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If you have ever read one of Ina Garten’s cookbooks, you may have noticed something. Whenever Ina Garten has a recipe calling for tomato sauce, she skips the process of making her own and suggests a specific store-bought sauce. This may sound like blasphemy coming from a cook like The Barefoot Contessa, but the Food Network star has her reasons.
Ina favors Rao’s (pronounced RAY-ohs) pasta sauce over making homemade. In an interview with “Today” she said, “It’s always best to make it yourself, but I find Rao’s fantastic.” Ina often talks about the importance of keeping things simple while entertaining, and using a store-bought sauce is one way she does it. Ina believes that guests have more fun when the hostess is “relaxed and happy,” she told NPR.
Ina Garten’s mantra is “store-bought is fine,” and the Contessa has given her blessing to other items besides Rao’s. In a video for the Today Show, Ina confessed that one of her favorite mayonnaises is Hellmann’s and shared with the New York Times that she approves of using premade mashed potatoes with some special touches to make them taste and look homemade.
Read more: 12 Canned Foods You Should Avoid At The Grocery Store
From Sauce To Soup
The history of Rao’s goes back to the 19th century when it was just a tavern in New York City. It quickly grew in popularity until it was virtually impossible to get a table. To help alleviate this problem and expand its reach, the restaurant’s sauce became available commercially in 1992 so “everybody can have it at home” (via Rao’s website).
Rao’s expanded its ready-to-eat line to include frozen meals, ketchup, dry pasta, and pizzas. Soups were added in 2019, but Ina has not said whether she approves of them yet, even though she does say she enjoys a store-bought soup now and then.
Ina’s site has a link to Rao’s website, where you can purchase a jar of sauce if you’re curious to know how it compares to your Nonna’s. You can also pick up some Rao’s at most supermarkets, including Aldi, or even online at Amazon. At almost $8 a jar from Aldi or $6 from Amazon, it may cost a bit more than most jarred sauces, but it may be worth it to know it’s approved by The Barefoot Contessa.
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