I tried all the jarred pasta sauces I could find at Trader Joe's and ranked them from worst to best

Trader Joe's organic marinara sauce was my least-favorite option.

Trader Joe's offers several types of marinara sauce, but the organic version seemed to be the most basic of them all. It had a mellow sweet-tomato flavor and a pretty red color, but other than that, there wasn't much going on.

The consistency, like most marinara sauces, reminded me of salsa because it was simultaneously chunky and watery. It poured easily with minimal effort.

This sauce was a bit too basic for my liking.

When I tried this sauce with penne, I wasn't a big fan. In my opinion, the meager amount of herbs made it taste like more like ketchup than a pasta sauce.

That said, I think it might work as a cocktail sauce with some added horseradish.

Because Trader Joe's sells several more flavorful marinara sauces, though, I personally wouldn't buy this one again.

I thought the tomato-basil marinara tasted a lot like the organic version.

When I first tasted the tomato-basil marinara, I had to check the label on the sauce to make sure I didn't buy the organic marinara twice.

To be fair, there wasn't much of a difference between the ingredients in the two sauces, other than the fact that this one had more basil in it, which made it a touch brighter and more interesting.

I thought the tomato-basil marinara needed more flavor.

Unfortunately, the basil flavor in this sauce was faint, so it still tasted like something was missing.

I think it could be vastly improved if you're willing to doctor it up with some extra herbs. But at that point, it might defeat the purpose of using jarred pasta sauce.

However, I think it would be good as a dip for breadsticks or pizza crust.

The cacio e pepe wasn't quite what I was expecting.

Cacio e pepe is typically made with a few simple ingredients like butter, pepper, pasta water, and Parmesan. So, having a jarred version of such a simple sauce seemed a bit unnecessary to me.

Straight out of the jar, the sauce had a thick, creamy consistency, almost like a white gravy you'd put on biscuits.

For me, this sauce was too heavy on the pepper.

For me, Trader Joe's cacio e pepe sauce was too heavy on the salt and pepper.

I didn't like how the flavor lingered in my mouth even after washing it down with a glass of water. Plus, it seemed more oily than buttery.

In my opinion, this one tasted like a jarred Alfredo with a ton of black pepper mixed into it. It lacked the yummy, pure cheesiness I get when I make the dish from scratch, so I find it hard to justify buying it again.

Trader Joe's spicy chunky-tomato and pepper sauce was a standout.

In a sea of marinaras, Trader Joe's chunky-tomato and pepper sauce stood out for its spice.

In my experience, Trader Joe's items that are labeled as spicy can be pretty mild, so I was pleasantly by the mellow burn from this sauce.

It was a true standout with its layers of complex, spicy seasonings, bright-tomato flavor, and textured consistency. I'd buy it again, I just wouldn't pair it with pasta. In fact, I think it would be really good over some black beans and rice.

The Bolognese sauce was herby and meaty.

I'm not usually a huge fan of jarred meat sauces, but I was pleasantly surprised by Trader Joe's Bolognese.

For a premade Bolognese — especially one without wine or added sugar — it was quite good. The sauce contained a nice mix of dried herbs including thyme, oregano, fennel, and basil.

Texture-wise, Trader Joe's Bolognese sauce was thick but not as chunky as I expected. The beef is minced into such fine pieces that it felt inseparable from the sauce.

However, the sauce didn't have quite the same slow-cooked, full-bodied flavor as fresh Bolognese.

That said, a good Bolognese can be time-consuming to make from scratch, so Trader Joe's jarred version is a great substitute to make meaty pasta in record time.

I thought Trader Joe's Alfredo sauce was pretty good.

In my experience, most Alfredo sauces taste like under-seasoned cream. So, I was pleasantly surprised by the version from Trader Joe's.

Although the sauce was a bit too creamy for my liking, I think it's a solid premade option.

I'm not a huge fan of Alfredo sauce, but I thought Trader Joe's version was pretty good. It wasn't overly seasoned and got most of its saltiness from the cheese.

Although the Alfredo was a bit too rich for my liking, fans of extra creamy, cheesy flavors would probably dig it.

Overall, it tasted like a more mellow alternative to Trader Joe's cacio e pepe sauce.

The vegan Bolognese-style sauce surprised me.

Trader Joe's vegan Bolognese combines plant-based protein crumbles with tomatoes, vegetables, and other dried Italian herbs to form a concoction that captures the iconic beefy sauce without animal products.

I usually wouldn't seek out a vegan sauce, but this version of Bolognese hit the spot.

In my opinion, this is a really well-made, delicious sauce. It packed a pleasantly bright tomato flavor with basil and oregano.

The pea-protein crumbles did a nice job replicating that ground-beef texture and the subtle porcini-mushroom powder in the seasoning added a tasty layer of savory, meaty flavor.

I was still missing that wine taste typical of a Bolognese sauce, but then again, this flavor was also absent in Trader Joe's beefy Bolognese.

My only complaint was that it was very thin and watery — almost soup-like — so it didn't cling to the pasta as well as the other sauces.

Trader Joe's pesto rosso seemed more like a paste than a pasta sauce.

Pesto rosso is a variation of the typical green pesto, made with sun-dried tomatoes.

The consistency of Trader Joe's version was thick, like tomato paste, so it seemed better suited for spreading on sandwiches than mixed into pasta. However, I tried it with penne.

With the pesto rosso, a little goes a long way.

The pesto rosso had a smooth, sweet-tomato flavor with a strong cheesy overtone. The balsamic gave the pesto rosso a sharp bite that made it distinct from other tomato-cheese sauces I tried.

Trader Joe's pesto rosso is one of those sauces where you need a just dollop to get the flavor you're looking for.

Overall, it's a great ingredient to have on hand when you need an extra boost of tomato flavor without using a full liquid sauce. I'd definitely buy it again.

The pesto alla Genovese seems like it would be good in a variety of dishes.

There's a lot to love about Trader Joe's pesto alla Genovese, but my favorite part is that I could actually taste every ingredient that's supposed to be there.

In my experience, some store-bought pesto is overwhelmingly oily or drowning in so much salt that you can barely taste the basil.

On the contrary, Trader Joe's pesto alla Genovese had a pleasant basil flavor with a nice balance of nuttiness and salt. It was also surprisingly potent, so I think a little goes a long way.

The pesto alla Genovese was a solid option.

At first, the ultra-blended consistency and tiny jar made me think the pesto was more of a condiment than a sauce, but it tasted great on pasta.

However, I think it would also be great on top of chicken, grilled vegetables, paninis, and soups.

Though it's not as fresh tasting as the stuff in the refrigerated section, this sauce gets the job done when you're craving pesto. Plus, with the added convenience of a longer shelf life, you really get your bang for your buck here.

The three-cheese pomodoro sauce was my personal favorite.

"Pomodoro" translates to "tomato," which should serve as a reminder of who the star of this sauce is.

Trader Joe's three-cheese pomodoro sauce, which included Romano, Asiago, and Parmesan, was splendid. For me, the most notable quality was the delicate, yummy sweetness of the tomatoes that I didn't get from many of the other sauces.

I also loved that there were large chunks of tomato and that the sauce had a rustic, home-cooked feel to it. I'd buy this again to ladle over stuffed shells with even more cheese.

The pomodoro sauce is probably my personal favorite of the roundup, but because it might not be as versatile as Trader Joe's other options, I can't say it's the best sauce from the chain.

Trader Joe's creamy tomato-basil sauce was impressive.

Where the classic tomato-basil marinara left a lot to be desired, Trader Joe's creamy tomato-basil sauce had me wanting to lick the bottom of my plate.

This sauce was incredibly rich, flavorful, and delicious. I found it to be similar in consistency and taste to a tomato bisque because it was lusciously creamy with bits of the fruit popping up here and there.

The creamy tomato-basil sauce was rich and flavorful.

Though the sauce was creamy, it didn't feel heavy. It definitely tasted more decadent than a typical marinara, but it didn't stick to the sides of my mouth like other cream sauces do.

The Parmesan was more prominent than I anticipated, but I thought it added a much-needed layer of salt to round out the sauce. Add a sprig of fresh basil to bring out the herbs even more, and this stuff is pure gold straight out of the jar.

The roasted-garlic marinara was the best sauce I tried.

Trader Joe's roasted-garlic sauce had the same consistency and, for the most part, the same ingredients as the other marinaras I tried.

However, the roasted garlic truly elevated this into a league of its own, adding an extra dimension of irresistible flavor. Even the smell of it warming up on the stove made my nostrils flare in anticipation.

The roasted-garlic marinara is a great pour-and-go sauce.

Though the flavor was prominent, it didn't overshadow the tomatoes or other herbs, so it tasted quite well-rounded.

It's not too sweet or salty, so unless you really hate garlic, I think this would be palatable to pretty much anyone.

Plus, this marinara earns high marks in my book for versatility. Sometimes, you just need a sauce that goes with everything to make your pasta nights easier.

Overall,I think Trader Joe's roasted-garlic sauce is a great-value, good-quality marinara you'll use over and over again.