This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Quick & Easy 30-minute meal that will transport you back to Italy. World’s BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara is made with the best marinara sauce.
A plane ticket to Italy ~ $1000
Rao’s Homemade Pasta Sauce ~ $9
It’s apparent what’s more cost-efficient here, but I would totally justify spending $1000 to visit Italy again, but I can’t justify spending $9 on a bottle of Rao’s Homemade Marinara sauce.
I know my logic’s a bit off, but let’s face it, there are no shortcuts in getting to Europe without flying, however there are many good alternatives to delicious pasta sauces besides Rao’s. Agreed?
“Tried out this recipe today and it was a total hit. My kids had 3 servings.
So u can imagine how good it was. 👍🏼”
Chaitra
“Totally loved this recipe. So delicious and easy to make. Got swiped out very quickly! Definitely going to try other recipes from ur blog and tell my friends about it ❤️”
Jia
Table of Contents
- How did I hear about Rao’s Homemade Marinara?
- The Best Jarred Pasta Sauce
- Rao’s Pasta
- Ingredients
- Why You’ll Love World’s Best Spaghetti Rao’s Homemade Marinara
- How to make World’s Best Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara
- How to Serve Spaghetti
- Storage
- Tips on making World’s BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Pasta Dishes!
- World’s BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara Recipe
How did I hear about Rao’s Homemade Marinara?
When my friend, Marian, raved about how amazing Rao’s Homemade Pasta Sauce was almost a year ago, I was intrigued, but I did wonder if was it really as good as she said, and more importantly, was it really worth 9 bucks.
Since then, every time I visited the grocery store and walked past the pasta section, I couldn’t help but notice the ridiculous cost of Rao’s Pasta Sauce, but to my dismay, it was never on sale. And each time I’d settle for my other 2 favorite pasta sauces – Barilla and Classico – which worked perfectly well.
Recently though, I found Rao’s Homemade Sauce ON SALE, at $5.50 a jar. Imagine my excitement!
The Best Jarred Pasta Sauce
When I returned home and opened the jar of Rao’s Marinara Sauce and finally gave it a try, I couldn’t believe how RIGHT my friend was!
It was amazing.
It was light.
And so fresh.
Rao’s marinara sauce is made with minimal ingredients and imported from Italy.
And, yes indeed, it tasted homemade.
Like homemade spaghetti sauce.
It was the best marinara sauce I had ever had!
Rao’s Pasta
That night I made the simplest form of pasta I knew with the most basic ingredients – olive oil, garlic, onions, Parmesan cheese, and lots and lots of basil drowning in Rao’s sauce. This Rao’s Spaghetti dish comes together in just 30 minutes and makes a great weeknight meal.
When I took his first bite, I swear I felt I had been transported back to Italy. It was soooooooooo good. The moral is… if you can’t go to Italy, then bring Italy home with Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce which is priceless. And thank you, Rao’s! I am a convert for life.
Ingredients
- Rao’s Homemade Marinara: There is no debating, you must use Rao’s Homemade Marinara, or their Arriabiata sauce is amazing too if you like spice.
- Olive Oil: Any good quality olive oil will work.
- Crushed Red Pepper: I love spicy food, so I recommend lots of crushed red pepper for this one.
- Onion: Chopped white onions are what you’ll need.
- Garlic: There is nothing like fresh garlic in pasta, and make sure it’s chopped.
- Spaghetti: I love using whole-wheat spaghetti for additional fiber. Feel free to use regular white flour spaghetti or even gluten-free spaghetti for a gf option
- Spices: Salt and black pepper.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese tastes amazing in this dish, however you can make this dish without cheese because the sauce is incredible.
- Fresh Basil: Lots of fresh basil adds a ton of flavor to this dish.
Why You’ll Love World’s Best Spaghetti Rao’s Homemade Marinara
- Most Delicious Spaghetti
- Tastes Homemade, yet Gourmet
- Made with Simple Ingredients
- Transports you back to Italy
- Whole Wheat
- Comfort Food
- The BEST Pasta Sauce
How to make World’s Best Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara
Here’s how to make this recipe with step-by-step pictures.
Step 1 – Prep
1. Start by heating a pot of water for your pasta. In the meantime, finely chop an onion and 4 cloves of garlic.
2. Add uncooked spaghetti to boiling water along with salt. Follow the directions on the package and cook until al dente.
Step 2 – Cook the Pasta
1. Heat a pot on medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes.
2. Once the pepper flakes sizzle for about 10 seconds, add garlic. Saute for 20 seconds.
3. Now add onions. Season with a little salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes until golden.
4. Add the Rao’s Marinara sauce – you’ll need 32 ounces of sauce for this recipe. It’s amazing so hope you’re using it.
5. Season with 1/2 tsp of black pepper and salt to taste. Stir.
6. Cover with a lid for about 10 minutes.
7. In the meantime, check on the spaghetti – should be done or close to it.
8. Now add all the cooked pasta to the sauce.
9. Toss well. Add 1/2 cup of reserved starchy pasta water – more if needed. Toss. Turn off the stove. Season with salt or black pepper as needed.
10. Add the basil. Toss some more.
11. Add parmesan cheese. Toss. This makes it nice and creamy.
12. Top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. It’s insanely good.
How to Serve Spaghetti
- Garlic Bread – If you want just some good ol’ comfort food, enjoy this delicious spaghetti with some garlic bread. I need to post my garlic bread recipe soon.
- Light Salad – If you’re looking to make this dish healthier, pair this pasta dish with a light salad – some arugula tossed with homemade balsamic.
- Red Wine – Are you having company? A glass of red wine would be delicious with this meal.
- Veggies – A side of sauteed spinach or roasted broccoli would be delicious.
Storage
World’s BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara lasts in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It tastes even better the next day.
Tips on making World’s BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara
- Boil the water for the pasta before you prep your ingredients.
- Boil your pasta at the same time you start sauteing the garlic and onions.
- Add the Rao’s Marinara Sauce and bring it to a simmer.
- Make sure to add hot pasta to the hot sauce. This allows the pasta to absorb all of the sauce.
- Also, add some reserved pasta water to create a creamy sauce.
- Finish off the dish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes!
For a vegan option, simply omit the Parmesan cheese or use vegan cheese.
For a gluten-free option, replace the whole-wheat spaghetti with gluten-free spaghetti.
Yes. Instead of 2 tbsp, you can use 1 tbsp of oil. It’s still delicious.
I wouldn’t go too crazy adding veggies to this spaghetti else it’ll take away from the pasta, however, some fresh spinach would be good in this pasta.
Instead of adding veggies to the pasta directly, a side of veggies would be a better alternative, such as sauteed spinach, roasted broccoli, and sauteed zucchini would all be wonderful.
A side of sauteed shrimp or chicken would be delicious. If you’re vegetarian, you can grill up some tofu.
Additionally, you can make some chicken, turkey, or beef meatballs and add them to this sauce. Essentially, this will feel as though you are having Spaghetti and Meatballs – always a classic choice. It’ll be so delicious with a boost of protein.
Your best bet is Costco! Costco sells two 28-ounce jars of Rao’s Marinara Sauce for about $11. It’s the best deal on the market.
You can also try Walmart or Target where a 24-ounce bottle is roughly $6 to $7.
Yes. Please trust me – YES! This post is NOT sponsored, I wish it were, but it’s not.
I know there are plenty of delicious marinara sauces on the market, but this truly is the BEST pasta sauce you’ll ever try. It’s worth buying, not to mention Rao’s sauce is made in Italy.
For extra indulgence, add a splash of heavy cream.
Once you add the sauce and bring it to a simmer, “slowly” add a splash of heavy cream. Add the heavy cream slowly so you don’t curdle the sauce by adding cold cream to a hot sauce.
Simmer for a minute and you’ll end up with a beautiful creamy pink sauce. Then go ahead and add your pasta followed by the rest of the ingredients.
Absolutely! If you’re not making your marinara sauce from scratch, use store-bought Marinara Sauce which works perfectly well for spaghetti.
More Pasta Dishes!
- Penne alla Vodka
- Baked Ziti with Spinach
- Spaghetti Vegetarian Quinoa Meatballs
- Tikka Masala Pasta
- Sun-Dried Tomato Spinach Pasta
- Mushroom Spaghetti
Tried this recipe? If so, please leave a comment & rate this recipe. That would mean so much to me. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I’m happy to share and mention you. Thank you!
World’s BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara
Video
Ingredients
- pot of water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 32 ounces Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
- 2 handfuls fresh basil, julienned
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, add more if needed
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
for garnish
- 1/2 tbsp parmesan cheese, optional
- fresh basil
Instructions
Step 1 – Prep
- Start by heating a pot of water for your pasta. In the meantime, finely chop an onion and 4 cloves of garlic.
- Add uncooked spaghetti to boiling water along with salt. Follow the directions on the package and cook until al dente.
Step 2 – Cook the Pasta
- Heat a pot on medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Once the pepper flakes sizzle for about 10 seconds, add garlic. Saute for 20 seconds.
- Now add onions. Season with a little salt. Saute for a 3-4 minutes until golden.
- Add the Rao’s Marinara sauce – you’ll need 32 ounces of sauce for this recipe. It’s amazing so hope you’re using it.
- Season with 1/2 tsp of black pepper and salt to taste. Stir.
- Cover with a lid for about 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, check on the spaghetti – should be done or close to it.
- Now add all the pasta to the sauce.
- Toss well. Add 1/2 cup of reserved starchy pasta water – more if needed. Toss. Turn off the stove. Season with salt or black pepper as needed.
- Add the basil. Toss some more.
- Add parmesan cheese. Toss. This makes it nice and creamy.
- Top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. It’s insanely good.
This was amazing! I added ground beef to the sauce, it was delicious!
I made this for my husband and I this past weekend and it was the best spaghetti we have ever had. I prefer a meat sauce so I added ground beef and then followed the recipe as written. This spaghetti is better than any Italian restaurant we have eaten at.
HI Karen. Thanks so much for your comment. Yes, this pasta would be delicious with ground beef or any ground meat. So glad to hear! Rao’s sauce is pretty amazing! 🙂
Just Delicious YUM
Delicious and easy to prepare. I added lean ground beef to it for more protein
Simple and delicious! I usually make tomato sauce from scratch but some nights I just want something easy. This recipe is great.
Quick, easy and delicious! What more could you ask for?!
I discovered Rao’s two years ago when Costco had it on sale. OMG this stuff is the best! There is absolutely no comparison!
I pair this with a salad or bread and I have one happy family!
I have found that 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes is the right amount for some of my spice sensitive family members.
Rao’s is certainly good but you honestly can do just as well by picking up the cans of the San Marzano tomatoes, either the Kirkland or the Cento brand at Costco. Break up the fruits by hand, stir in a little EVOO, some salt, some basil, some sauteed garlic, simmer an hour, and WaLaa, Reo’s!
Thanks for your comment.
I love Rao’s, especially their Arabiatta sauce. In case no one has mentioned before you can get the Arabiatta at a lower price at Target.