Watery & Bland: Fans Think This Pantry Staple Sauce Brand Has Drastically Fallen Off

When you find a favorite pantry staple, you might just buy it for the rest of your life. If it tastes good, is easy to find, and fits into your budget, why change? Some things, however, are out of your control, like when a brand decides to change its recipe. This is what customers believe happened to Rao's Homemade marinara sauce, and they're not happy.

The change seems to coincide with Campbell's purchase of Rao's Homemade in 2024. Around this time, loyal customers started noticing a difference in the marinara. As one person wrote on Reddit, "The sauce is thinner, the tomatoes taste lower quality, and there's clearly less olive oil in it (a spoon used to have an oily sheen on it after dipping in the sauce)." Another Reddit user complained in a separate thread, "I was arguing with my roommate who got it for our pasta night and oh my god ... never tasted a blander sauce with whatever flavor did show up being just the worst." Others complained that it's now saltier, and some reported it being oddly tangly.

Basically, Rao's went from being the MVP of grocery store jarred pasta sauce to something its top customers no longer want to buy. The ingredients list has apparently stayed the same since the Campbell's buyout; its marinara is still a blend of Italian whole peeled tomatoes, olive oil, onions, salt, garlic, basil, black pepper, and oregano. To make matters worse, the weak and watery sauce is quite pricey — $9 for a 24-ounce jar on the Rao's Homemade website.

When customers began noticing the change in Rao's Homemade sauce back in 2024, many immediately stopped buying the once-beloved pantry staple. One solution was making their own sauce since they didn't enjoy the taste or ingredients of cheaper brands. A Reddit user explained their process: "A few years back I switched to just jarred crushed tomato and then adding some simple seasoning to make a quick sauce." If you feel led to make your own version of this product, check out our 15-minute marinara recipe.

There are plenty of other jarred marinara sauces to choose from, but as many customers lament, Rao's had a homemade taste that other store-bought versions lack. Fortunately, Aldi sells a Rao's dupe that may be even better than the original. You can find it under the store's Specially Select brand, and it's Reddit-approved. If you're a Costco shopper, consider checking out Victoria marinara sauce — our reviewer found it super flavorful and full of herbs and spices. Two 1.1-liter jars of Victoria sauce cost $16.99 on the Costco website, so it's also a more affordable option.