It doesn’t matter if you want to make pasta or add topping to the Italian bread, it’s needless to say that pasta sauce is the ultimate option. People who love Italian food often have pasta sauce as the staple in the pantry because it’s the most versatile sauce out there.
For this reason, there are multiple options available but you don’t want to ruin the recipe’s flavor due to all the guesswork, right? For this reason, we are sharing information on Ragu vs. Prego, so you can choose the right sauce!
Ragu vs Prego
Ragú
Ragu is the tomato paste that’s actually filled with nutrition. That’s because it has carbs, protein, sugar, fiber, calories, fat, and sodium. As far as the ingredients are concerned, Ragu sauce has tomato puree, sugar, salt, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, and spices. Moreover, dehydrated garlic and onions are also added to elevate the flavor. Not to forget, the glass jar seals in the spices and flavors.
When it comes down to the sauce, it has a very unique consistency and appearance. To illustrate, when you open the lid to the Ragu jar, you will see some chunks on the tops but the other part of the jar is filled with orange-red sauce. The sauce has a runny consistency. However, we would like to add that Ragu isn’t very filling or hearty, so it will not overpower the recipe in any case.
As far as the taste is concerned, this is nothing too special about it because the overall taste is average. Ragu sauce doesn’t have the umami punch that people often opt for (it is even after the manufacturers have added the Romano cheese in the sauce). According to the culinary experts, the sauce’s taste would be a lot better if they just added some sugar.
That being said, Ragu sauce isn’t as thick and rich as they advertise and it doesn’t have the richness either. One would think that Romano cheese can add richness to the sauce but it failed to do so. In case you are concerned about the uses, it is widely used as spaghetti sauce but it can be used with other Italian recipes as well. All in all, it has a smooth consistency and can add flavor to the recipe.
Prego
To begin with, this is another famous tomato sauce that has famous among people who want premade tomato sauce. The sauce has fiber, sugar, protein, sodium, fats, and calories, so the nutritional profile is pretty satisfactory. When it comes down to the ingredients, Prego sauce has tomato puree, canola oil, dehydrated garlic and onions, diced tomatoes, salt, citric acid, and spices.
Prego sauce is a perfect sauce for people who want a consistent and smooth consistency. There are garlic chunks or spice flecks in the sauce, so that’s a good thing. All in all, the consistency and appearance are pretty much alike to other marinara sauces available in the stores. As for the flavor, it has a traditional flavor, and wouldn’t be wrong to call it a classic.
Moreover, the addition of sodium doesn’t make it extra salty (it’s a good thing, of course) but there are no acidic or sweet undertones in the sauce either. If you ask us, we love the well-balanced flavor and it’s simple enough to add flavor to the recipes. In addition, the sauce is versatile enough to be added to lean seafood, fatty meat cuts, and vegetables (the light ones).
Prego sauce has an extremely uniform and thin texture and it will easily spread on the food. Sure, it has the smallest pieces of tomatoes but it still doesn’t impact the uniform consistency. When you first open the lid, it might not have the most distinctive flavor but the overall flavor is tangy as it’s made from original Italian spices.
However, it is essential to note down that the sauce’s flavor is transformed when it’s cooked or warmed. This is because warming the sauce brings out the sugar which elevates the flavor of the sauce. Also, the sauce is made from sweet and ripened tomatoes. In addition, there are savoring seasonings and herbs in the sauce while are identifiable in every bite you take. All in all, it can be used as a base for homemade pasta sauces and you can also add it directly into the recipe.