Here at Sporked, we’re pretty big fans of Rao’s Homemade pasta sauces. It’s the only brand that makes multiple appearances on our list of the best pasta sauces, and that’s a big deal! But Rao’s does have a shortcoming (and I’m not talking about its pesto—woof): Rao’s sauces are pricey. Entire Reddit threads are dedicated to the issue, with people attempting to determine if Rao’s is worthy of its (roughly) $8 price point, especially when $3 marinara options like Prego and Ragu exist. Should you spend a little more for better flavor? Save your money but sacrifice your taste buds? Or wear yourself out spending an entire Sunday making slow-cooked tomato sauce stove? Well, we’re here to report that there’s a fourth option: Aldi.
The European discount grocer, known for proprietary brands and unusual shopping cart situation, actually sells Rao’s for a slightly lower price than other grocery stores, but that’s not what we’re talking about. Aldi sells a dupe for Rao’s legendary marinara sauce—and it’s about half the price.
Aldi Specially Selected Premium Marinara Sauce? It’s a Rao’s dupe.
First of all, let’s address what we love about Rao’s marinara sauce and why we think it’s the best marinara sauce you can buy. In short, Rao’s Homemade Marinara may be a jarred marinara sauce, but it doesn’t taste like jarred marinara sauce. It tastes like marinara that was lovingly cooked on a stovetop by someone’s doting nonna. It’s oily (too oily for some people, but not for us), rich, and packed with luscious, tangy tomato flavor. The herbs taste fresh rather than dried. It checks every box for true red sauce lovers.
But yes. It’s expensive. If you’re feeding a whole family and need two jars for one dinner, you’ll go broke buying this stuff. That’s why we were so excited when we found Specially Selected Premium Marinara sauce in our taste test of every Aldi pasta sauce. While it might seem hard to believe, this Aldi marinara has the same homemade taste as Rao’s for a fraction of the price ($4.19 a jar in our neck of the woods). For about half the price Rao’s, Aldi’s Specifically Selected Premium Marinara sauce is rich and oily (in a very good way) without being too sweet or salty, and has a chunky texture that’s as close as you can get to restaurant quality.
If you’re looking to splurge for a fancy pasta night, grab that jar of Rao’s. But if you’re looking to treat yourself on a budget, opt for the Aldi sauce and we seriously doubt you’ll be able to tell the difference. Half the price for the same great taste? We love a dupe!
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