The $1.99 Trader Joe's Find That's So Good I Always Get 12 at a Time
Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce costs just $1.99 and is an incredibly well-balanced staple to use for pasta, pizza, and beyond.
Having a jar of tomato sauce (or a few!) on hand in the pantry is essential. It’s the key to adding flavor to everything from pasta to stuffed peppers and ratatouille, or using it as a dipping sauce for garlic bread or soft pretzels.
As a professional recipe developer focusing on pizza and testing pizza ovens, I go through a lot of tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes. However, there is one jar in particular from Trader Joe’s that I always return to.
Trader Joe’s is known for its great deals on a variety of excellent products and their jarred Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce is no different. While a 24-ounce or 32-ounce jar of pasta sauce may cost at least $3 and upwards of $10, this steal is only $1.99 at Trader Joe’s.
It’s made with tomatoes, oil, salt, and sugar, along with garlic, onion, parsley, oregano, and basil. It’s complex with bright flavors of juicy tomatoes and basil, yet has well-balanced acidity. Because it’s just under $2 a jar and my closest Trader Joe’s store is almost an hour away, I end up asking for a box when I am there and buying 12 jars at a time to stock up.
How To Use Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce
I love that I can stow away multiple jars of this sauce to have on hand for a wide range of uses.
My favorite go-to pasta dish incorporates a lentil spaghetti I get from Trader Joe’s, as well: I add sautéed onions and cooked broccoli, along with this marinara sauce and a bit of Greek yogurt to make it creamy. I sometimes add a bit more Italian seasoning to doctor up the flavor profile of the sauce, or I’ll use it as-is straight out of the jar.
If I want a quick lunch, I’ll layer this sauce on an English muffin with pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and sliced onions and put it in the oven for a mini pizza. I also use it as the base for most of the full-sized pizzas I make in an outdoor pizza oven. When friends are over for a pizza party outside, they’re always asking where I get my sauce—it’s simple, at an approachable price point, and as versatile as can be.
