This is a video from a company that calls itself "America's Test Kitchen." I don't recall America voting to select a test kitchen but maybe it's like Michael Jackson declaring himself "King of Pop." I'd start calling myself "America's Blogger" but I want to wait and see what America does this November. I may not want to associate myself with this country if it does the wrong thing.
For this video, America's Test Kitchen evaluated a number of different pasta sauces that come in a jar and declared most lousy but two, they could recommend. I'm embedding this video because the one they picked as the best is the one I've picked as the best. I'll give you a subtle hint as to the winner…
They show a jar of it in the 24 ounce size and say that it's "almost ten dollars." It ain't cheap and some online sites charge even more than that, which may have something to do with variable supply lines. I ordered a case of it directly from the company website and they charged me $10.00 a jar for the 24 oz. jars (shipping included) which it took them a little over a month to deliver. Meanwhile, my local Ralphs had and still has the 24 oz. size for $8.99 while my Costco has the winning deal — two 28 oz. jars for $13.29.
In case you're too lazy to do the math: 24 ounces for $8.99 is a bit under 37 cents an ounce. 56 ounces for $13.29 is a hair over 23 cents per ounce. And in case you're interested, the price at Amazon has gone up and down like Rudy Giuliani's eyebrows but as I type this, it's $23.95 for two 24 oz. jars, plus if you're not Amazon Prime, there's shipping.
Rao's actually makes eleven different pasta sauces that come in jars. I've tried the Marinara, the Bolognese and the "Sensitive Marinara" Sauce. The last of these was too weak 'n' watery for me but I love the regular Marinara, which I guess you'd call their Insensitive Marinara Sauce. The Bolognese is great but I've only found/obtained it via their website…and it's also a lot greater if you brown some ground beef and add it in.
Here's the video. I have no financial stake of any sort in the company and if I find a better sauce tomorrow, I won't hesitate to recommend it instead. But this is a time when a lot of us are preparing meals at home and I find it really handy to have a lot of this stuff in my cupboard…