I Just Found a Jarred Pasta Sauce That Tastes Like the One at My Favorite Italian Restaurant (for $6!)

I’ve been a staunch loyalist to a single well-known brand of tomato sauce for years. That is until I picked up a new jar on the shelf with a cheeky name that caught my eye. Yo Mama’s Marinara quickly became a staple in my fridge (and there are always a few jars stashed in the pantry for an emergency pasta night).

What’s So Great About Yo Mama’s Marinara Sauce?

I love a jarred sauce for quick meals, and there’s an overwhelming array of options at the grocery store (see: spicy arrabbiatas and veggie-fortified vodka sauces). However, I’ve found that most are full of sugar and some have a strange, syrupy flavor. I was intrigued by the short ingredient list on the Yo Mama’s jar.

This sauce is made with the usual suspects — fresh tomatoes, onions, and garlic seasoned with white wine, basil, oregano, and parsley.

Even if I’m making marinara sauce from scratch, I like to keep it simple, so I appreciated Yo Mama’s minimalism. I feel that holding back on strong seasonings or chunky additions makes a sauce much more versatile. You can always dress it up further or use it as a mild backdrop to pizza toppings.

Intrigued by the ingredients, I tried a jar of Yo Mama’s marinara and fell in love with the flavor. This sauce tastes vibrant, zippy, and fresh. It has a nice subtle acidity and is well seasoned, but not overly salty. I love it on pasta with plenty of Parm, but it can do much more than coat ziti or spaghetti.

What’s the Best Way to Use Yo Mama’s Marinara Sauce?

This is an all-purpose marinara for practically everything — dunking garlic bread, stirring up an elegant bloody mary, you name it. Well beyond pasta, I love to smear it on pizza dough or a halved baguette for a makeshift pizza with whatever toppings I have. I’ve simmered eggs in the sauce for an Italian-inspired shakshuka, and I’ve dumped the jar in my slow cooker with chicken thighs for a hands-off dinner (later topped with plenty of melty mozzarella). 

Buy: Yo Mama’s Marinara Sauce, $5.99 (on sale!) for 25 ounces at Kroger

What’s your go-to jarred marinara? Tell us about it in the comments below.