Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Sauce isn't one of those things that you'd immediately imagine was full of wheat, but given there are some varieties of gluten-free sauce on the market today, that must mean that the general bottle of marinara that you might find off the shelf at the grocery store could indeed have some wheat or gluten in it, even if the label doesn't seem to include anything glutenous in its description.

As a fairly versatile heavy condiment, sauce in all its variations can have many different herbs, spices and small additions (like vegetables or meat) added for flavor and often it's the source of a lot of the flavor that might appear in a simple bowl of spaghetti or a plate of baked mostaccioli. 

Often, the sauce is going to be the element of swiftly made pasta that will give it a little kick and it's pretty simple to serve up an interesting dish made of nothing more than pasta, Parmesan and sauce if there's some fun herbs or vegetables in the sauce.

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

And because sauce can be made in so many different ways with so many variable ingredients, it's likely that a fair portion of those sauces are going to include some elements of gluten, so it's nice that Monte Bene has come out with a tomato sauce that's specifically labeled as gluten-free so that individuals who have a severe allergy will have an option.

Of course, whether a pasta sauce is made with gluten or not, there are a number of things about it that need to be right with the overall recipe otherwise its gluten-free status isn't going to matter much. And regarding pasta, usually one of the most important elements of that taste scale is going to be the overall consistency or thickness along with the general aroma and taste provided by the herbs or spices.

This particular type of pasta sauce is such that it would be appropriate for a number of different sauce-covered meals such as pizza and various types of pasta. The sauce isn't too smooth and watery, but nor is it too thick where it might cause unnecessary bumps on a pizza. The herbs are also well planned out and offer a nice aroma with a nice combination of basil and pepper and the company's tomato selection seems solid as well.

So far this author has tried the pasta sauce on spaghetti, pizza and . While the nutritional content seems a little sketchy (it does have some fat in it, so beware of overloading on it), the taste is everything you'd expect from a jar of pasta sauce.

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce Report Card

The Good Stuff:

Tastes like pasta sauce and has a nice aroma. A pleasing consistency that's not too thin yet not too overloaded with chunks of vegetables either. Overall a nice choice for anyone interested in making sure that their pasta sauce is indeed gluten free.

What Could be Better:

This pasta sauce is just pasta sauce. The fact that it tastes just like pasta sauce should and is also gluten free is a nice bonus. It won't win the Nobel Prize, but it does its job well as a gluten free pasta sauce. Definitely worth a try, especially when paired with a gluten-free pizza crust.