Pasta Night Guides
Marinara or Vodka?
Choose Your Pasta Night
Go with Marinara when you want bright tomato flavor, garlic, onion, and basil. Choose Vodka Sauce when you’re craving something rich and creamy with bold Parmesan flavor. With Pasta Belly, both bring chunky tomatoes, real ingredients, and big flavor to the table.
Meet your pasta night options
Same pasta night. Two different moods.
Some nights call for a bright red sauce and a generous forkful of pasta. Other nights call for creamy, cheesy comfort. You don’t have to overthink it. Start with the flavors you’re in the mood for, then choose what you want to cook.
Here’s how our two sauces compare. We’re talking specifically about Pasta Belly Marinara and Vodka Sauce, because every kitchen makes them a little differently.
Marinara
The mood: Bright, savory, and all about the tomato.
Garlic, onion, and a hint of basil give our Marinara its character. It’s balanced without being overly acidic or salty, with soft onion and basil flakes throughout.
Pick it for: A tomato focused bowl of pasta or our Eggplant Parmigiano.
Vodka Sauce
The mood: Rich, creamy, and big on Parmesan.
Tomatoes still lead the way, with a bolder cheese flavor and more garlic. Delicate onion keeps the texture interesting, even with all that creaminess.
Pick it for: A creamy pasta dinner or our Gnocchi alla Vodka.
Chunky is part of the point.
Neither sauce is blended into a completely smooth purée. You can still see and taste the ingredients: chunky tomatoes, delicate onion, and flakes of basil.
So the choice is really all about what you're in the mood for. Whether bright and savory or rich and creamy, both keep that real tomato sauce texture.
What are you cooking tonight?
For something bright and savory: Start with Marinara and your favorite pasta. If you’re making a bigger dinner, try our Eggplant Parmigiano recipe, with layers of eggplant, mozzarella, and Marinara.
For creamy comfort: Our Gnocchi alla Vodka recipe brings together potato gnocchi, Vodka Sauce, Parmesan, and basil. It’s a good place to start when you want the sauce to do the talking.
A quick note about milk.
Both Pasta Belly sauces contain milk. Our Marinara includes butter. Our Vodka Sauce includes Parmesan, heavy cream, and butter. If you’re checking ingredients for an allergy, read the full ingredient information on the product page and jar before choosing.
Can’t pick? You don’t have to.
Our 2 jar variety pack and 4 jar variety pack let you bring both flavors home. Keep your options open and let dinner decide.
That’s the idea behind Pasta Belly. Big Italian American flavor, real ingredients, and a little personality for your pasta night. We’re starting with sauce. You bring the appetite.