlouis]

We've been a Rao's family for a while. Need to try Carbone though.

[@albertarose1433]

Me too!

[@italianspoken]

This is such a daunting task but someone had to do it! Grazie mille for making our culture proud.

[@garyny4073]

Italiano woman 👩 ms.spoken .😊😅

[@zabukazar]

Nobody ever reviews Mezzetta which is my personal favorite. I don't know if it's available everywhere, but you can find it in New England.

[@hkonyt797]

This! Mezzetta--its not perfect, it can be herb heavy, but overall it is very good and my preferred one too. No one ever reviews it.

[@jaa4742]

Mine,too.

[@chrislee-if5iq]

Mezzetta is life-changing. I’m not Italian but I’m a pasta snob. It’s the best ready-made tomato sauce I can find.

[@MichaelSmith-kr9qw]

Mezzetta is my go too if we don't have time to make homemade sauce..... I love their Pepperoncini and found their Artisan Basil and Whole Garlic Sauce when making homemade pizza one evening I made 5 pies on Naan bread and all 5 pies were gone before I knew it LOL.

[@Brady.John87]

They have the best stuffed olives and pickled tomatoes too!!!

[@gordonhamnett1289]

So much fun to watch! I was chuckling all the way. When I have been rushed, I have (rarely) picked up Roa. It didn't compare well to what I make, but it was OK. Thanks so much!!!

[@PAMALAsCHARIS]

I never thought I'd find a "jar/can" sauce that would even come close to a homemade but if you haven't had "Barilla traditional jar" you are missing out! It has the absolute freshest tomato flavor of any jar sauce of my 54 years.

[@NurseSue425]

Love Barilla pasta too.

[@critterhomemovies]

There is something so satisfying hearing the lids "pop" when opening the containers.

[@fli_grl8p278]

This is very cool to watch. I will say when I buy sauce I usually doctor it up by adding herbs because I buy the cheapest sauce I can get and sometimes that leaves a weird flavor. It'd be fun to see him review budget sauces. Like we usually get ours from Aldi.

[@FirstAmendmentRights]

My favorite jar sauce is Michael's of Brooklyn marinara ...good stuff. I've tried Carbone , it's good too but Michael's is my top choice for my pasta & pizza sauce🍝🍕

[@michellemartinov6267]

Agreed - they use real ingredients. I used to only be able to find it at Publix but now even Walmart has it. It’s expensive and it’s worth it!

[@rachelrowan3511]

They didn’t do Michael’s right. The gravy isn’t good but their other sauces are excellent!

[@cmaintainer4029]

Also my favorite, I agree Carbones is really good too. He didn't give Michaels its due......

[@michellemartinov6267]

@ I’m definitely a Michael’s fan! Definitely worth the price! I’d say it’s as close to my mother’s homemade sauce!

[@NPC8087]

Mine too

[@dixie12-n2d]

I know someone who's 2nd gen Italian (parents currently in America but grew up in Italy) and he told me Carbone was the only pasta sauce that gets close to Italy in his opinion, so I was waiting with baited breath on that one, lol.

[@kayo5291]

I have to find this sauce!

[@UnkGzzz]

“Whole Paycheck” is def a great name for Whole Foods!! Lmao!!!

[@cmtippens9209]

We've called it that for quite a while here in Texas. 😅

[@axe2grind244]

Wegmans has been like that for decades and yet every one is packed at all times of the day without fail.

[@Paulxl]

Erewhon is the "Four Paychecks" place then.

[@pimaxuma]

That's a very old nickname for WF (first used in 2006). He didn't invent that.

[@andrewdigiovanni2901]

I just ate at Carbone in Las Vegas. The original is in NYC. Its a very good restaurant. Their service is 10/10. The food is very good but its Americanized Italian.

[@loveanddreambig]

I’ve tried Rao’s and was very underwhelmed. Not bad, but not good. I tried the Victoria Pomodoro after seeing a different Italian KZbinr rate it as his favorite store-bought prepared sauce. I actually liked it, especially more than the Rao’s. I’ve also seen a brand called Paesana and have been wondering if their Tomato Basil Sauce is any good. It seems authentic, with very simple ingredients, so I think I’ll give that one a shot.

[@stephaniet9264]

I agree Victoria's as the best....very close to nonna's recipe.

[@stanleycostello9610]

I use Victoria sauce all the time. I spent my junior year in Bologna. After a couple of years, I taught art history in Florence. I just hate it when American restaurants serve spaghetti (overcooked) with too much sauce and meatballs.

[@NeoCosmicCrusher]

What's his name? Is it Vincenzo?.

[@celiachavez9997]

Have you done one on olive oil? New viewer. Love the videos😊❤

[@ThePasinis]

yes we did the olive oil this is the video kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJOvfaSLr8yqhLc

[@alittleheavenonearth]

Nothing like your own olive oil ❤❤❤Portugal 🇵🇹

[@celiachavez9997]

@@ThePasinis thank you!❤️

[@SnipesXxX]

Do you shake the jars before pouring? Sometimes the sauce can separate when it's sitting. Could have affected taste.

[@mefirstmelast2791]

EXACTLY

[@Kayla_Kimbrell]

This is true. I shake everything before opening it to make sure it redistributes. Things settle when sitting on the store shelf and your own. However, I will be trying to find the Carbone and Raos. The store i usually shop at carries prego ragu and some brands ive never heard of before. Time to take a trip to Walmart I guess lol

[@glzgowlass]

@@mefirstmelast2791 I’m pretty sure they had the good sense to shake or stir it up. The fact is Americanized sauce just isn’t that good. I lived in Italy and the USA. They value quality over quantity

[@velvetjones1856]

As Jessi says, it is gravy in Brooklyn. I've switched to Rao's a few years ago. It's expensive but good. I can't believe you're not heating them up first.

[@stephenfisher3721]

Yes, heat probably changes the flavor and it is meant to be heated.

[@velvetjones1856]

@@stephenfisher3721 Plus my wife said the ingredients probably were settled in the jars. Need to be put in a pan and stirred while heating.

[@zaram131]

Yes they should have heated them in my opinion.

[@mgratk]

A very lazy video. Minimum effort.

[@trevorcook4439]

A quality fresh product should be better to discern cold. Unlike spices that need heating to open them up. Heating up a Neapolitana sauce should mellow eat if anything surely

[@JBPCL]

I think there needs to be a Part 2 of this video! Mid's, Mezzetta, and The Silver Palate are all grocery store sauces I think deserve a rating as well! And the the top 4 sauces between Parts 1 and 2 can be rated in a final Part 3 video!

[@PurdueAlum01]

This is already a part 2... part 1 kinda had cheaper grocery brands like Ragu. Go watch that one then plan his part 3!

[@daniellecomeau2996]

Silver palate is very good with clean ingredients.

[@Smokeyranger1986]

Mid's is our house's brand of choice currently.

[@_Ms.L_]

Mezzetta is our choice - it would be great if Alessio could rate it.. I've never seen Mid's or The Silver Palate, I will be on the hunt for it. Thanks for the info!

[@stephaniev8885]

Those are my favorites too!

[@FireCracker3240]

@ 4:27 Pasta jar sauce ASMR. 😊 I'm so glad you're doing this! I've been looking for great jarred pasta sauce. Right now the only one I like is Rao's, but I've seen some of the others, and they are pretty expensive, so I've been on the fence on trying them. But Alessio's opinion is gold, so I'll know which one to get. Grazie!

[@bethanymaxwell7750]

Me too. I've been looking for a good sauce for a long time.

[@albertarose1433]

I trust Alessio’s opinion too! He’s a foodie at heart and a passionate one at that!

[@bethanymaxwell7750]

@@albertarose1433 yes he is 👍

[@AtHomeWithAlex]

I highly recommend ‘antica cucina’ which goes on sale frequently at Whole Foods. My favorite jarred sauce ever. I’m not Italian but make my own sauce during summer months!

[@SweetWalty]

I grew up in Upstate New York in a town that was 45% of Italian heritage. I started out with homemade sauce from my friends' homes. So I was spoiled right from the start!! The people were mostly from a little town outside of Rome . I took Italian friends fishing and hunting for rabbit and grouse. Mrs. Giovanelli loved putting the wild game in her sauce. If I came over to pick up Tony within 3 hours of a meal, she made me stay and eat. She grew all her own tomatoes, etc. It was the best sauce that I ever had. The tomatoes were picked ripe and naturally sweet! The sauce was never sour with no sugar added. The best!!!

[@monicamailman3796]

I thought the carrots sweetened things.

[@stevenolmstead]

Utica?

[@WendyandBradPitt]

​@@stevenolmstead Utica isn't a town outside of Rome.

[@WendyandBradPitt]

I live about 15 minutes east of Rome. I'm trying to figure out what town you are referring to. If you said a town near Utica, I would have guessed Frankfort.

[@SweetWalty]

@@WendyandBradPitt It is Endicott New York, the people were brought over to work in the Endicott-Johnson Shoe factory. The shoe factory is no longer in exists, but the families all stayed. The town that many came from near Rome Italy, Cicano not sure of the spelling pronounced Chicano. Most were related! There was also some Sicilianos and From Calabra, some from other places. My father's family was always referred to as Russian, but I found out later they were born in the Ukraine. At the time they came, they were included in the Russian empire.

[@mikejones9480]

I'm a huge fan of Rao's, it's so good straight from the jar, doesn't need any "tweaks". That said, I haven't had it since Campbell's bought them out......which is scarey. I've never tried Carbone, will definitely give it a go!

[@Barone932]

The Mutti pasata is amazing! A little hard to find in Canada. Hoping more business can provide it. ❤️ from 🇨🇦

[@amessina4333]

As an Italian who loves pasta but refuses to order a “red sauce” at a restaurant (I’ll order a carbonara, bolognese, pink/vodka, cream sauce, etc) bc nothing beats my Mom’s sauce, I found my holy grail that I cook with when I can’t make fresh or use my Mom’s. It’s Mezzetta Marinara, (though the Italian Plum Tomato sauce is my fave of theirs, it’s tough to find). I’d love it if you’d try that in your next taste-test!

[@eathomelive]

That's what I use. Real tomatoes, olive oil, fresh garlic, and sea salt. Beats Rao's by a mile, and $3.99 at Walmart.

[@jeremysigle4795]

i lived in Naples for 7 years as my dad was in the military. 2 tours there. the 1st i was in elementary and middle school and remember little about the food. the 2nd, i graduated high school, and that brought all of my food love to its peak. i make a mean marinara (20 mins), or arrabbiata (up to 4 hours), but sometimes jarred just fits for an easy cooking night. Rao's has been my go to for the past few years, never tried Carbone, but certainly will now.

[@dianeharnisch634]

Love the 2 of you. Such fun when you do comparisons.

[@m_rad_]

After watching this and your Olive Garden video, I had to subscribe. Great content. So funny.

[@ongwhehonwhe]

Scusa a tutti - but nothing tastes better than preparing "Marinara" freshly with really good ripe aromatic tomatoes. After a brief onion and garlic fry in high quality olive oil just add sauteéd & peeled tomatoes, fresh basil, salt and . . . ready !

[@gravis778]

I agree that American jared sauce is not as good as what you can get in Italy, but I also like my spices. Bortteli is one of my favorites. I love garlic and spices

[@dovie2blue]

Boticelli

[@sharonmulloy2181]

9:19 He needs bread between to clear palate

[@katherineafzal2315]

I was thinking water!

[@aris1956]

In fact it's a pretty strange way to do these types of tests. These tests are done in a more professional way. And then in the end they are always subjective things. Even tasting homemade sauces is ultimately a subjective judgment, which can be different from person to person. For example, someone prefers more garlic, someone else less garlic, someone more this or more that. The same sauce can generate different judgments from different people. These sort of tests that they do in these videos, even on other channels, are useless ! They only serve to make shows and views.

[@SavedByZero]

Absolutely... otherwise you end up with remnants of the previous sauce. 🍅

[@annarae2396]

​@@aris1956it is not like some kind of scientific test, this is a fun video for their channel and to get views, it is obviously just their opinion. Of course anyone else's opinion of what tastes good is subjective.

[@joerosenman3480]

@@aris1956 I don’t believe it was useless-but if anyone believes something was **proven** well, they tuned to the wrong channel. What I saw was an honest attempt to eliminate prejudice or bias in judging the sauces. That was both reasonable and reasonably done. Could they have done it better? Sure, they could have triple-blinded it (have an unrelated third party pour sauce samples into randomized bowls), and relocated to an isolated environment where sounds & smells can’t contaminate the evaluation. Do I believe it would have changed anything-beyond the cost, which would have climbed prohibitively? Not a damn thing. I **do** agree some kind of palate cleanser was probably called for BUT as you observed… at the end of the day this is a subjective comparison, not an objective test. I’d ask whether water-or vino-was needed to cleanse the palate and trust the taster’s taste in the matter. But I would have asked. That leaves the question: does this kind of comparison have worth? I believe the answer is emphatically yes. It IS important to understand the limits of what we’re seeing, but just because something isn’t “everything” doesn’t mean it is “nothing.” Watching a reaction/subjective evaluation one must ask: are the people doing the evaluation like me? Typical? Do they possess special skills or qualifications (to perform a given evaluation)? These and other similar questions determine whether the comparison is likely to produce a meaningful result. It’s entirely possible different people will-or won’t-find relevancy in this evaluation. I believe that’s things working as designed. Following my watching the video and leaving my prior comment, I ordered two bottles of the Carbonera to try: one marinara and one basil (the marinara was out of stock so I’m having their basil sauce with cheese ravioli for dinner tonight!) I’ll try the marinara when it’s available again… …but at the end of the day, the only evaluation that really matters (to me when it comes to foods that I like) are my own. That doesn’t mean I can’t learn from other people’s experience.

[@degenerationx90]

I just nutribullet botticelli because it's chunky. Although the overpowered onion isn't bad to me. I love onions though.

[@loveistheonlyword]

Victoria makes a White Linen marinara made from imported tomatoes that tastes amazing

[@dannotary951]

Rao’s used to use an imported san marzano. In their sauce . Any sauce with san marzano tomatoes in my opinion will probably be the best . California has some highly regarded tomatoes that the higher quality pizza makers use and recommend

[@beatrizmarcelin9261]

that's my favorite marinara as well. Victoria White Linen. Not a fan of Rao's.

[@ronaldelliott4373]

Absolutely the freshest most balanced flavor of the bunch. This is our family’s go to, when we don’t have time to make from scratch.

[@CarlGorn]

Funny how this comes up on a weekend when my wife and I are making our homemade marinara. Alessio wouldn't like it, because in addition to tomatoes, onions, and garlic, we season it with herbs, salt, a _tiny_ amount of sugar, some chili flakes, and slow simmer it in a stock pot for 8-14 hours to concentrate the flavors, giving it a stir every hour to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. After that, we let it cool for a couple hours, blend it up in the food processor. Then we let it sit in the fridge for 2-3 days to let the flavors fully marry, finally freezing it in half-liter/1 pint blocks for long-term storage. We get so many tomatoes from friends, neighbors, and family, this is the perfect way to ensure they don't go to waste. And the foodies in our lives love getting a quart of it as a holiday gift, which is a nice bonus. They tell us they can taste the love we put into it. 😀

[@AMAZINANT]

That’s great you both doing this together..right there is the “10 out of 10!’❤

[@redreliever]

Carl: Herbs are not needed (you add them when you heat it)

[@travelinggirl6681]

At 15:14 time stamp, he said that "they changed the recipe in the last year." I wonder if that was when RAO'S was bought out by a big corporation; I would be curious to know. I love these taste tests. I learn a little more about Italy too. I have been trying to cook with simpler ingredients too and it is interesting to hear that in Italy, they cook things that are simple but use real foods instead of all of the processed products that we use in the U.S.. This was so much fun!

[@phoenixspirit9530]

According to what I could find, Campbell's set out to acquire Raos in August 2023 for approximately 2.7 billion cash. Deal closed March 2024.

[@michellemariem]

Thank you both! I am Italian, and I just made sauce last week. My husband loves homemade gnocchi with marinara sauce, and he is requesting gnocchi. I don’t feel like making homemade gnocchi AND my sauce again ( my sauce cooks for 4 hours) 😂 Going to give the sauce a try 🤞🏼

[@ThePasinis]

it is better if you make your 4 hours sauce! ciao da Alessio

[@annamariadenner2518]

@@ThePasinisAmerican/Italian on both sides of the family and I agree with you 100%

[@valeriecatanzaro_art]

if you can, make a whole lot of homemade sauce next time, and freeze some jars for the future :) Really helps when you don't have time to cook.

[@annademo]

Whole paycheck? What a perfect remark. Between that and what he said about Trader Joe's, I am completely charmed by Alessio.

[@GregTally]

No Mezzetta?!?! The GOAT!

[@elisemariebibeault3991]

Thanks, Alessio and Jessi, for this taste test. I dont use a lot of jar sauce. When I do, I use Rao's, especially their arrabiatta sauce. I bought Mutti and Botticelli once. I agree with Alessio. I never bought them again. You sold me on the Carbone brand. Will be buying that to try. Thanks again.

[@katherineafzal2315]

I think you should try the sauce after they have been heated a little vs straight out of the jar. Also, to be fair you should have gotten the marinara sauce variety for Michaels of Brooklyn since all of the other sauces were marinara sauce. I usualy get Michaels of Brooklyn marinara sauce. I prefer it because it is not salty ( less salt in the ingredient vs other brands). When I look at brands I always try to go with the lower salt. I have tried Carbone brand and Victoria not bad. When I am at TJ I do grab their marinara sauce because it is budget friendly. Raos I can't stand way tooooo salty. Although I have not tried the newer version. I think when comparing the sauces you should also factor in the salt. I think depending on your taste buds and preference it makes a difference. I don't mind having tomates in my sauce. I sometimes add tomates that are on their last leg into my sauce!!!🍅

[@michellemartinov6267]

Michael’s is hands down the closest to homemade and if you look at ingredients you’ll figure out why.

[@daph1212]

Thank you!!! I just tried Carbone, and it was delicious!!! ❤

[@nonyadambusness5158]

I'm not trying to be mean in any way at all. However, with his explanation of not using spices or too many spices explains why a couple of friends of mine who were in Italy last year described all the food as bland. We are used to the spices. Again, I'm not being mean just figuring out what they meant by bland food.

[@annarae2396]

They do that because they want to taste the actual good quality ingredients and not a bunch of spice. Has been an adjustment for me cooking for my Italian husband.

[@trevorcook4439]

The US tastebuds have been ruined by using too many ingredients to camouflage poor ingredients unfortunately. Even basics like bread, eggs and meat are banned outside the US borders.

[@kerafyrm_]

Food taste is very regional. I'm a vietnamese american and growing up with viet food here, i'm accustomed to the the seasoning and taste, so when I went back to vietnam for vacation and ate some of the classic dishes there, it did not hit at all. i thought several dishes were under seasoned but thats just the way they make it there and are used to.

[@Paulxl]

I guess you need a lot of herbs and spices to mask the extreme amount of salt and sugar in American products. We don't.

[@kerafyrm_]

@@Paulxl Exactly, thats why making sauces is so easy for everyone if they just made it themselves at home. The sauces I make is on par with the best ones in Italy since it's so few ingredients, cant mess it up.

[@haleyehler7075]

I'm a subscriber and I like the guy's virant personality. He got delightful personality. The lady is smart and calm and well spoken. Shes sharp and focused and keep it going. Love you guys.

[@twocrvs]

I love Victoria! Was so happy it was top 3. Don’t care for rao’s.

[@RedWhiteAndBlue4evr1]

Yep. Raos is ranked #1 by so many websites that I thought the company must have paid a p.r. firm. Then I saw a few videos of older Italian-American immigrants tasting a handful of sauces and they picked Raos too. So I tried it and found it to be watery and forgettable. I'm going to try Carbone and your favorite now.

[@erinowens1265]

Same!!! It was our GO TO for years and now we can no longer get it locally. Tragic loss for our family

[@donnoone9665]

I found this video highly entertaining while being informative and helpful. I enjoyed the way you both interact and this was excellent.

[@scarrab76]

I think the one that says GRAVY, is actually tomato gravy. it goes on biscuits. Its popular in the Appalachian mountains in the summer. When you said watery I was like yep not a sauce.

[@eltonmarvin334]

🤣🤣🤣 Kentucky gravy.

[@jeremiah_12]

No it’s not for biscuits. Italian Americans up North….specifically in the NYC Tri-State area call tomato sauce gravy…..

[@brianjenkins6325]

​@@jeremiah_12 Right. Micheal's also has a marinara sauce.

[@margeoconnor166]

It's also gravy in Philadelphia and South Jersey

[@tomboston9669]

I'm disappointed you didn't try Michael's of Brooklyn marinara. It's the closest jarred sauce to home made I've ever tried. I never saw that "gravy" before.

[@kathleennorton2228]

Many Americans are in love with garlic, which Italians usually only want a light hint of.

[@karennuckols3007]

After being in Italy twice and having true Italian food, I have found it so difficult to find a sauce (gravy) that i enjoy. I just ordered a jar of Carbone to try. Thank you for doing this test!

[@catherineg6861]

It’s hard to like many things here after having food in Italy. It’s not a matter of being picky. It’s a matter of preferring quality over garbage. For example pizza. There are so many pizzerias here and most of them have gross pizza. None of them taste anywhere near what you get there. And the grease? 🤢 like why is it greasy?!!?

[@Rick9482]

Well I must say, that was a pretty interesting comparison. I love the way he kept tasting each one more than once to make up his mind. It gave him a lot of credibility! If he didn't like it you knew right away, no trying to make nice. Definitely going to get Carbone which I've never tried before. A very good price a readily available.

[@deborahpotter703]

Evidently Campbells bought Raos and they are using a mixed olive oil now ?

[@AMAZINANT]

Ewwwww

[@twigzter8684]

oh god please noooooo

[@newYorkStories]

Noooooooooo. Fun fact: I used to work with Campbell's, visited their HQ in Camden, NJ once. They have the best employee cafeteria I have ever been too, and I also worked at the UN HQ, so I've been to places ;)

[@albgardis]

Yes correct, Rao's sold out to CAMPBELL'S SOUP, so now they make both Prego and Rao's. Very sad!

[@mikejones9480]

Oh god....say it isn't so. What a tragedy 😢

[@craftyourlifestyle]

You guys are too cute :) After visiting Italy this summer and thoroughly enjoying the simple, light, natural flavors and food, I am going to go out and buy the Carbone to try it! I also watched some of your Italy videos before our trip and they were super helpful!

[@StellaSirius23]

Rao's is already worse than it used to be as it was bought out by Big Corp a while ago.

[@tonyafritchen1192]

I always thought it was greasy.

[@gsabo1000]

Bought by Kraft. It will have GMOs soon.

[@papeureka9028]

I just bumped to a moka pot video of this channel until I binge watch your videos! From watching coffee brewing to cooking Italian dishes! More recipe video please! Love from the Philippines!

[@BluCircled]

Scusa Alessio ma la Mutti sarai d'accordo con me, è una delle migliori in Italia. Questa versione con tre quintali d' aglio è la prima volta che la vedo, l' avranno sicuramente creata per gli USA... Autogol incredibile!

[@kebhMI]

Certo. Mio marito piacere l'aglio.

[@ThePasinis]

la mutti e' la numero uno, pensavo che vincesse questo contest, era la prima volta che provavo la metti marinara ma sinceramente troppo aglio. forse nella loro ricerca del mercato americano l'anno fatta cosi per vari motivi , non lo so, di certo la marca Carbone ha fatto un ottimo lavoro

[@annarae2396]

​@@kebhMIjust to try to help it would be "A mio marito piace l'aglio"

[@gregoriocapelli5611]

​@@ThePasinisè un po' come per la Fanta, il sapore viene modificato a seconda del mercato. Ho esperienza diretta con grossi brand del caffè che, dovendo accontentare il pubblico, cambiano completamente le miscele. Tralasciando ovviamente tutte le disquisizioni sull'espresso Si/no 😅

[@kayeruss7313]

My grandfather was from Italy, but my father, who did a lot of the cooking, especially the spaghetti and pizzas in our home, never cooked using an hours-long simmering recipe. He was not that patient! He liked Prego. The secret to all sauces is that you can always add anything you want to make it how you prefer. I like Mid's sauces and use the meat varietes, especially the Italian Sausage one. I just add a little sugar and sometimes more ground beef, because I like a meatier sauce. It's also fun to try different brands so that when a sauce goes on sale, you can save a little money and just tweak as necessary. :)

[@dakenned1]

Jessi my birthday buddy. I want to give a big shout out to Alessio for trying these foods at room temperature. I know for a fact if you cook these that the ratings would be VERY different, even in Chef Mike (microwave). One example the mutti… if cooked in a pan the garlic would chill out. Please retry these with some cooking. Nobody eats this str8 outta da jar. FR gross. Love ya alessio. Took one for the team.

[@annesheridan6081]

My italian adult kids do! They are to lazy to heat tomato sauce up!

[@patriciaanzelc5386]

There IS a Michael’s of Brooklyn Marinara sauce. I loved it. I don’t know what the gravy is. Try their jar that says marinara.

[@AnvilMAn603]

13:12 Do you hear that Fezzik? That is the sound of ultimate suffering

[@cyh4031]

My wife and I just tried the Raos sensitive style last week because she has been having trouble with spices lately, and we both really lived it! A bit more expensive than our usual store brands, but one of our favorite sauces now!

[@Chamomileable]

About the Publix premium sauce: It's made without any added preservatives, colorants, additives, etc but the tomatoes used are red pear tomatoes, which are a bit more acidic than the more sweet and savory san marzano (plum tomatoes) and pomodoro tomatoes. It also contains no celery or carrots. This is almost certainly why Alessio found it to be so darn sour, because it really is when it's at room temp and not cooked down. Publix Greenwise Traditional Marinara uses a more familiar sofrito, olive oil, garlic, and not pear tomatoes but more standard plum tomatoes like San Marzano. I think he would probably enjoy that more.

[@emilybilbow4990]

Carbone is $11 where I shop… I’m not spending that…

[@dovie2blue]

Trader Joe's got a 4 which was above all the zeros and it's $1.99/jar and hardly any sugar

[@MrYellowClyde]

Even at $11, you can feed a family of 4 with spaghetti for $12.

[@Than211]

I think Carbone has been pretty steady being the top pick among many taste tests but the price point is definitely a turn off. Rao's and Victoria are usually below Carbone but the price point is much more reasonable. Kind of wish this video also gave us the prices that they bought them at - kind of a "you get what you pay for" kind of thing.

[@RAD6150]

It's $8.99 by me, but almost always on sale for $7.99 and sometimes $6.99... worth it in my opinion.

[@margaretpatton376]

Eat nasty for cheap like every other person

[@TheNortonio]

What a fun video. Thank you for posting.

[@samanthawoods5290]

Would a palette cleanser between each help any?

[@Lucidly222]

Yes agreed it’s not that hard to look up best palate cleanser for marinara tasting. Idk but could have made video better 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@ingridferg9779]

Vincenzo also did a tomato sauce tasting. I think he had water between tastes

[@ThePasinis]

honestly you don't need to drink water to cleanse your palate, it's not a sauce with little difference, the differences were quite obvious, it's as if I were asking you to eat an apple with oregano, an apple with garlic and an apple without tomato. you immediately notice the difference

[@RedWhiteAndBlue4evr1]

​@ThePasinis Actually, the brain is not that simple. You really do need yo cleanse to be even remotely fair. But this is just a fun video. No high expectations from me. And it wasn't a coincidence that the first one he tried got the highest rating. His palette was clean. He was probably hungry. Anticipation was high. All those things factor in.

[@chrisretired5379]

Awesome video, thank you! I’m usually with RAO, but I recently found Bertolli- olive oil/ basil/garlic, in Organic. It’s very good. 👍🌹

[@kimtsstchr]

Rao's was bought by Campbell's Soup Co for 2.7 BILLION in March, 2024. Check for GMO ingredients. That's what Campbells does. I'm never buying Raos again.

[@ginadonza3549]

Me either.

[@wannamlwithu]

Ever since i heard Campbells bought Raos, i stopped buying it.

[@sirianrune198]

One course of action you can take is to stop being scientifically illiterate.

[@stephenfisher3721]

@@kimtsstchr Now I understand why every store is now selling Rao's.

[@Ayan-bp4dq]

GMO isn't necessarily bad. Most things we eat are GMO. Wild apples e.g. are small and tart. If American GMO corn, soy, wheat didn't find their way into the pasta sauce, I wouldn't worry.

[@joielynette]

Awesome video. I personally don't understand they hype with Raos. I don't care for must jar sauces. You're correct in they use wayyyyyy tooooo much herbs. I hate when they add sugar. My husband's family is Italian. I miss his grandmas sauce. Very simple. Pork roast, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, onion,garlic, and a touch of fresh basil. My mouth is watering

[@ctulumello]

Try the La Victoria [white label] found in Costco.

[@Roheryn100]

They did ! At 12:03

[@randomnessofging7902]

Rao’s with sundried tomatoes, parsley and sausage, on top of penne pasta and of course Parmesan is my go to comfort food 💕💕💕 CHEF’S KISS!!

[@theresamimnaugh1190]

In New York, every family makes Sunday Gravy. It’s basically American “Ragu Napolitana”.

[@mommytochris]

Not every we are from NY and it is sauce 😂

[@jovarodriguez169]

In America we are at a disadvantage because our taste buds have been bombarded with added sugar and flavor enhancers for decades. Unless we make our own from scratch, there is no way to ensure "simple" flavors. Our palates are accustomed to extra oomph in flavors. I use the Mutti passattp pomodoro and the #1 and #2. There is one brand up here in NY, "Arthur Avenue The Bronx", which I use to make little pizzas for the kids.

[@phoenixspirit9530]

100% accurate regarding the added sweetener and flavor enhancers.

[@HanoverFiste001]

LOL. The Mutti went from 8th to 4th in under 5 mins. Now that's a true Italian. The Carbone is very good, I agree, but for an $8.00 bottle of sauce, it better be. Honestly, I try to buy the San Marzano whole canned tomatoes when they are on sale and make my own sauce. Much cheaper and way better.

[@glzgowlass]

That’s what I do. It’s soooo easy. I make sure it doesn’t say San marzano style and has the DOP stamp on the can. I even grew my own San marzano tomatoes this year and made passata. They didn’t grow in Italian soil but they were still very good in The sauce.

[@redreliever]

A 0 remains a 0, though.

[@HanoverFiste001]

@@redreliever Crap is always crap.

[@pecansonpizza]

Last time you did Rao's Tomato Basil, but this time you did Rao's Marinara. That's what's different, and I'm glad you switched it up this time. The Marinara is WAY better than the Tomato Basil. We've been a Rao's family for a whole for 3 reasons. First, our daughter has type 1 diabetes and we spent a long time looking for the lowest carb pasta sauces with no added sugar (we use Banza low carb pasta too). Second, we genuinely like how it tastes. And third, we're a big family (six kids) and we can get big jars at Costco.

[@SapphireRadioactive]

I would love to see a video of trying Giada De Laurentiis' recipes.. she brags about being Italian, and I always wondered how authentic her food really is.

[@melissalambert7615]

Stopped watching Giada after she put ketchup in her tomato sauce. Ewww.

[@SapphireRadioactive]

@@melissalambert7615 Eww that's disgusting

[@ILoveFountainPensCdn]

I had Rao’s for the first time a few weeks ago. I’m in Canada and I’m not sure if it’s available in the states, but my go to brand is Classico. Their Marinara is delicious and the Bolognese is my favourite. I’d steer clear if the mushroom as well as the four cheese. I had the same reaction as Alessio to the Rao’s sauce. It tasted familiar but I couldn’t place it. All of a sudden it occurred to me, that it tastes the same as the sauce that I make for cabbage rolls. I wouldn’t buy it again to use as a pasta sauce though.

[@sbodrillo]

01:58 As plant-based diets gain popularity in Italy, we've expanded the use of 'ragù' beyond its traditional meat-based meaning. Now, terms like 'ragù vegetariano' or 'ragù di verdure' are commonly used for delicious meat-free alternatives.

[@frankm496]

Victorias seems like they have been around forever and usually my go to when I'm not making my own (Bit bias from habit). They are usually a good value. I mix their marinara with and their vodka sauce when I make baked ziti. I'll have to revisit Rao's and will give the Carbone a try. Lidias sauce is good and Patsy's too if you can get it on sale. I was surprised about Micheal's. People seem to rave about the restaurant though I never tried it. Anyway nice "Italian approved" blind taste test. Nothing like making my own. Thanks for posting

[@flamingolounge1975]

The taste test doesn’t start until after 4:15 seconds in

[@flamingolounge1975]

Unfortunately the video is so slow I couldnt watch it all

[@cocomcqueen5905]

Thank you

[@williamlangan8556]

Very interesting comparison... As an FYI, Costco sells a great Victoria sauce called "White Linen" which I buy when the Rao's sauce isn't on sale. And yes, Rao's DID do something to their recipe, it seems more tomato "chunky. " Carbone, like Rao's, is also a restaurant in NYC, (almost impossible to get a reservation) but luckily for me, Carbone's has 2 restaurants in CT. I order their pizza at least one a week!

[@cc-sb1is]

dang. did you forget you already did this video?? haha Sockarooni paul Newman is my favorite. It was in your last video. Idc how it was rated, it's good.

[@marilynkozlow8400]

It’s my favorite too, so flavorful

[@adrov849]

I’ve never understood why some Americans call sauce gravy. Like no. No Italian in the history of history has ever called sauce gravy

[@dovie2blue]

Somehow it started on the East Coast

[@AtHomeWithAlex]

Not ‘Americans’ so much as people from NY/New Jersey. Just like a lot of people in the south call ‘stuffing’ ‘dressing’

[@bleepbloop6234]

I've never understood why some people get so hung up on people using words in different ways. No language in the history of history has ever remained totally stagnant. Like... No. People make new words and use old words in new ways. Words change meaning over time. Get used to it. The really obnoxious thing about people like you is that you're doing the exact same thing with a thousand other words that used to mean something else, but you just don't know it. Ever use the word awful to describe something bad? You should be using it to describe something that fills you with awe. How about terrific? Are you terrified when you say something is terrific? Stop this "UmMm AKcHuAlLY!" stuff. Everyone hates it and you don't know what you're talking about to begin with.

[@lauriedaly545]

I’m not sold on this. I live in upstate NY and barely recognize these brands of jar sauce. I MAY have seen Carboni somewhere, but here we get Ragu, Prego, Classico, Barrilla, and Raos as our main jar sauces, and most of them weren’t even in this review. Also I like a sweet tomato sauce over an acidic, non-sugary sauce any day, so I always add sugar to my jar sauce. Can’t stand the taste without it. I’m not Italian either, but I grew up on my Mom’s sauce (with her own twist on seasonings and beef), and her sauce was always from a jar! I still use her recipe to this day (I have changed my brand - can’t lie), but everyone always loves it. I honestly don’t put a lot of weight into “real Italian” opinions because I judge recipes on what I like, and my family likes. Still, not saying you’re wrong about anything. Only that opinions are just that - opinions!

[@BrunoToffolo-r8b]

Non capisco come mai nessuno commenta in Italiano, non credo che chi vi segue sia solo from the state. Io vi ho scoperto un paio di mesi fa. la scorsa settimana è venuto a trovarmi mio figlio che vive in Spagna e quando gli ho detto che seguo una coppia italoamericana e che il marito potrebbe essere di Maniago, mi ha chiesto sono i Pasinis? Lui vi seguiva ancora prima di me . Mandi fruts

[@ThePasinis]

A me fa piacere leggere i commenti in Italiano, soprattutto se sono della mia zona! mandi mandi ragazzi

[@gianlucamai]

✌️

[@malindarayallen]

Michael's of Brooklyn is my forever pasta sauce. The original restaurant is still operating.

[@sherrypeterson11]

I’m so sorry, but I have never used a jar of sugo. I have always made homemade and I’ll be 82 on the 28th of Sept. I just love you 🥰 guys. 🇮🇹💚🤍❤️🇮🇹🥰

[@truthmatters8241]

Do you start with fresh tomatoes? Or do you use canned?

[@alexanderquirynen2275]

Are all jars that big in America?

[@BlueBird-nf2gp]

Yes! Once in awhile you can find a smaller jar but most brands only sell one size.

[@Baby_Llama_Mama]

@@alexanderquirynen2275 sometimes bigger. 🤭

[@josh4macRanch]

Mikes of Brooklyn Marinara is where it’s at. Not the gravy but their Marinara