Gluten-Free Pasta Sauces

Gluten-free pasta sauce nutrition facts

Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman

When it comes to gluten-free pasta sauces, there's good news and bad news. First, the good news: Most tomato sauces and white pasta sauces on the market do not contain gluten ingredients, and many are considered to be safely gluten-free. But the bad news is, you can't just grab any jar or can off the shelves and assume you'll be okay.

Those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity need to be wary of pasta sauces made by some manufacturers, since they may be subject to significant gluten cross-contamination, and therefore won't be truly gluten-free. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration defines gluten-free as less than 20 parts per million of gluten. A handful (not many, but some) even include gluten ingredients.

This guide to gluten-free pasta sauces (including traditional spaghetti sauce, tomato sauces in a wide range of flavors, and white cheese and cream-based sauces) can help you decide which brand to buy. Many are safe on the gluten-free diet, and in some cases, their manufacturers take extra steps to ensure the lowest possible risk of gluten cross-contamination.

Brands whose pasta sauce products are entirely gluten-free include:

  • Amy's Kitchen
  • Contadina
  • Dei Frattelli
  • Eden Foods
  • Francesco Rinaldi
  • Organico Bello
  • Organicville
  • Rao's Specialty Foods

Other pasta sauce brands may offer certain varieties that are gluten-free, but also make gluten-containing pasta sauces. The information below should help you to choose a pasta sauce to accompany your gluten-free pasta (or pizza, or whatever else you want to use it on).

Gluten-Free Pasta Sauces From A to Z

Here's the list of pasta sauce makers, plus their products' gluten-free status.

Amy's Kitchen

Amy's makes four different pasta sauces: Family Marinara, Tomato Basil, "Light in Sodium" Family Marinara, and "Light in Sodium" Tomato Basil. All appear on the company's gluten-free list, which means they contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten.

Barilla

All seven Barilla tomato-based sauces are considered gluten-free (to less than 20 parts per million). Flavors include Marinara, Fire-Roasted Marinara, Parmesan & Pecorino, Tomato & Basil, Savory Herb, Roasted Garlic, and Traditional. However, Barilla's pesto options, creamy Genovese Pesto and Rustic Basil Pesto, are not labeled gluten-free.

Bellino

Bellino spaghetti sauce is made by Cento, and also appears on the company's gluten-free list (see Cento below).

Bertolli

This company makes a huge variety of tomato-based and white pasta sauces, plus frozen meals, olive oils, and cooking sprays. According to Bertolli, any product (including its pasta sauces) that includes a gluten ingredient will call out that ingredient on the label. The company does not keep a list of gluten-free products, nor does it test for trace gluten. 

Cento

Cento is a large company that makes a variety of Italian-themed foods, including pasta sauce, under different brand names. According to the company, numerous Cento brand sauces are considered gluten-free to FDA standards, including Red Clam Sauce, White Clam Sauce (the starch in this is pure corn starch), Pizza Sauce, All Purpose Pasta Sauce, Marinara Sauce, Vodka Sauce, Arrabbiatta Sauce, Porcini Mushroom Sauce, and Pesto Sauce.

Always check ingredients, as they can change at any time. Cento products do not state "gluten-free" on the label, although the company keeps an extensive list of gluten-free options (including Anna gluten-free pasta, which it imports from Italy) on its website.

Classico

Many of Classico's jarred white and red sauces are considered gluten-free to less than 20 parts per million. It also has pizza sauce and tomato cream sauce options.

Among the red sauces, there are four gluten-free options: Marinara with Plum Tomatoes & Olive Oil, Fire-Roasted Tomato & Garlic, Florentine Spinach & Cheese, and Caramelized Onion & Roasted Garlic. There five creamy gluten-free Alfredo sauces to choose from, which are all thickened with milk and cheese, not flour. The Alfredo options are: Creamy, Four Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, and Roasted Garlic.

Contadina

This brand of canned tomatoes and tomato sauce products is owned by Del Monte Foods, Inc. According to the company, all tomato sauces and all pizza sauces are considered gluten-free to less than 20 parts per million. Contadina's tomato sauces include Plain, Garlic & Onion, Italian Herb, and Extra Thick & Zesty versions. Their pizza sauces come in Four Cheese, Pepperoni, and Original flavors. 

You should avoid Italian tomato paste with Italian seasonings, as that does contain gluten (in the form of "wheat gluten proteins"). You should assume that all these products, including the one that contains wheat gluten, are produced in the same Del Monte processing plants

Dei Frattelli

Dei Frattelli, a brand owned by Hirzel Canning Co. and Farms, offers eight different jarred pasta sauces: Arrabbiatta, Fire-Roasted Vegetable, Homestyle, Marinara, Three Cheese, Mushroom, Tomato & Basil, and Traditional. All are considered gluten-free, and several of these also are dairy-free.

Note that Dei Frattelli does not manufacture anything with gluten in it. In fact, this is the same company that makes Silver Fleece sauerkraut, which is well regarded in the gluten-free community for being reliably free of any trace gluten. Dei Frattelli also makes diced and crushed tomatoes, if you're interested in making your own sauce.

Del Monte

Del Monte (which also produces Contadina sauces) states that its canned Tomato Sauce, No Salt Added Tomato Sauce, and Tomato Sauce with Basil, Garlic & Oregano are considered gluten-free to less than 20 parts per million, as are its pure tomato products. Always check the label, as the company does use gluten ingredients (specifically, gluten protein) in other products, which are made in the same facilities.

Eden Foods

Eden makes spaghetti sauce and pizza/pasta sauce in jars and cans. According to the company, both meet the FDA's definition of "gluten-free" (less than 20 parts per million). The company takes careful steps to ensure all ingredients in the food are gluten-free and sends samples to an independent testing company to check for trace gluten. It also adheres to stringent manufacturing protocols that seek to prevent cross-contamination.

Emeril's

Out of the nine pasta sauces Emeril's makes, five are considered to be gluten-free to less than 20 parts per million: Roasted Gaaahlic Sauce, Tomato & Basil Sauce, Kicked Up Tomato Sauce, Chunky Marinara Sauce, and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

Some of these contain soybean oil (check the ingredients if you're sensitive to soy). Avoid the Homestyle Marinara, the Four Cheese Alfredo Sauce, Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce, and the Vodka Sauce, as they are not considered to be gluten-free. Note that all these sauces are produced on the same equipment.

Francesco Rinaldi

This smaller producer of jarred tomato and pasta sauces makes a range of traditional sauce products. Fourteen of these products qualify as Heart Healthy according to government criteria. This means that, for every serving of pasta sauce, the product has 3g or less of fat, 1g or less saturated fat, and 20mg or less of cholesterol. In addition to being Heart Healthy, the Original No Salt Added sauce also has a Heart-Check Certification by the American Heart Association. All of Francesco Rinaldi's sauces are considered gluten-free to less than 20 parts per million.

Muir Glen Organic

Muir Glen Organic, a General Mills company, makes numerous pasta sauces. However, General Mills no longer maintains a gluten-free list, since products and ingredients change so rapidly. A customer service representative advises checking the label for a prominent "gluten-free" emblem. If the label doesn't say "gluten-free," then the company doesn't consider it to be safe.

Newman's Own

Newman's Own makes 12 different flavors of tomato and pasta sauce, ranging from Organic Tomato Basil to Sockarooni (with peppers and onions). None contain gluten ingredients. However, Newman's Own doesn't test for trace gluten.

Organico Bello

This small, certified organic, certified non-GMO pasta sauce maker offers five flavors of sauces: Marinara, Spicy Marinara, Tomato Basil, Kale Tomato Basil, and Delicate Recipe (for people sensitive to garlic and onions). None contains gluten ingredients, and the sauces are labeled gluten-free (to less than 20 parts per million).

However, the company reports that wheat and other allergens (including wheat, milk, egg, fish, peanut, tree nut, and soy) are used on the same manufacturing lines, although not on the same days. The company employs a "thoroughly documented analytical allergen control program that ensures no cross-contamination," and it stores allergenic ingredients, including wheat, separately.

Organicville

As the company's name suggests, Organicville makes certified organic products. Its pasta sauces are made with extra virgin olive oil and include three options: Marinara, Tomato Basil, and Italian Herb. All are labeled gluten-free (with less than 20 parts per million).

Pomi

Even though these boxed tomatoes and tomato products include only tomatoes as their ingredients, a Pomi customer service representative reports that they are processed on the same line used for sauces containing gluten, tree nuts, eggs, and dairy. The company does have procedures designed to minimize cross-contamination but acknowledges that some people can have reactions at very low doses.

Prego

Prego, which is owned by Campbell Soup Company, has an extensive list of 30 sauces it considers gluten-free, ranging from Traditional Italian and Classic Marinara to Mushroom & Green Pepper and Creamy Vodka. It also has lower sodium and lower calorie options.

The sauces all meet FDA standards of less than 20 parts per million. Prego reports it has a "strict two-step process for validating a product as gluten-free and ensuring that it meets FDA's criteria for the claim." The company verifies the ingredients as gluten-free and tests the finished product for trace gluten, and then repeats the testing every six months.

Rao's Specialty Foods

The pasta sauces from this New York City-based company, which are sold in stores and online by the case, all are considered gluten-free (to less than 20 parts per million), according to a customer service representative. In addition, they're produced in a gluten-free facility, away from where Rao's makes its pasta, the representative said.

Note that the company's website doesn't note "gluten-free" on all Rao's sauces, but the rep says they're all gluten-free. Rao's balsamic vinegar and the glazes that contain it are not considered gluten-free (and obviously, neither is Rao's wheat-based pasta).

A Word From Verywell

There are numerous gluten-free-labeled tomato and pasta sauces from which to choose, including some that are made in dedicated gluten-free facilities. However, no pasta or tomato sauce is certified gluten-free. Some people who are quite sensitive prefer to stick with certified gluten-free products.

If gluten-free certification is important to you, you may want to make your own tomato sauce with Jovial Foods diced, crushed or whole tomatoes, which come in jars and are sold online and at some specialty retailers. Jovial is certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization to contain fewer than 10 parts per million of gluten.

1 Source
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  1. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 'Gluten-free' means what it says.

Additional Reading

By Jane Anderson
Jane Anderson is a medical journalist and an expert in celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and the gluten-free diet.