What To Make With What’s On Sale: Pasta Sauce

It’s time for What To Make With What’s On Sale, and this week we’re looking at something a little different: jarred pasta sauce! Safeway has Barilla pasta sauce for as low as $0.69 this week, and at Albertson’s you can find Hunt’s pasta sauce for $0.77 with the ConAgra promotion.

Pasta sauce is a useful staple item to have in your pantry: it’s easy, versatile, and healthy! While pasta sauce is obviously great for pasta dishes such as spaghetti and lasagna, it can be used in many other ways that might not be so obvious.

Here are seven delicious and creative ideas for using pasta sauce!

Pizza Potatoes: Bake whole potatoes, then make a deep slit in the tops. Stuff them with some pasta sauce, chopped pepperoni or Canadian bacon, shredded mozzarella, and whatever veggies you prefer. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Tuna Marinara: Heat pasta sauce in a skillet with a few tablespoons of capers and a drained can of tuna. Serve over your choice of pasta!

Minestrone Soup: Combine 1 jar of pasta sauce with 5-6 cups of water (depending on the desired consistency) in a large pot. Heat on stovetop and add cooked shell pasta, finely chopped veggies and cooked beans. Cook until veggies are soft. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Slow Cooker Pork Cacciatore: Image from Allrecipes

Marinara Panini: Spread half a cup of marinara sauce on a slice of crusty bread; top with a semi-soft, tangy cheese such Fontina, Brie, Taleggio, or Gruyere. Top with another slice of bread and cook in a panini press. A buttered skillet can also be used — just press the sandwich together with the back of a spatula while cooking.

If you’re partial to your crockpot, try this Slow Cooker Pork Cacciatore. Serve it over rice, pasta, or polenta!

This recipe for Eggs Poached in Marinara works for any meal of the day. It’s simple to make (two ingredients!) and can be jazzed up with a sprinkling of cheese, chopped onion, or sliced olives.

Spinach Cheesy Pasta Casserole: Image from Allrecipes

Cheryl’s Spinach Cheesy Pasta Casserole requires only 15 minutes to prepare and makes a hearty meal. This is one of the tastiest vegetarian recipes I’ve ever made!

How do you like to use pasta sauce? Do you have a favorite brand?

Visit the What To Make With What’s On Sale archives for more recipe ideas!