On Sat, 6 Dec 2003 20:54:18 -0800, "Larry G"
wrote:

I'm curious to know of everyone's opinions of Emeril's pasta sauce. I'm a
Prego man myself, I like their traditional sauce and their parmesan and
meatballs. The Ragu Thick and Meaty is also good.

How do Emeril's sauces compare? Are they restaurant quality? I've also
been thinking of trying the Hunts Cheese and Garlic which looks interesting.

I can't really give you a comparison, since I used to buy Classico
instead of either Ragu or Prego; but Emeril's vodka sauce is the one I
buy now to have on hand for "don't feel like making anything from
scratch" nights. I think it's pretty good.

Regards,
Tracy R.

ravinwulf wrote in message . ..
On Sat, 6 Dec 2003 20:54:18 -0800, "Larry G"
wrote:

I'm curious to know of everyone's opinions of Emeril's pasta sauce. I'm a
Prego man myself, I like their traditional sauce and their parmesan and
meatballs. The Ragu Thick and Meaty is also good.

How do Emeril's sauces compare? Are they restaurant quality? I've also
been thinking of trying the Hunts Cheese and Garlic which looks interesting.

I can't really give you a comparison, since I used to buy Classico
instead of either Ragu or Prego; but Emeril's vodka sauce is the one I
buy now to have on hand for "don't feel like making anything from
scratch" nights. I think it's pretty good.

Regards,
Tracy R.

The newer Prego Meat Sauce is not at all bad...doctors up just fine.

The Emeril's sauces are not bad to very good, for canned (or jarred).
One or two of them tasted like I recalled Prego or Ragu to be, so I
went back to compare. The Emeril's was clearly better than the old
versions, but the new Prego Meat Sauce is better than the not bad
Emeril's. But the very good Emeril's are much better (like the
Emeril's Vodka Sauce, which at first tastes deceptively simple). I do
wish that they were a bit less expensive, however.

Newman's Own puts out some very decent sauces at fairly good prices.
When K-Mart was trying to right the ship, they were throwing specials
on the Newman's Own line that were fabulous bargains.

Classico is not bad, but it somehow always requires a taste comparison
to prove that to me...

Four Brothers was once very tasty, but my taste has somehow shifted
far from that brand.

Some of the Trader Joe's pasta sauces are very good, especially one of
the varieties in jars. The one that I'm thinking of has roasted
garlic in it.

GaryO

L Beck wrote:
Personally, I make my own. The only time I've used any store-bought sauces
is if I'm in a hurry, and even then I add my own touches.

I've been making my own, but I do it using imported passata di
pomodoro (strained tomato puree).

Unfortunately, the flavor quality of passata varies
a bunch.

The first time, the tomato puree was beautiful, sweet, and tangy.
The second time (Pomi brand, in the juice-box container)
was just bitter.
The third time (yesterday, coincidentally), it tasted like
tomatoes, but had no sweetness or tang. Flat and weak.

It's hard to find the stuff in Phoenix. I get it at AJ's,
and except for the execrable Pomi brand, they rarely have
it and don't seem to care what brand it is. But it's kind
of cheap; about $3 for a 24-oz bottle.

I'd love a source of well-made passata di pomodoro with
San Marzano tomatoes in it. I wonder how long it keeps.
Maybe I'll buy a case while it's cool enough for the
fedex man to leave stuff outside my door...

--Blair
"Pazzo for pasta."

P.S. My favorite jar-sauce is Castello del Lago, available
at Cost-Plus. The puttanesca variety, especially.
It's very bold, so be ready for it.

P.P.S. Here's my recipe:

pasta sauce

24 oz passata di pomodoro (italian tomato sauce)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic (chopped thin)
8 oz sicilian rope sausage (chopped to ~1 cm chunks)
1 tbs dry italian herbs (emeril's is okay; fresh
is better: oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary,
marjoram; mince and use 2 tbs total if fresh)
salt
parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino-romano cheese

brown sausage in hot pan

add olive oil and garlic

fry for a bit to sweat and slightly brown the garlic
lower heat

add tomato sauce and scrape pan to deglaze the pan (the
acid in the tomatoes and the lower heat will help) add
herbs and stir

taste and add salt if needed (sausage and cooked pasta
will have salt in them)

add pasta to salted boiling water

stir sauce frequently, on low-medium heat while pasta
boils

drain pasta without rinsing; add pasta to sauce and toss

plate

grate cheese over dish at table

serve with dry red italian wine (sangiovese, bardolino,
valpolicella, chianti, etc.)

Let the big fish rule wrote:
I have tried them all and can say the sauces are of good quality. I really
liked the vodka sauce and now keep a jar of it on hand for those what am I
going to make moments.

Ob.VodkaSauceDisclaimer:
There's no vodka in it any more. The alcohol is cooked
out, and vodka, being diluted nearly-pure alcohol with no
flavor, becomes just water when its alcohol is cooked out.
And the water is probably cooked out as steam along with
the alcohol. The point of adding it at all is that alcohol
(allegedly) brings out a compound in tomatoes that you
won't get otherwise, and that should remain after the
vodka is gone.

--Blair
"Sounds like a plan."

ravinwulf wrote:
I can't really give you a comparison, since I used to buy Classico

I still like the Classico breeds.

instead of either Ragu or Prego; but Emeril's vodka sauce is the one I
buy now to have on hand for "don't feel like making anything from
scratch" nights. I think it's pretty good.

I'll have to try that.

I did try Rao's, but it was nothing special, and at $10 a jar,
it was not worth it.

--Blair
"Now if Mr. Spock put out a sauce..."