Jarred pasta sauce has been a staple of American kitchens for decades, but Rao’s sauce really changed the game. Despite being a pantry mainstay, jarred pasta sauce was seen as a cheap alternative to the real thing. It was something you microwaved when you didn’t have time to make a homemade pasta sauce, and it was never going to taste as good, but it was affordable and quick. So when Rao’s jarred pasta sauces (which debuted in 1992) started showing up on more store shelves in the late 2010s, it was probably a shock. Why would anyone pay $9 or $10 for jarred pasta sauce? Well Rao’s has already proven the doubters wrong, with its sales increasing almost nine-fold between 2017 and 2022. This also led to a surge in other premium pasta sauce brands like Carbone on grocery store shelves. But the question remains: Why are Rao’s products so much more expensive than normal jarred sauce brands?
It comes down to two things: a meaningful brand name associated with quality, and actually producing a better pasta sauce. It can be hard to suss out exactly what the recipes are of different pasta sauce brands, but Rao’s is dedicated to using high-quality ingredients like pure Italian olive oil and fresh whole tomatoes from Southern Italy. Compare that to brands like Prego or Classico that cost around $4. They use a mix of tomato puree and diced tomatoes in water. There is nothing wrong with that, but it isn’t at the same level as using imported Italian tomatoes.
Rao’s combines high-quality with a renowned brand name
Another thing that makes Rao’s more expensive is a lack of additives and preservatives. The more affordable brands we’ve mentioned don’t have a ton of processed ingredients. However, they do contain things like added citric acid, which is a preservative that helps extend the shelf life of canned food. They also have the famously ambiguous “natural flavors” ingredient, which can refer to many unlisted ingredients. Rao’s has none of that, listing only ingredients like onions, olive oil, garlic etc. that are all real recognizable foods. A lack of preservatives means a shorter shelf life and a more expensive product.
Rao’s often tops lists of best pasta sauce brands. While the quality is real, some of the pricing might also have to do with the value of the brand itself. Rao’s has been open in New York’s East Harlem neighborhood since 1896 and is sometimes considered the hardest restaurant reservation to get in the country. It’s beloved by celebrities, and famous for its dedication to using only fresh, high-quality ingredients. That level of demand and service doesn’t come cheap, with just the reservations at Rao’s sometimes costing thousands of dollars. So Rao’s brand is one of high-end luxury, and anything put out under its name will be priced at a premium. But once you compare it to the prices at the restaurant itself, $9 for a jar of sauce actually looks like a bargain.
