I ranked all of the jarred pasta sauces I found at Trader Joe’s from worst to best, and I’d eat the winner by the spoonful

Trader Joe’s offers several types of marinara but the organic seemed to be the most basic of them all. It had a mellow sweet-tomato flavor and a pretty red color, but other than that, there wasn’t much going on.

The consistency, like most marinara sauces, reminded me of salsa because it was simultaneously chunky and watery. It poured easily with minimal effort.

I had to check the tomato-basil sauce’s label to make sure I didn’t buy the organic marinara twice because I thought the two tasted nearly identical.

To be fair, there wasn’t much of a difference between the two marinaras, other than the fact that this one had more basil in it, which made it a touch brighter and more interesting than the sauce I had first.

Aside from the noodles, cacio e pepe ingredients include butter, pepper, pasta water, and Parmesan. That said, having a jarred version of such a simple sauce seems a bit unnecessary to me.

The first thing I noticed about Trader Joe’s cacio e pepe sauce was that it didn’t look like a pasta topping. Straight out of the jar, the taupe sauce had a thick, creamy consistency, almost like a gravy I’d expect on top of a biscuit breakfast instead of something I’d find on pasta.

In a sea of marinaras, Trader Joe’s chunky tomato-and-pepper sauce is a ship carrying a special treasure: spice. In my experience, Trader Joe’s items that are labeled as spicy can be pretty mild so I was pleasantly surprised as the insides of my cheeks tickled and burned with each successive bite of this sauce.

If you’re looking for something that tastes like traditional marinara with a few red pepper flakes, look elsewhere.

Unlike an Arrabbiata, the chunky tomato-and-pepper sauce gets its kick from spices found in harissa, a spicy, tangy North African paste. It contains cumin and coriander, which was a nice surprise.

The spices gave the sauce a mellow burn (I’d classify it as medium-level heat) that lasted the duration of the meal and it even heightened the acidic tomatoes to create a one-of-a-kind bright, zesty, and delicious flavor.

I also loved the texture of the sauce, which had San Marzano tomatoes mashed into good-sized pieces to get the liquid out of them.

When I researched the sauce, I saw some customers believe it’s best as a shakshuka base. Though I have the urge to dump it over black beans and rice, I’m not sure I’d get that rich comfort-food feeling with it over farfalle, rigatoni, or penne.

VERDICT: Trader Joe’s spicy, chunky tomato-and-pepper sauce is a true standout with its layers of complex, spicy seasonings, bright-tomato flavor, and textured consistency. I’d buy it again, I just wouldn’t pair it with pasta.

Because Alfredo is so basic, I’ve seen jarred versions of the sauce have a bad rap.

To me, jarred versions of the sauce either taste like under-seasoned cream or overly processed goo with no real cheese, so in this case, I tip my hat to Trader Joe’s Alfredo.

Trader Joe’s vegan Bolognese combines plant-based protein crumbles with tomatoes, vegetables, and other dried Italian herbs to form a concoction that captures the iconic beefy sauce without animal products.

In my opinion, this is a really well-made, delicious sauce. It packed a pleasantly bright tomato flavor with basil and oregano. The pea-protein crumbles did a nice job replicating that ground-beef texture and the subtle porcini-mushroom powder in the seasoning added a tasty layer of savory, meaty flavor.

I was still missing that red-wine taste typical of a Bolognese sauce, but then again, this flavor was also absent in Trader Joe’s beefy Bolognese.

Pesto rosso, a variation of the typically green sauce, is typically made with tomatoes, cashews, basil, Parmesan, and balsamic vinegar.

The consistency of Trader Joe’s pesto rosso was thick, like tomato paste, so it seemed better suited for spreading on sandwiches than mixed into pasta. But with extra olive oil, I could see it nicely mixing into spaghetti or bow ties.

There’s a lot to love about Trader Joe’s pesto alla Genovese, but my favorite part is that I could actually taste every ingredient that’s supposed to be there. In my experience, some store-bought pesto is overwhelmingly oily or drowning in so much salt that you can barely taste the basil.

On the contrary, Trader Joe’s pesto alla Genovese had a pleasant basil flavor with a nice balance of nuttiness and salt. It was also surprisingly potent so I think a little goes a long way.

The only thing about it that might give people some pause is the ingredients list, which includes potatoes and sunflower oil. I’m sure each of these has a purpose, like shelf stability, but it still warranted an eyebrow raise from me.

“Pomodoro” translates to “tomato,” which should serve as a reminder that, despite the name-dropping of three kinds of cheese, let’s not forget who the real star is here. Though pomodoro and marinara sauce are both tomato-based, the former uses crushed tomatoes to result in a thicker, more decadent pool of ruby-red goodness.

Trader Joe’s three-cheese pomodoro sauce, which included Romano, Asiago, and Parmesan, was splendid. For me, the most notable quality was the delicate, yummy sweetness of the tomatoes that weren’t in any of the other sauces. I also loved that there were large chunks of tomato and that the sauce had a rustic, home-cooked, slow-cooked feel to it.

However, I’m not sure I really got a taste of cheese and wondered how much there actually was in the sauce. In my opinion, the cheese mostly acted as a salty component to play up the tomatoes.

If you want a sauce with a luxuriously creamy mouthfeel, go for the tomato basil instead. But if you want something that tastes like it was hand-crafted with ingredients from a garden in the Italian countryside, go with Trader Joe’s three-cheese pomodoro. 

VERDICT: Trader Joe’s three-cheese pomodoro is an absolute gem of a jarred sauce. I’d buy this again to ladle over stuffed shells with even more cheese.

The pomodoro sauce is probably my personal favorite of the roundup, but its intensity isn’t always the right choice. Because it might not be as versatile as Trader Joe’s other options, I can’t say this is the best sauce from the chain.

Though the sauce was creamy, amazingly, it didn’t feel heavy. It definitely tasted more decadent than your usual marinara, but it didn’t stick to the sides of my mouth like other cream sauces.

The Parmesan was more prominent than I anticipated, but I thought it added a much-needed layer of salt to round out the sauce. Add a sprig of fresh basil to bring out the herbs even more, and this stuff is pure gold straight out of the jar.

VERDICT: Trader Joe’s creamy tomato-basil creation is a great-tasting sauce. I’ve made cream sauces at home that weren’t as good as this one so I’ll definitely buy this again.

Although you could definitely throw some cheese on top, Trader Joe’s roasted-garlic marinara is an excellent sauce as is. It’s not too sweet or salty so unless you really hate garlic, I think this would be palatable to pretty much anyone.

This marinara earns high marks in my book for versatility. Sometimes, you need a sauce that goes with everything to make your pasta nights easier, and that’s plenty enough for me.

VERDICT: I think Trader Joe’s roasted-garlic sauce is a great-value, good-quality marinara you’ll use over and over again.