We Tried Walmart’s New Sauces From Smash Kitchen (And This Italian Is Impressed)

Smash Kitchen, the food line started by actor Glen Powell, recently launched a whole slew of pasta and pizza sauces. Like all their products, these sauces focus on simple, organic products and partner with Walmart to sell them in store for a low price. While their previous products were a little more straightforward (condiments, chips, and popcorn) these sauces are a new venture for the company. Which means we obviously had to put them to the test to see how they did. Here are our thoughts.

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Smash Kitchen Classic Marinara Pasta Sauce

Pros: This is a middle of the road, safe marinara sauce to put out into the universe. I appreciate that it has a bit more going on than the Prego that I was raised on. This is the reliable pick when you’re at Walmart and need something in a pinch.

Cons: It’s hard to see where this one slots in on the shelf. Aldi already has a killer Rao’s dupe for cheap. I guess if you only shop at Walmart and absolutely refuse to visit the reliable beacon of hope that is Aldi, then you’d do just fine grabbing Smash Kitchen’s classic marinara off the shelf.

Smash Kitchen Spicy Marinara Pasta Sauce

Pros: There’s a consistent spice to this pasta sauce. On the first taste, I didn’t get enough and almost called it quits. I went back in for a fatter serving (one you might expect to be on a bite of pasta) and then it really came through. It adds a layer of spice on top of the classic that doesn’t throw anything off. I feel like this is a rarity for me, but this spicy sauce actually improves upon the classic version.

Cons: At the end of the day though, it’s still based on the safe and standard marinara sauce that Smash Kitchen’s classic sauce is. I would love a little bit more going on, but the spice does chip away at all the problems I have with the original.

Smash Kitchen Roasted Garlic Marinara Pasta Sauce

Pros: You really notice the garlic in this version of Smash Kitchen’s marinara sauce. If you for some reason wanted to shy away from the repeating flavor of their base marinara sauce then you could grab this to get the job done. On its own, the roasted garlic marinara sauce isn’t my favorite but I could see it being useful as a dip for garlic bread in a pinch.

Cons: The garlic just isn’t the right fit. Which I do agree is ironic, considering garlic is a foundational piece of a marinara sauce but I’m just reporting on the facts. While the end result isn’t harsh enough that I won’t be finishing the jar, it will be the last one that I reach for when I’m at Walmart.

Smash Kitchen Tomato Basil Marinara Pasta Sauce

Pros: This is getting us closer to where we need to be! The basil brings in a brightness that was really missing in previous iterations. It’s strong enough for you to notice but not overwhelming to the point that it takes all of the attention. If I were to reach for a jar of Smash Kitchen’s pasta sauce in the future (which I absolutely will) this would be my pick.

Cons: I won’t quite call this putting lipstick on a pig, but it certainly gets close to that analogy. I do certainly love the added basil but my point on the base marinara sauce lacking some soul still stands.

Smash Kitchen Classic Pizza Sauce

Pros: There’s everything you’d expect to find in Smash Kitchen’s pizza sauce. If you were given 50 chefs the task of making a pizza sauce and averaged out the result, this is the sauce that you would get. It’s not about to win any awards but it’s a damn solid sauce to pick up at Walmart.

Cons: Smash Kitchen definitely played it safe with this one. Which certainly isn’t a bad thing overall but it does make it hard for your product to stand out. Especially when Walmart is keeping a number of pizza sauces in stock. It’s not the worst but we certainly can, and will, do better.

Smash Kitchen Hot Honey Pizza Sauce

Pros: The honey in this is incredible! The sweetness really adds a bit of excitement that I was missing from the safer, classic pizza sauce. Hot honey lends itself so nicely to pizza as a drizzle on top that it’s nice to see some love given at the base of things. I’m already dreaming of the pepperoni pizzas you could be making with this sauce.

Cons: There’s just a smidge too much kick to this one. I have faith that it would be mellowed out by a hefty layer of mozzarella cheese but as is, I have to knock it a spork for the spice. It faces the dual-sided challenge that spice can have by being too much on the front end and lingering for a long time as well.

Smash Kitchen Truffle Pizza Sauce

Pros: A product with truffle in it for only $5 and available at Walmart is a feat in and of itself. There’s some serious power behind this sauce. I think if you were to add the whole shebang (dough, cheese, toppings) you might be able to craft up a harmonious picture. As for now, it’s just hard to find the actual taste of the sauce past the truffle.

Cons: Okay, well I guess we only did better with one of the other pizza sauces. It could be because I’m just trying these sauces on their own, but there was too much truffle oil in this one. I wouldn’t have expected that once I knew we were getting into a $5 jar of sauce from Walmart.