Rao's Best Sauce Isn't The Marinara — Here's What Beats It

Brandon Schultz/Mashed

Sometimes you have to take half a day to make your nonna's old-school pasta sauce. Most times, though, a jar of marinara and some ziti will do just fine. But you don't have to punish yourself with a subpar sauce just because you aren't doing things the hard way. Enter Rao's, the MVP of jarred pasta sauce.

Although the brand has been selling its jars of small-batch sauces since 1992, it became a household name after Campbell Soup acquired Rao's parent company in 2023. Since then, Rao's sauces — particularly the marinara sauce — have garnered lots of attention from pasta enthusiasts and home cooks who praise the brand's fresh flavors and high-quality ingredients. We ranked Rao's sauce flavors from worst to best, and while the classic marinara did make the top five, the four cheese variety reigns supreme.

With an ingredient list that boasts little else besides tomatoes, olive oil, carrots, and four different cheeses — Parmesan, Asiago, Pecorino Romano, and Grana Padano — there's no denying that cheese is this sauce's star in both the taste and texture departments. While all four feature a nutty element, the sweetness of the Asiago and Grana Padano balances out the other two's saltiness. The tomatoes, meanwhile, provide just enough acid. Because the cheeses have varying levels of softness, some add a thick, creamy element to the sauce while others provide a toothsome quality, coming together to hit all the most satisfying notes.

Brandon Schultz/Mashed

When you consider that Rao's four cheese sauce contains 360 milligrams of sodium per serving and is packed with a variety of salty Italian cheeses, it's clear that this sauce is not for the faint of heart — nor those who steer clear of dairy. If high cholesterol and dairy intolerance are not on your list of dietary concerns, however, this may be the perfect sauce for you. Similar to the brand's marinara sauce, the four cheese variety contains no additional sugars, and no garlic, onion, or spices, making it a great option for folks who steer clear of foods high in FODMAP, which are carbohydrates that are difficult for some folks to digest and that may disturb the gastrointestinal tract.

Still, the sauce is rich and decadent and can stand alone with your pasta of choice. Despite its high cheese content, the sauce maintains a distinct brightness that also works well with veggies. Try stirring a handful of spinach and some mushrooms into the pot a few minutes before taking dinner off the stove for a one-pot crowd pleaser. Alternatively, the sauce is an excellent way to up the cheesy ante when added to your favorite chicken parmesan recipe.