I’m also not one of those vegans who eats a lot of pasta. So, since I only eat it occasionally, it’s not a problem for me to take the time to make homemade sauces when I do.
However, my omnivore wife -- who isn’t all that concerned with eating organic -- is a huge pasta fan and is not the type to cook from scratch, which means we always have jarred tomato sauces in the pantry. Since I am far more concerned with her eating organic (and non-GMO) than she is, I was very quick to say yes when I was approached by the folks at Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties to review their vegan, organic sauces.
After all, if I can stock the pantry with tasty pasta sauce and pizza sauce options that just happen to be organic and vegan, everyone is happy.
So, let’s talk sauce.
Who is Uncle Steve?
So, of course, we all want to know who Uncle Steve is.
Uncle Steve is Steve Schirripa. You probably know him as Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos or Detective Anthony Abetemarco on Blue Bloods. Aside from his numerous acting credits, he is also an author and launched Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties in 2014 as a tribute to his late mother and using family recipes handed down from her.
As a little side note, the first line in his Twitter bio is, “Tomato sauce with a conscience.”
What's Up with Uncle Steve's Sauces?
As noted on the Uncle Steve’s Organic Sauces website, “Our products are USDA certified organic, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, kosher and contain no added sugar. With no GMOs, no harmful pesticides, and nothing artificial.” His sauces are also certified paleo.
Sounds pretty good to me.
Uncle Steve's Organic Tomato Sauces Review
Uncle Steve's Organic Marinara
As mentioned above, it is organic, vegan, paleo, gluten free, non-GMO and kosher.
Although my wife is usually only in charge in the kitchen when Mexican or Puerto Rican food is on the menu, she has somehow also become the chief pasta maker. So, I handed her the jar and went back to work in my office. Soon, the house was filled with the aroma of simmering tomato sauce that smelled just as good as the homemade sauces I occasionally make.
The first thing I would say about the taste is that it was clean and fresh, which are two things I do not expect from pasta sauce in a jar. It also had a bit of chunkiness to it, which is much more like a homemade sauce than something you grab off of a grocery store shelf.
I can definitely see using this sauce in a variety of dishes and just adding different ingredients to fit the dish.
Uncle Steve's Organic Tomato and Basil Sauce
The Organic Tomato Basil sauce is made from organic, imported Italian whole peeled tomatoes, organic fresh onions, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic fresh basil, organic fresh garlic, sea salt, and organic black pepper.
It tasted fresh and delicious as pizza sauce, and I can see this one being just as delicious on pasta or in other dishes that call for tomato sauce.
Uncle Steve's Organic Arrabiata Sauce
Let’s start with the ingredients: organic, imported Italian whole peeled tomatoes, organic fresh onions, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic fresh garlic, sea salt, organic fresh basil, organic crushed red pepper, organic black pepper.
The first night, we made spaghetti with some sauteed vegetables and garlic bread, which was pretty darn good. Then, I added some vegan Italian sausage and vegan parm to the leftovers the next day, and it was borderline amazing.
Overall, this one also had the fresh, clean taste of a homemade sauce, which was just such a nice surprise from a jarred sauce.
Where to Buy Uncle Steve's Organic Sauces
If you live in the northeastern US, you can also use this store locator on the Uncle Steve’s website to find a store selling Uncle Steve’s Organic Sauces near you.
At the time of this writing, each jar comes out to about $7.97 on the Uncle Steve’s website with free shipping on orders over $40. It is $8.97 per jar on Amazon, but you get free shipping on orders totaling less than $40. So, if you plan on buying one set of three jars, you are better off getting them on Amazon. If you are planning on buying more than one set of three jars, buy them on Uncle Steve’s website.