The Absolute Best Frozen Pizza Brand Also Makes A Popular Pasta Sauce

Food Republic previously ranked frozen pizzas from worst to best, and we found that Rao's Brick Oven Crust Five Cheese Pizza came out on top. We loved it for its deliciously crispy crust, blend of cheeses, and, of course, its complex, flavorful sauce — which comes as no surprise, considering Rao's brand of pasta sauces is Ina Garten's store-bought go-to and insanely popular on its own.

One of the things that sets the entire Rao's brand apart is its use of real, natural ingredients instead of artificial preservatives. Its Marinara flavor is made with Italian-grown plum tomatoes (the absolute best type for sauces), and the brand prides itself on its slow cooking method, where all the sauces simmer on low heat for extended periods, resulting in richer flavor. Rao's Pizza also takes a quality-first approach with its frozen pizzas, using vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, and — at least in the case of our top pick — a blend of mozzarella, whole milk provolone, fontina, Romano, and parmesan cheeses. 

For context, our last-place pizza — Totino's Triple Cheese Party Pizza — was said to have barely enough cheese, with a sauce that was both overly sweet and bland. Rao's sauce gets a lot of love for tasting very close to a homemade sauce, and that translates to the brand's delicious frozen pizza.

The Rao's family began serving Southern Italian cuisine, including their special sauce, over 130 years ago in East Harlem, New York City. They continued expanding their restaurant empire with locations in Miami and Los Angeles. It wasn't until relative and "The Sopranos" actor Frank Pellegrino Sr. had the idea to jar and sell the family recipe that the Rao's name became known as a premium Italian food brand.

While we were huge fans of Rao's pizza, it's worth noting that since the company was purchased by Campbell Soup, some fans of the brand have expressed concern that a dip in overall product quality may be inevitable. Sometimes, when large conglomerates acquire smaller companies, they look for ways to cut costs. In this case, that could mean substituting Italian-grown tomatoes or fresh olive oil for cheaper alternatives. One Redditor even voiced concern that Campbell Soup might start "adding sugars or other ingredients to mask deficiencies like they do for their Prego sauce." 

The Rao's team has denied any claims that the acquisition will affect quality. "We are committed to maintaining the high-quality standards that Rao's is so well known for," it stated on its website. "We assure you that we won't touch the sauce!"