Giada De Laurentiis' First Tip For Buying Jarred Pasta Sauce

The moment you pop open a jar of homemade tomato sauce, the room floods with the aroma of basil, oregano, and olive oil. There's nothing artificial about it, and there are no unidentifiable ingredients on the nutrition label: It's just pure tomatoey goodness. But unless you're making a quick tomato sauce with already-prepped peeled and canned tomatoes, making tomato sauce from scratch is no quick task; it can take up to an hour and a half, especially if you want a thicker, more cooked flavor. And while it's entirely worth it, sometimes the homemade stuff isn't accessible. Luckily, even Italian-American chef Giada De Laurentiis believes in the power of a good store-bought tomato sauce — as long as it's got more tomatoes than sugar.

Speaking to Bon Appétit, De Laurentiis approved of those who opt for store-bought tomato sauce, explaining that it's totally okay, especially if it makes the cooking process easier and less stressful. Before picking out a sauce at the store, however, she urges people to read the ingredient label to make sure that the first ingredient is tomatoes — not sugar. Adding a pinch of sugar to homemade tomato sauce is normal. So normal, in fact, that Italians approve of it. Because tomatoes are super acidic, a small amount of sugar is often needed to cut that acidity, making it more balanced and delicious. But many popular tomato sauce brands add too much sugar, making for an overly sweet sauce that won't leave you feeling too great.

Out of all the popular pasta sauce brands out there, we ranked Carbone as number one. While this brand is on the pricier side, we think their sauces are absolutely worth it for a number of reasons — including the minimal amount of sugar in them. According to the company, Carbone's sauces do not have any added sugar; the sugar you'll see on the nutrition label comes from the tomatoes themselves. This, along with the excellent, homemade quality flavor make Carbone a great pick. Next to Carbone in our ranking is Rao's Homemade, another brand that doesn't add sugar to its sauces. From the classic marinara to the more elaborate fire-grilled vegetable, you're guaranteed to taste the difference if you're used to sugary sauces. 

If you already have a few jars of pasta sauce on standby in your pantry and you notice that they've got loads of sugar, don't let them go to waste just yet. There's a simple way to fix overly sweet tomato sauce, and you probably have it in your pantry. Adding some acid in the form of either lemon juice or vinegar will help tone down your sauce's sweetness. If you're sensitive to the acidity, try adding the zest of a lemon instead to add that much-needed brightness to your sauce.