Specially Selected Premium Marinara

Aldi does not lack when it comes to tomato-based pasta sauce choices. They sell sauces to suit every taste and dietary need. I particularly appreciate that Aldi sells several marinara sauces that do not contain added sugar. One no-sugar-added sauce is the Simply Nature Organic Marinara Sauce, and another is the Specially Selected Premium Marinara. Here, we’ll take a look at the Specially Selected Premium Marinara.

Specially Selected Premium Marinara

Specially Selected Premium Marinara cost $2.89 for a 24-oz. jar at the time of publication. It’s a Regular Buy, which means it’s available in stores all year. It also comes in a vodka variety, which we have not tried.

The jar for the marinara sauce says, “Sweet Italian tomatoes, onion and garlic make a perfect sauce for pasta.” The sauce is gluten free.

Ingredients are simple and recognizable: Italian tomatoes, olive oil, onion, salt, garlic puree (garlic, water), basil, black pepper, and dried oregano.

Specially Selected Premium Marinara Ingredients

Specially Selected Premium Marinara ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

One jar contains about six servings, with one 1/2-cup serving netting you 90 calories, 7 grams of total fat (8% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 350 mg of sodium (15% DV), 7 grams of total carbohydrates (2% DV), 2 grams of dietary fiber (5% DV), 4 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein.

Specially Selected Premium Marinara Nutrition Information

Specially Selected Premium Marinara nutrition information. (Click to enlarge.)

I served this marinara sauce with cooked spaghetti noodles and some ready-to-heat meatballs from Aldi. This sauce tasted fine, but my family did not think it was the most flavorful pasta sauce. We prefer Aldi’s Simply Nature Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce instead and will probably stick with that. The Simply Nature sauce is a bit higher in sodium than this Specially Selected Sauce, but it’s also lower in calories than this Specially Selected sauce (50 calories per serving versus 90 calories), and it costs slightly less. The good news is that you can decide for yourself which sauce you like best.

The Verdict:

Aldi’s Specially Selected Premium Marinara has no added sugar and contains all easily identifiable ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, olive oil, and garlic. It’s a little on the bland side and is not our favorite no-sugar-added pasta sauce, but it’s decent if you’re looking for a healthier marinara sauce.

About Rachael

Rachael is the Co-founder of Aldi Reviewer. When she isn't busy shopping at Aldi, she enjoys cooking, gardening, writing gothic romance, and collecting more houseplants than she probably should. You can learn more about her at rachaelsjohnston.com.

2 Comments

  1. This is an insult to pasta sauce. I can easily copy this by adding 30% water, stop. Or I could make it from scratch with tomato juice a couple specks of diced tomato a – of pepper and whatever all of oil accidentally drops in. Wala pasta with water filling up the sides of your dish. You have a pasta island with specks of tomato in the pasta sitting in the center of a dish of red water.

    • Not gonna lie, it’s one of the worst pasta sauces I’ve ever eaten. It tastes of nothing. The ingredients look nice, which is why I bought it, but beyond insipid.

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