Home Sauces spreads dips Copycat Ragu Pasta Sauce

Copycat Ragu Pasta Sauce

by Ann
38 comments

Adapted from The Fiery Redhead

Copycat Ragu Pasta Sauce ~ Sumptuous Spoonfuls #ragu #copycat #pasta #sauce


To be honest with you, I’ve been a lover of Ragu pasta sauce ever since the early days of the World Wide Web. I was tasked to create a web site for the organization I worked for and went to a conference to learn more … and everyone at the conference was singing the praises of Ragu for their internet presence. They had the clever idea to snag the domain “eat.com” … and I can’t tell you how many times the name “Ragu” was said at that conference.

Well, it’s not like I had never heard of Ragu before that conference, but as an early internet web site “developer”, I was impressed with their ingenuity and strategy for building a meaningful connection to their audience. I started buying Ragu pasta sauce partly because I loved the taste, but partly because I just loved what they were doing as a pioneer on the web. My kids have grown up on their sauces … and even though I’ve now converted to a “mostly homemade” mindset, I had never entertained the idea of trying to replicate a Ragu sauce. Until this year.

Its seems to me like it’s been an overwhelmingly good tomato year here. Perhaps this year is not really any better than the rest … it’s just that my parents who grow this gargantuan garden every year are getting older. Dad had knee surgery, mom hurt her foot, and they tell me “we’re just canning tomato juice and salsa this year and then we’re done.” Now, canning tomato juice and salsa is no small effort (I can attest to that after helping with one of their batches of salsa … I was exhausted!) … but still, after I don’t even know how many jars they’ve canned, there are tons of tomatoes on the vine and I can’t bear to see all their hard work go to waste. I brought a bunch home and canned as many as I could. They have done so much more than me … my cupboards are full and still, there are tomatoes and tomatoes and more tomatoes.

So, in the thinking of “what shall I do with all of these tomatoes?”, the idea struck me to make some of the same sauce we’ve known and loved for so many years. My kids prefer the Sweet Italian Sausage and Cheese variety, and that is what I intended to replicate, but I forgot to get some Italian sausage at the store. Still, the sauce tastes very much like the sauce we know and love from Ragu and I am excited to try making something with it … no, I haven’t quite settled what we will make yet. Anyway, I’ve got a nice batch of homemade fresh tomato pasta sauce in my fridge, just waiting for easy homemade deliciousness. I’m convinced just about anything I make will be good because the sauce is just THAT scrumptious … and hey, if you’ve got a great sauce, you’ve got a great dish.

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Copycat Ragu Pasta Sauce

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: More than 1 quart of sauce 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
  • 1/4 cup onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 29 oz. (or 1 quart jar) of tomato sauce
  • 1 lb of fresh garden tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped (or 15-oz canned)
  • 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes until the onion is tender.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 – 45 minutes or until the sauce is thickened to your liking.
  3. Remove the bay leaf. Let cool a bit, then blend until smooth. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge.

Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

© Copyright 2014, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.

Copycat Ragu Pasta Sauce ~ Sumptuous Spoonfuls #ragu #copycat #pasta #sauce

This recipe was shared at Melt in your Mouth Monday, Mostly Homemade MondayTuesday’s TableTotally Talented Tuesday, The Wednesday Roundup and Moonlight & Mason Jars.

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38 comments

Debi September 14, 2014 - 2:33 am

Seriously?! My boys love Ragu! Thank you, sweet Ann! <3

Reply
Petrina February 25, 2023 - 11:10 am

I made this for my daughter who only eats Ragu jarred sauce. She absolutely loved it and I love that this doesn’t cone from a jar. Taste just like the jarred stuff.

Reply
swathi September 15, 2014 - 2:09 pm

Delicious I love ragu pasta sauce a lot, thanks for sharing with Hearth and Soul blog hop. Pinning and tweeting

Reply
Amy August 21, 2016 - 2:40 pm

Can you freeze this in big batches?

Reply
Ann August 21, 2016 - 9:35 pm

Hi Amy,

Yes, you can freeze this. There will be a slight texture change in the texture in the tomatoes, but it’s not noticeable to most people. I often freeze this pasta sauce because my kids use a small amount at a time … they are exceedingly picky about taste and texture, but they haven’t noticed a difference between the “fresh” and the “frozen, then thawed” version yet!

Thanks for asking,

Ann

Reply
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Janel Hruza August 26, 2018 - 8:58 am

Can you can this recipe?

Reply
Ann August 26, 2018 - 9:17 pm

Great question, Janel. I have not tried canning this recipe. You could definitely use a pressure canner to safely can it, but if you are going to go the water bath method, I would recommend testing the PH and, if it’s under the safe limit, adding some citric acid to ensure that it is safe for canning. Let me know if you try it!

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Lori Nicklas January 6, 2020 - 7:27 pm

Is there a way I can can this recipe? Do I need to add lemon juice? Sugar?

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Ann January 6, 2020 - 10:05 pm

You can certainly pressure can it … I can’t say for sure whether it would be safe to can it with a water bath. Possibly with the addition of some citric acid, but I would recommend testing the acidity. Here’s a post that gives general guidelines for canning pasta sauce: https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/garden-to-table/how-to-can-spaghetti-sauce. Ideally you’d want to test the ph level to make sure it’s below the recommended safe level for water canning.

Reply
Terita McCoy April 6, 2020 - 11:24 am

Is it possible to use Italian seasoning in place of all the other herbs & get same results?

Reply
Ann April 6, 2020 - 6:12 pm

Hello Terita,

I think you could use 1/3 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning in place of the fresh basil, yes, or 1/3 Tablespoon of dried basil. Use fresh garlic cloves and fresh onion if you can. I would still add the black pepper, parsley and bay leaf, if you have them on hand.

Thanks for asking,

Ann

Reply
Juliana Bernard April 30, 2020 - 5:42 pm

Is there any paprika in any ragu sauce store bought

Reply
Ann April 30, 2020 - 6:07 pm

I can’t speak to the store-bought Ragu pasta sauce … you’d have to read the ingredient list on the jar.

Reply
Juliana Bernard April 30, 2020 - 5:44 pm

I am severely allergic to paprika and I want to know if one of the ingredients is paprika

Reply
Ann April 30, 2020 - 6:05 pm

There is no paprika in my recipe, no.

Reply
Amanda November 27, 2020 - 10:19 am

Hey! I haven’t tried your recipe yet but and eager to do so as ragu is discontinued in Canada. I’m just wondering for the recipe what brand of tomato sauce you used as ragu is not available to me. Thanks in advance

Reply
Ann November 27, 2020 - 4:06 pm

Hello Amanda,

I didn’t know Ragu was discontinued in Canada! That’s sad.

For this recipe, you can use any brand of tomato sauce you like, just make sure to use plain tomato sauce, not flavored sauce like Ragu.

Thanks for asking,

Ann

Reply
Cathy February 11, 2021 - 1:53 pm

Just making this, smells divine! Is there no salt in this recipe?? Just wondering 😊

Reply
Ann February 14, 2021 - 6:41 pm

Hi Cathy,

I’m so excited you tried this! There really is no salt in the recipe. The cheese is salty, so perhaps that is why. That said, you can certainly add salt if you feel it needs it!

Hope you enjoyed the recipe.

Ann

Reply
Kathy April 24, 2021 - 2:57 pm

Does this taste live the Traditional sauce or the Homemade?

Reply
Tina May July 14, 2021 - 10:50 am

I am working intently to find a way to make the Traditional Ragu brand sauce the way it was for years before they changed it and added Olive Oil (and the flavor we all love so). Is this closest to that original Traditional one?
Thank you in advance, you may well be a miracle worker and a saint!

Reply
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Michele Gavin March 13, 2022 - 10:30 pm

Hi….. I have never made scratch pasta sauce. I grew up in ragu and now, they are no longer selling it in Canada ….. when you say “core” the tomato, does that mean to seed it as well? Or just take the white core from the very centre? I don’t want to mess it up…. I know there are no seeds in ragu, but it is blended so I don’t know or that takes care of the seeds. Thank so much for posting…. Excited to try it ..

Reply
Ann March 14, 2022 - 7:28 pm

Hello Michele,

I don’t bother taking the seeds out, just remove the white core from the center. Don’t worry about messing it up! You’ll still have a tasty sauce regardless. 🙂

If you try it the first time and you find you don’t like the seeds, you can always make the next batch without seeds.

I hope you like this sauce as much as your beloved Ragu.

Thanks,

Ann

Reply
Michele Gavin March 13, 2022 - 10:36 pm

I was devastated when it was discontinued in Canada . My husband went out and got 16 jars wherever he could find it, he even found a bunch in a small corner store. This recipe may be a lifesaver….

Reply
Tina October 10, 2022 - 1:21 pm

I made it without the Parmesan, and it’s absolutely perfect! It smells and tastes amazing and is, hands down, the best homemade sauce I’ve ever had. You can’t even tell it’s homemade 😍

Reply
Ann October 10, 2022 - 7:05 pm

Tina, that’s awesome! I’m so glad you love the sauce. Thanks for taking the time to post a review. 🙂

Reply
Pauette October 31, 2022 - 12:43 am

can this be made in instant pot

Reply
Ann October 31, 2022 - 7:08 pm

Hi Pauette,

I don’t see why not! I am not sure how to reduce it in the Instant Pot, though. Perhaps keep it in Saute mode?

Let me know if you try it in an Instant Pot!

Ann

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Sarena April 19, 2023 - 10:01 am

A couple years ago here in Canada, Regu dissapeared from the grocery shelves. I made my own sauce but it’s not the same and my husband hasn’t enjoyed spaghetti since. I am excited to try this recipe!

Reply
Donna July 23, 2023 - 3:26 pm

Five Stars!! I live in Canada and it has been a long time since I have had Ragu Pasta Sauce. This recipe reminds me of it. My tomato sauce was too acidic so I had to add a pinch of Baking Soda but that was the only change I made. Will definitely make again! Thank you for the recipe!

Reply
Ann July 23, 2023 - 5:21 pm

Why thank you for the five star review, Donna! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. 🙂

Ann

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Monika December 27, 2023 - 7:50 pm

I made this sauce with my home canned Roma tomatos. Turned out wonderful!

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