Quite frequently, my father likes to bring over miscellaneous food items that he purchases for me while grocery shopping. Recently, my dad brought over a 24 ounce jar of Barilla Italian Baking Sauce. Although I had seen the product advertised in store circulars, I had never tried it. Previously, I had eaten several types of Barilla pasta, as well as their regular marinara sauce and was impressed with the taste and quality of all of the Barilla products that I tried. Being a big fan of all types of red pasta sauces, I couldn’t wait to try cooking with and eating the Barilla Italian Baking Sauce.
Preparation and uses
As the name implies, Barilla Italian Baking Sauce is designed for use in baking Italian- style dishes such as manicotti, lasagna, stuffed shells and sausage and peppers. I used it in the preparation of a small pan of lasagna and found it to be quite effective. The thick, yet pliable consistency of this sauce makes it an ideal product for use in preparing these dishes. I also found that Barilla Italian Baking Sauce serves very well as a regular pasta sauce. I heated some of this delightful sauce straight- from- the- jar and served it atop some cooked pasta and it tasted great. I thought that it tasted better than most other regular brands of jarred pasta sauces. When used in Italian baked dishes such as the lasagna that I made, Barilla Italian Baking Sauce does not dry- up, it maintains its appealing consistency. The small amount of this sauce that was left- over after preparing lasagna and cooking Italian pasta, I utilized as pizza sauce on English muffin pizzas. Those English muffin pizzas were among the best I’ve ever eaten.
Appearance
The first thing that I noticed about this product was the deep red color of the sauce. The 24 ounce clear glass jar provides a great view of the enclosed ingredients. The herb- flecked red sauce maintains the appearance of a product that has been slow- cooked and carefully- prepared. The product label features an attractive illustration of what appears to be a woman or girl hoisting a very large tomato, which is almost as big as she is. The green grass on which the person is standing fills- up more than half of the label, providing a nice aesthetic contrast with the deep red sauce.
Taste
The flavor offered by Barilla Italian Baking Sauce is very reminiscent of homemade pasta sauce. A well- balanced blend of tomatoes, herbs, spices and olive oil is present in this sauce. (Here’s some olive oil dispensers you may like)
As soon as I tasted this sauce, I could detect the flavors of oregano and basil, among others. When this sauce is heating, it gives- off a very appetizing aroma that definitely stimulates the appetite.
Cost
The retail price for one 24 ounce jar of Barilla Italian Baking Sauce varies from store to store. Since trying this product, I have seen on supermarket shelves with retail prices ranging from $2.99 to $3.49. In my opinion, this sauce is very reasonably- priced. One 24 ounce jar of Barilla Italian Baking Sauce supplied enough sauce for me to make one small pan of lasagna, a small plate of cooked shells pasta and two English muffin pizza- halves.
Nutrition Facts
Barilla Italian Baking Sauce contains 60 calories, with one gram of total fat. This product contains 0 grams trans fat and no cholesterol. A good source of Vitamin A, this sauce also contains 12 grams of total carbs and 460 mg of sodium and six grams of sugar.
Consistency
The consistency of Barilla Italian Baking Sauce is a little bit thicker than many brands of pasta sauces. This sauce maintains its pleasing texture and does not become runny or dried out after being baked or simmered for extended periods of time. The pleasant texture of this Italian baking sauce also provides a nice “mouth feel”, especially when served atop cooked pasta.
Overall rating
All things considered, I would have to say that Barilla Italian Baking Sauce is a delicious, high- quality product that is quite versatile and reasonably- priced. I would recommend this product to anyone who appreciates very flavorful Italian- style pasta sauces. Barilla Italian Baking Sauce is normally stocked at major supermarkets across America.
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