Jarred pasta sauces often have a lot of added sugar, so I like to look for varieties that don’t. For several years, Aldi has carried just such a sugar-free pasta sauce.
Simply Nature Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce was $1.89 for a 25-oz. jar (about 7 cents per ounce) at the time of publication, while a name-brand Prego sauce without added sugar cost around 8 cents per ounce from Walmart.
There is another Simply Nature Organic Pasta Sauce from Aldi that is Tomato Basil-flavored and does not contain added sugar, but I don’t have experience with that variety.
Simply Nature Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
The ingredients list is simple and straightforward for the Marinara sauce: organic tomato puree (water, organic tomato paste), organic diced tomatoes in organic tomato juice, salt, organic dried onion, organic dried garlic, organic garlic powder, organic dried basil, and organic dried oregano.
I appreciate that the sauce does not have any highly processed ingredients, chemical additives, or fillers. It seems to be about as clean as it gets in terms of easily identifiable ingredients.
Simply Nature Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce nutrition information. (Click to enlarge.)
One jar has about six 1/2 cup servings, and each serving contains 50 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 490 mg of sodium (21% of your daily value), 10 grams of total carbohydrates (3% DV), 2 grams of dietary fiber (7% DV), 6 grams of sugars (but not added cane sugar), and 2 grams of protein.
It seems a bit high on sodium, but it’s the same amount per serving as what’s in other name-brand jarred marinara sauces such as this Prego brand that also contains no sugar.
The sauce is certified organic by Quality Assurance International, one of the world’s largest certifiers.
I use Simply Nature Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce in everything from spaghetti and meatballs to lasagna to casseroles like spaghetti pie. It’s also great served as a dip for toasted ravioli.
And I always appreciate the fact that my family is getting a serving of veggies with no added sugar.
The Verdict:
Simply Nature Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce has no added sugar and no highly processed ingredients: just lots of veggies. It’s a little high on sodium but is comparable to other well-known pasta sauce brands in that aspect. It’s a good sauce for spaghetti and meatballs or whatever Italian-inspired dish you want to make.
Has anyone else noticed that the size has shrunk rather drastically?
I would not say the sauce is a little high in sodium but high sodium as are other pasta sauces and other convenient foods sold. Any food that has 350 milligrams of sodium or more is considered too much sodium for an individual on a daily basis. Thank you for all your information about Aldi’s products.
This is one of the best jar tomatoe/pasta sauces I’ve ever had. I made a small pot of meatballs in this sauce and then made pasta to go with it, sprinkled with some Parmesan cheese and it is a fantastic sauce I would highly recommend. It is not acidic and especially when you cook it with meat the flavor becomes even better. My new favorite!