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"Supermarket shelves are groaning with jarred pasta sauces. After tasting 11 of them from this single &#173;category, we concluded that which sauce you pick really, really matters. Quality differs tremendously.Among tomato-basil sauces, we found startling variations in consistency (from watery to pasty) and flavor (from basil-free to far-too-much funny-tasting basil). One sauce tasted like a pot of overcooked onions. But there are very good tomato-&#173;basil sauces available&#8213;and these are our favorites.&#160;OUR TOP PICK:&#160;Rao&#8217;s Homemade Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce with BasilGet it: $9 (24-ounce bottle), available at many large supermarkets and gourmet grocery stores.Testers said: We can hear you now&#8213;$9 for a jar of tomato sauce? Consider, though: Half a jar can feed four people for a dollar-and-change per diner. Rao&#8217;s struck tasters as very fresh-tasting, a balanced mix of fruity olive oil, tomato, and basil. This will work in a recipe&#8213;like lasagna&#8213;in which you want homemade flavor without the time investment.VERY GOOD:&#160;Bove&#8217;s Basil Pasta SauceGet it: $5 (26-ounce bottle), available at many supermarketsTesters said: Some raters thought Bove&#8217;s captured the essence of homemade tomato sauce. It was the only sauce that contained Parmesan cheese, and the cheesy flavor and herby notes gave this sauce a pizzeria quality. Great for pizzas, calzones, or meatball subs.GOOD:&#160;Emeril&#8217;s All Natural Tomato &amp; Basil Pasta SauceGet it: $5 (25-ounce bottle), available at supermarketsTesters said: Most testers noted sweetness and a subtle basil taste. This sauce also received high marks for its tomato flavor and texture, which one rater said was &#8220;smooth but not too acidic.&#8221; Use this sauce in dishes where you can cut its sweetness with fat or spice. Try it in lasagnas or cheese-stuffed shells, fiery shrimp fra diavolo, or with hot Italian sausage.GREAT VALUE:&#160;Classico Tomato &amp; Basil Pasta SauceGet it: $3 (24-ounce bottle), available at supermarketsTesters said: Basil makes a minor &#173;appearance in this choice, but many welcomed the garlicky flavor in a slightly thinner tomato-based sauce. Adding a little fresh basil at home yields a balanced option that could work on pizzas, baked pastas, or in vegetable soups.From the Test Kitchen: 3 Tips for Using Jarred SauceBoost flavors with fresh additions. Up the ante by adding hot Italian sausage or ground beef to pasta sauces. Other stir-in flavor boosters: a sprinkle of coarsely ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, or fresh grated lemon rind; a drizzle of balsamic vinegar; or a modest grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano.&#160;Think outside the pasta box. These sauces will enrich stew or soup broths, substitute for a good pizza sauce, and can be used in Spanish rice or to simmer eggs.&#160;Love the leftovers. Warm sauce makes a good dip for breadsticks or focaccia, works well over roast beef or in a meatball sandwich, and can serve as a base for a pan sauce for saut&#233;ed chicken, pork, or fish.&#160;_______________________________________________________________________________How We TestMethod. We &#173;conducted two blind tests of 11 sauces. The first evaluation by 8 judges weeded out the obvious losers. In the second test, 6 food editors and chefs rated the top 6 sauces, which were warmed and served over spaghetti.Nutritional guidelines. Our top nutrition consideration was sodium: We selected sauces with less than 700 milligrams of sodium per 1&#8260;2-cup serving.&#160;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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