Review: Bove's Vodka Sauce

It's been a couple months since I reviewed Bove's All Natural Roasted Tomato sauce. Since then, I've been keeping my eye open for other Bove's varieties, and not very long ago, I found Bove's All Natural Vodka Sauce in the a local Geissler's supermarket/

Lynnafred is a big fan of vodka sauce, but not a big fan of the often greatly-inflated price of commercial vodka sauces. A quart of good commercial vodka sauce can cost twice as much as a quart of the same brand's marinara. When we were wandering down the pasta/sauce aisle at the market, she pointed out her discovery of several varieties of Bove's sauces, including the Vodka variety.

"Check it out," she said, "They're carrying Bove's. And they've got vodka sauce!" She took a jar down from the shelf. "Whoa. This is the same price as their regular sauce.  I love vodka sauce. Let's get it," she added, putting the bottle into the shopping cart.

At first glance, Bove's Vodka Sauce doesn't look any different from any other good-quality tomato cream sauce. It's a milky-pink color, and tiny bits of herbs can be seen suspended in the sauce here and there. But even a single taste highlights the difference. The smoothness of the cream sauce is offset by the richer tomato flavors, distinctive herbal notes, and fiery pepper kick at the finish. We enjoyed it with penne pasta and homemade meatballs, where the spiciness of the sauce was a welcome counterpoint to the relative tameness of the meatballs.

This is another Bove's product I can unhesitatingly recommend.