Product of the Week - Mid's Pasta Sauce

To me, the ideal pasta sauce is smooth and thick and doesn't separate into tomato chunks and water when it hits hot pasta. To achieve this with homemade sauce, it needs to simmer for hours. And, it needs to be made with a lot of tomato paste, rather than just canned tomatoes.

Sometimes we're pressed for time (or are just plain lazy) so choose to use a jarred pasta sauce rather than making one from scratch. All jarred sauces are not alike, so I've tried several brands in a quest to find the one that best suits my particular tastes. Many jarred sauces tend to do that separation thing. In addition, they are usually full of high-fructose corn syrup, which adds both sweetness and body to a sauce. Mid's on the other hand, is made from tomato paste for body and uses sugar as a sweetener. The end result tastes a lot like what I would want to produce, if I had the time - assertively tomato-y, but neither too acidy nor too sweet. And thick enough to coat every strand of pasta without forming a layer of water on the bottom of the bowl. In my not-so-humble opinion, it tastes great and is the perfect consistency. It's not expensive like the premium restaurant sauces (Rao's, Patsy's) and it tastes better. At least we think so.Your mileage may vary, but if you can find it, I recommend giving Mid's a try.

According to the Mid's Web site, they have no retailers in Maryland, but since Wegman's is a New York firm, we've been able to purchase it there. Wal-Mart may also stock it locally.