The Pasta Sauce That Beat Out Barilla And Ragu In A Recent Survey

Is there any greater relief at end of a weary weekday than the realization that you can swing dinner for a crowd with that pound of spaghetti and full jar of pasta sauce in your pantry, as opposed to going to the grocery store after work or spending money on takeout? Maybe you can think of a few things that are even more exciting — like remembering, upon finding your fridge fully stocked, that you actually did go to the grocery store the other day, or learning you won the lottery. You get the point.

We love a pot of homemade Sunday sauce just as much as the next person, but the pre-made stuff is nothing to look down your nose upon. It's there for you in a pinch when you're famished but don't have the time or patience to labor over a simmering pot for two hours; it comes in all sorts of varieties beyond your standard marinara; and, if you're discreet, your dinner guests don't even have to know it's not made from scratch. We asked a group of readers to weigh in on their preferred brand of jarred pasta sauce from the grocery store, and one stood out among the rest. 

According to a Mashed poll composed of 526 respondents, 136 readers (nearly 26%) said they reach for Prego in the pasta aisle. The Campbell's Soup-owned brand, which shares turf with Pace, Swanson, and V8, according to its website, offers everything from "homestyle" Alfredo to basil pesto to "chunky" tomato, onion, and garlic sauce and beyond, so it could be that shoppers appreciate the brand's variety. Prego also has quite a few recipes on its website, establishing itself as an especially helpful weeknight option.

Coming in hot with the silver medal are Ragu (which boasts its sauce as "undeniably delicious sauce, per its website) and Barilla (which keeps it simple with a classic tomato sauce and a pesto sauce) that are tied at 122 votes. Moving down the line, New York-bred pasta sauce brand Rao's came in with 90 votes, while Newman's Own came in last place with 56 votes — no offense, Paul Newman.