"Jarred pasta sauce used to be a budget item, with even $5 jars widely being considered expensive. So when Rao's showed up on shelves priced at $8 or more it seemed outrageous ... until people tried it. It turns out that the high-quality ingredients and recipe used by the iconic New York restaurant really did make a better jarred pasta sauce; Rao's started topping jarred pasta sauce taste tests and building a devoted following."
"Some people are certain Campbell's has altered the recipe, saying "Sooooo disappointed. The[y] 100% changed the recipe," and more intensely "It's garbage now. Tastes no different from $1 pasta sauce but still carries a premium price." While Campbell's said it would not touch the recipe some have speculated that they downgraded quality, saying "I'd be surprised if they didn't change the sourcing (like on olive oil) to increase their return on investment.""
Rao's jarred pasta sauce commanded premium prices after consumers found its high-quality ingredients and restaurant recipe produced superior taste. Campbell's acquired Rao's for $2.7 billion, a move that confirmed commercial success and raised concerns about potential alterations. Consumer opinions are divided: some shoppers insist the recipe has been changed and quality downgraded, while others detect no difference and continue to prefer the sauce. Packaging and ingredient lists photographed in 2025 still show Italian whole peeled tomatoes, olive oil, onions, salt, garlic, basil, black pepper, and oregano. Campbell's publicly stated that it would not change the recipe.
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