I just found out that Prego is American and now I need to look for the alternatives.
I would highly recommend making your own. Tomato sauce is one of the easiest things to make and tastes worlds better than any jar sauce you can find.
I make mine from canned whole tomatoes
I take my enameled cast iron, put in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, low heat, add garlic.
Take the canned tomatoes, strain them, crush them in the strainer, then add them to the oil. Save the liquid.
After the tomatoes cook a while I add the liquid in slowly and stir, and add spices until it cooks down into a sauce.
Taste liberally, I like to cook off the acidity tomato flavour which means a longer cook.
If you want pizza sauce add some sugar.
Farm boy has their own brand of “Prepared in Canada” pasta sauces: https://www.farmboy.ca/canada-products/#mobile-canada-chart
Primo sauces are apparently made in Toronto (they are also a Canadian company). Easily available, but nothing like the sauce my parents make every year 😁
I am all for making my own.
I have a couple of sticks of rhubarb so I am thinking of making some pasta sauce with that.
Stefano’s from Montreal is great.
It’s made with high quality ingredients, and is also gluten free for those who require that.
https://www.stefanofaita.com/en/product/sauces-en/
We find them available in Ontario at Farmboy and Metro.
Their website says widely distributed across Canada including Loblaws, Whole Foods, Sobey’s, Save-On, Safeway and even Co-op.
Seconded.
Just start with a Canadian made passata, and add your own herbs and spices.
If you’re in or near Quebec, check out Délices d’Autrefois meat sauces. Three meat, homestyle, smoked meat, Alfredo…
I use the smoked meat one as a lasagna sauce.
Found at IGA, and Metro. Possibly other places.
My favorite: https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en/recipes/5335-spaghetti-sauce-the-best
But I also use my mom’s basic, cold pot, set to medium, add olive oil, fine mince soffrito and fry in olive oil, when the onions are soft add as much minced garlic as you like, stir for a minute, add tomato paste, stir and fry until dark red, add canned whole tomatoes (I use the Rosso Gargano tomatoes they sell at Costco but any will do, or if you have fresh roma tomatoes you can blanch and peel them, and add passata)
Once you have the pot bubbling, reduce to low. From here you can just cook for an hour or two for a simple sauce.
I like to fry a pork and beef blend at the beginning, remove it and add it back a bit after the tomatoes are in to get a Bolognese.
If I have time and I’m making a bigger batch, I’ll start it in the morning, add a rack or two of babyback ribs, and let simmer all day. You should be plucking meatless bones from your sauce by the time it’s done. This is more of a Sunday gravy, when people are coming over.
Some people add red wine to their tomato sauces. I rarely do that unless it’s a specific sauce that calls for it, but if I do I add it right after the tomato paste has darkened, and deglaze the pan before adding the tomatoes.
