I Tried 7 Jarred Vodka Sauces—This Is the One I’m Buying From Now On

If I had to describe my perfect vodka sauce, it would have an aesthetically pleasing pink hue and a thick, creamy consistency that coats my pasta just right. A spicy rigatoni a la vodka is one of my go-to orders at Italian restaurants, and I prepare my own at-home rendition whenever possible. But let’s be honest: Not every busy weeknight dinner can be 100% homemade. 

While my Italian ancestors would undeniably frown upon that truth, sometimes, a gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do. So I set out on a taste-test journey to find the best jarred vodka sauce.

How I Chose the Vodka Sauces

I shopped for a mix of well-known, widely available sauce brands and a few lesser-known names that simply looked good. Although I’m not one to judge a book by its cover, I can’t resist a cool label. But when all was said and done, it came down to the best product overall.

How I Tested the Vodka Sauces

My husband and I take pasta nights very seriously, so I recruited him to co-judge. We performed a masked taste test of the selected sauces to remove any preconceived brand notions from the equation. I prepped seven tasting bowls, each filled with warm rigatoni and topped with a generous ladle of sauce. Every serving was then mixed well to ensure an ideal sauce-to-pasta ratio and a perfect coating on each piece of pasta. The brands stayed hidden, marked beneath each bowl.

We ranked the sauces based on a few key components: appearance, consistency, flavor, balance of ingredients, and, ultimately, which one we’d pair with our pasta again.

The Best Jarred Vodka Sauces, Ranked

7th Place: Trader Joe’s

We had very high hopes for Trader Joe’s, but it surprisingly ended up being our least favorite of the bunch. The sauce takes on a vibrant red hue, but its flavor embodies more of a marinara sauce rather than the rich, creamy vodka sauce we were looking for. As for texture, Trader Joe’s is very thin—dare we say watery—and has big tomato chunks. Fresh tomatoes are absolutely a nice touch, but if you prefer a smooth, rich vodka sauce, this option doesn’t hit a home run.

6th Place: Rao’s

Rao’s vodka sauce has a deep reddish hue that screams “marinara.” Flavor-wise, it’s bold, tasty, and makes a lasting impression, but we wouldn’t put it under the vodka umbrella. The texture won us over, though—it’s balanced and thick, but not as chunky as some of the other options. Plus, it beautifully coated our rigatoni.

5th Place: Bertolli

While Bertolli received points for looking like a vodka sauce color-wise, its flavor and texture fell short—especially when compared to some of the bolder jars. The consistency is quite thin and kept slipping off our rigatoni—a true frustration for a passionate pasta lover. In addition, it tasted bland—almost like it was missing something.

4th Place: Silver Palate

Silver Palate has a spicy kick to it. It’s creamy, well-blended, and delivers the picture-perfect hue a vodka sauce should have. Plus, it clung to our rigatoni so well. This is certainly more of a true “vodka” sauce than the previous options, with the vodka portion of the recipe really shining through. However, if spiciness and a pepper-forward flavor aren’t your thing, this jar may not be the best choice for you.

3rd Place: Carbone

Within the first bite, we were hooked on Carbone’s sweet tomato-forward flavor. It’s one we’d absolutely purchase again for pasta night. The only caveat? Although it’s labeled vodka sauce, it looks and tastes more like marinara, which seemed to be a surprising theme we discovered. 

The jar notes to add your own cream, which may be a drawback for some who seek a seamless, cost-efficient, one-and-done sauce. For us, we appreciated the option to control the brand and amount of heavy cream. That said, in its truest form, we’d classify it as marinara, which is why it didn’t secure the number one slot.

2nd Place: Di Bruno Bros.

This is one of those “books” I totally judged by its cover—or shall I say, cool label—and I’m actually glad I did. At first glance, Di Bruno Bros. looks very “herb-y” while staying true to the iconic blush-pink vodka sauce hue. Its rich flavor is also more herb-based than classic vodka sauce, but the basil honestly makes it a delicious, refreshing option. 

Another plus? While many jarred sauces have a laundry list of ingredients (including sugar and preservatives), Di Bruno’s sticks to its truest form: tomatoes, tomato puree, heavy cream, vodka, onion, canola oil, basil, parsley, unsalted butter, salt, and white pepper.

1st Place: Prego

Prego’s Creamy Vodka Sauce lives up to its name—it tastes rich and ultra-creamy. Plus, it looks the part, being one of the few we tried that resembles a classic vodka sauce. It has a smooth consistency and delivers a hint of the true “vodka” taste without being too overpowering. The thickness coated our rigatoni perfectly. Now, is it restaurant-level good? Not quite, but it’s certainly a reliable choice for busy weeknight dinners when you’re in the mood for vodka sauce.