I don't have the equipment (or seasonings) to make homemade red pasta sauce. I'd like to find a really good commercial one. Not meat-flavoured, preferably not high-sodium or with a lot of sugar. Any recommendations?

Thanks as always!

Ragu makes a no-sugar-added sauce. It's pretty good, but I don't know what the sodium content is...

As an American of Italian descent, I have a few ideas on best spaghetti sauce. Fresh is always best, BUT some really quick (easy and inexpensive) ways to get a great spaghetti sauce goes like this.

1. With coupons or on sale take advantage of the large cans of tomatoes sauce, chunky or pureed are great!

2. Saute onions with a little garlic, pinch of salt and pepper in canola oil (MUCH less expensive than olive)!

3. In a slow cooker, add the sauteed ingredients, a couple of cups of water OR chicken stock. Add the canned tomatoes, some Italian seasonings, fresh or dried basil (whatever your pantry has on hand).

4. Slow cook on low for a few hours (depending on how much sauce you are yielding).

5. Store and freeze for the future! VOILA the best sauce, to me is made at home! YOU have a control on the ingredients, the sodium, etc. In addition, could be easily made in the slow cooker while you are doing something else!

PS on the day you make it, simply boil up your favorite pasta, make a salad and crusty bread for your first dinner's worth!

Hope this helps!

Janet

you can do the same thing as Janet said but skip the crockpot.

just saute onion and garlic, add a can of diced tomatoes and some seasonings, mix with pasta. easy. you can add other veggies too. something to play with.

my good and cheap sauces are hunts and primo.  both canned sauces that you can get on sale for 1 to 1.25 each.  I don't know if you have primo brand there.

nice thing is there is different varieties like four cheese, spicy, and basil.

Someone on here gave the tip of adding a little worchestershire sauce and a small amount of brown sugar to jarred spaghetti sauce, and it's wonderful!  Really brings up the taste and makes it taste more homemade.  I like to add a good splash of wine, some olive oil and a pinch of baking soda, too, to take out any bitterness. 

And I actually like Aldi's sauce more than the national brand ones...Liz.

I use the Hunt's canned spaghetti sauce here. Tastes like Ragu but not sweet. It costs about 86 cents a can here. I can't make my own cheaper.

Jill

Throw some extra basil, oregano, garlic, and a good dose of fennel seed and it will taste almost homemade. 

My vote for favorite store bought is Hunts.  All the others taste too sweet to me.

Susan in MI

I'm a Hunt's fan!  I take one can of "regular" (we use meat normally, but the cheese, and the garlic are great, too.) and one can of spicey...cook together.  I add oregano, italian seasonings, garlic powder, and onion powder (but whatever you like would be best.)  We eat this with past, and I freeze in meal portions, and at least one "pizza" portion (much smaller).

I'm also of Italian American decent, and my dad, the Italian, made his with Prego and added spices....

Hunts is OK, as are Ingles and Save-A-Lot store brands.  Food Lion store brand is too bland.  Like Pumpkin, I add my own spices, including some fennel and homegrown fresh basil when I have it.  Ohhh, for some Cuban oregano in a pretty pot!  Only the basic herbs are to be found here, and I refuse to drive to Atlanta or to Cheat-a-new-gal to shop for any.