Have a Favorite Canned Pizza Sauce?

While I LOVE making my own sauce, having lived in my parents home for 2 years, it became next to impossible.  As much as my mother complained while I was a teen, it has increased 10-fold, either because I'm simmering for too long, or the oven is turned on too high.  As a result, I tested a few canned pizza sauces.  The only one I found which was ok for a basic pizza was Chef Boy R Dee pizza sauce.  I know, I know......but Pizza Quik and Contandina Pizza sauces were the other 2 choices out in Northern VA at most grocery stores.
 
Anyone here have a tried and true fave pizza sauce not from scratch?  Now that I'm in Seattle and have more options, it's likely I might have better access to other brands I haven't tried yet.
 
And yes, I make my own, I just don't always have the opportunity.

Pastorelli's

I like Pastene, but doubt you'll find it out your way. Trader Joes also has some good canned sauces.

There's a line of canned sauces called Don Pepino that is somewhat of a cult item, usually only available in South Jersey. It's a real old school Mom & Pop operation. Their canned pizza sauce is really good. 

Recently our local Big lots in Union County NJ (North Jersey) had a supply of thier 15 oz pizza sauce for 90 cents each, I bought 10 of them and we've been having fun making English Muffin Pizzas for the past month.

Plus I like the 50's era graphics on thier products.

http://www.donpepino.com/don-pepino-pizza-sauce.html

Pastorill's it is!

I really love Muir Glen organic tomato sauce with some basil & oregano sprinkled in; could not be easier.

Once it a severe crunch I spread Muir Glen's tomato paste as a sauce.  Turned out so good, I frequently just use it thinned down a little bit with tomato juice from canned tomatos if I have an open can in the fridge.

Tony Bad


I like Pastene, but doubt you'll find it out your way. Trader Joes also has some good canned sauces.

 
http://www.pastene.com/ 
 
Also give Cento a try.  Very thick stuff.

joerogo

 
http://www.pastene.com/ 
 
Also give Cento a try.  Very thick stuff.

 Thanks for that link Joe. I see that they now have DOP tomatoes. Good stuff!

http://www.pastene.com/san_marzano.html

We have only one chain in the area that sells their products. Not sure why, as they are quite good.

Hey, look HERE!. You can get their pizza sauce online!

I just bought some "Don Pepino" (from Williamstown, NJ, wherever that is...) 

I got it because it was a good price, to use on pasta. How is "pizza sauce" different from regular prepared "tomato sauce"?

Nancypalooza


I really love Muir Glen organic tomato sauce with some basil & oregano sprinkled in; could not be easier.

Muir Glen also makes an organic pizza sauce but I too usually make my own sauce with just their tomato sauce. I posted my pizza sauce recipe on Roadfood.com in another thread somewhere - probably Another Saturday, Another Pizza.

Pastorelli's!!!

Ken, I am with you about Don Pepino!

A&P carries it, and I think it is like $1.09 a can, regular price.

I do not use it for pizza sauce. My son uses ALL of it for plenty of other things. Calamari, mozzarella & eggplant stick dipping sauce, and DP is his quick pasta sauce, of choice. So, I buy it and it disappears, quickly.

This is interesting. Don Pepino claims to be America's first fully prepared pizza sauce (New Jersey):
http://www.donpepino.com/don-pepino-pizza-sauce.html
So does Pastorelli's (Illinois):
http://www.pastorelli.com/wdk_pas/wcm/content/products/retail_products_.jsp
Before the Internet, it was easy to make this mistake.

Most of the brands mentioned here are regional brands. It seems every small company that makes or distributes canned tomato products has a pizza sauce. In this area, I have tried all the brands mentioned here (including the Sclafani brand, also made by Don Pepino's manufacturer), but also Palmieri (New Haven, CT), Casa Visco (Schenectady, NY),  DelGrosso (Tipton, PA),  Napoli Foods (Waterbury, CT), L. E. Roselli's (Medford, NJ), Cento (Thorofare, NJ), Furmano's (Northumberland, PA), and a few more I forgot the names of. There is a certain sameness to these brands, but they are of higher quality than the national brands.

Having said that, I now use doctored-up Ragu Pizza Sauce, Homemade Style. That is because I try to emulate Shakey's Pizza sauce, which has a kick. The Ragu sauce is cheap when on deal, about $1.29.

I don't mean to go against the spirit of the thead (which I respect immensely), but has anyone just used just plain ol' canned tomatoes, seasoned with your choice of seasoning?  s/p/red pepper flakes/whatever?

I find that the fresh flavor is really great on pizza, rather than the cooked, and then cooked again (on the pizza) flavor.  All just a matter of taste of course, but I'd recommend giving Pomi strained tomatoes with the choice of your spices, raw, on your next pizza!

Absolutely! That is why DP is not the sauce I personally use for pizza.

It is wonderful for other things. 

I like Casa Visco myself..

I also use DP from time to time, but also like the Chef Boyardee that comes in the pizza kits. We were pretty poor growing up, so that was our Friday night pizza, no real mozzarella to put on it, just the packet that came with it. In as much that I can afford any pizza I want now, I still like that stuff. The last time I went to mom's she actually made me some, but put mozz on it. Good memories.

I used to cringe when my ex would bring home that awful Pizza Quick squirt bottle of sauce to make pizza with. Sacrilege!

Nowadays, I just take a can of whole roma tomatoes, one little can of paste, mix it up with olive oil, basil, oregano, onion and garlic powder, s&p, and call it pizza sauce.

Every time I make my sauce, I start with a can of this. It can be used straight from the can or herbally doctored, a pinch at a time. Excellent tomato taste with no additives. If you're lucky, they might be in your local grocery. I have to get mine shipped from Escalon in CA. (6) 28oz. cans postage inluded $16.50.   pb 

One of the places that I worked for in the 70's ran contract lunch counters in dept and 5&10 type variety stores. They used to distribute frozen crusts,cheese,and sauce for tabletop pizza ovens that they used in their concessions. The sauce they used was Kraft's 5 Star fully prepared pizza sauce. Nothing compared to the sauce for an out-of-the can Pizziera taste. I don't know if Kraft still makes the sauce. It was food service only in #10 cans. If you ever had a slice of Pizza made at a five and dime back when, it was probably this sauce.

Hello All,
Ragu Pizza Sauce is the one I get.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

Don Pepino for me. 
http://www.rosafoods.com/DP15ozpizza.html

Don't get me wrong, everyone, I LOVE making my own sauce!  However, sometimes I want pizza and for whatever reason can't make my own or feel too lazy to, lol.  I was just wondering if you all had found a different canned sauce than I've tried already.  Chef Boy R Dee is my guilty favorite, I found an online grocer I can order it from a a buck a can, but I like Don Pepino probably second to it.  I tried the Cento pizza sauce, but didn't really care for it.  I actually prefer to sue Cento tomato strips and fresh basil when making my own, but I thought their prepared pizza sauce tasted like jarred spaghetti sauce, not what I was looking for.

Thanks to everyone for suggestions and/or recipes!

I know that people from the midwest have recommended Pastorelli's Pizza Sauce out of Chicago. Imagine my surprise when I found it at a Shaw's supermarket in Stratford, Connecticut. I tried it and it is indeed very good. It is quite thick, like Shakey's uses in its restaurants. I am experimenting with doctoring it up. The list of ingredients gives a clue to its quality: Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Corn Oil, Imported Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Imported Pecorino Romano Cheese, Spices and Garlic. The can states they use San Marzano "style" tomatoes, what ever that means. No corn starch like in Chef Boy Ar Dee.
 
The best part is that it comes in a 8 oz can ($1.09) for a 12" pizza. The 15 oz can is $2.09, with no huge shipping charges from Chicago. Shaw's gets down as far as Darien, CT to New York City. Their stores are in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT. Unfortunately, I don't think Supervalu's Acme chain in New Jersey carries it. Folks in NJ, correct me if I am wrong.

I've taste-tested a bunch of canned pizza sauces since I make my own pizza dough. Don Pepino's is very good! Tallarico's no- -- give it a miss. Mid's, which I get at Wegman's, is about B+. Don Pepiono's in the cheery yellow can, has a lot of crushed tomato action, perrfect for my old fashioned 'tomato pie' or Trenton-style pizza. Hey Guido, pass the crushed red pepper!!

Classico now makes a good pizza sauce: "Traditional di Napoli".
 
Use that over a Safeway deli pizza dough (Safeway Select Traditional Italian) and the party has started.