Spaghetti is a popular dish loved by all. Some choose to top spaghetti off using their homemade sauce and others choose to go the easier route and purchase the pre-made spaghetti sauce. Although pre-made spaghetti sauce lessens the hassle of preparation, choosing which flavor to purchase can be very challenging because of the many varieties and brands that are offered in stores.
Being a spaghetti lover myself, I started on what I call the spaghetti sauce tasting journey.
First on the list was marinara sauce made by Prego and marinara sauce made by Ragu. Although the sauces are similar in name (Marinara) their taste is very, very distinct. I tried each sauce separately on Barilla whole wheat spaghetti and below is my review.
Ragu Marina Sauce
This sauce comes in a 1LB 10 OZ glass jar and reads Old World Style Ragu Marinara (Smooth Pasta Sauce) since 1937 on a yellow, red, blue, and green background. The grouping of colors is so vibrant that they are sure to attract consumers’ attention however, the colors of the spaghetti sauce jar seems to be more exciting than the actual taste. The taste is very tomato and onion like; it’s very simple, nothing that challenges the taste buds. I found the taste to be just okay when used on pasta. I ended up adding spices to the sauce and spaghetti to give it more flavor. However, the taste is tastier on breads such as English muffins when making English muffins pizzas and mozzarella sticks. This is not the best sauce for pasta.
Ragu Marinara pasta sauce is 100% natural (ingredients and vegetables) and states on the jar “More Than a Full Serving of Veggies in every ½ cup of Pasta Sauce.” There are only about 80 calories, 25 fat calories, and 3 grams of fat per ½ cup serving size.
Prego Marinara Sauce
This sauce comes in a 1 LB 9.OZ glass jar. The jar reads 100% Natural Prego Italian sauce Marinara this text stands before a classy off white and red background, a contrast to Ragu’s vibrant design. The taste of this sauce is so delectable. It is very tasty; it has a thick texture that pours very smoothly. The taste is not plain it is very exciting and flavorful. The sauce tastes of garlic, tomato, onions, and oregano. There seems to be many ingredients used in this sauce to achieve this delicious taste. This sauce tastes great on all pasta and even home made pizzas and breads. I even use this sauce as a dipping sauce for SuperPretzel Soft pretzels.
Prego Italian Sauce Marinara is 100% natural, has no added sugar, and each1/2 cup equals to more than a serving of vegetables. At 100 calories, 45 fat calories and 5 grams of fat per ½ cup serving size, this sauce is a bit higher in calories and fat than the Ragu Old World Style Marinara sauce.
When compared to Ragu Marinara sauce , Prego Marinara sauce effortlessly wins. The taste and even jar design of Prego Marinara sauce seem to be more mature and geared towards adults. The taste and jar design of Ragu Marinara sauce seem to be geared towards children, it’s taste is very simple, a taste that would seem to please children more than adults.
So, if you are looking to prepare a meal for your adult counterparts than I would same aim for the Prego Marinara sauce, and if you are cooking lunch for little ones (especially if lunch calls for English Muffin pizzas,) aim for the Ragu Marinara sauce. Kids would most likely like the Prego sauce as well.
Rating:
Ragu 3 out of 5
Prego 5 out of 5
