To celebrate National Sauce Month this March, Instacart takes an in-depth look at the most popular pasta sauces across the nation, by city and state, according to its proprietary data. Whether you prefer a fresh pesto or tangy marinara, it's clear this is a nation that loves to get saucy. Through a delicious data deep dive, take a look at the sauces most frequently landing in consumer carts and the ones that might be left on the shelf.

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Most Popular Pasta Sauces: Which Reigns Supreme?

Topping the list of all sauces sold, marinara came in first place, amassing 20% of pasta sauce purchased in 2024, followed by alfredo at 17% and tomato basil at 16%. In fact, these three sauces were so popular that they accounted for over half of all purchases.

Pesto sauce found itself in the middle of the pack, ranking sixth on the list with 7% of sales. Surprisingly, pesto even beat out good ole meat sauce (eighth, at 5%) and vodka sauce (ninth, at 3%).

Spicy sauces also seemed to be too hot for many consumers to handle. Arrabiata (.9%), spicy tomato (.1%), and puttanesca (.02%) rounded out the bottom of the rankings.

Marinara remains America's favorite pasta sauce, and the data shows that four out of the five most popular sauces are tomato-based, reinforcing their enduring appeal. Alfredo sauce takes the number two spot closely behind marinara, also making it a popular choice.

In terms of regional purchase patterns for marinara and alfredo, marinara dominates almost everywhere except for a small pocket largely in the Midwest and South.

Who's Sauciest? These States Take the Crown 

The Midwest is certainly getting saucy with it. Iowa claimed the top spot for pasta sauce consumption, ordering it 49% more often than the national average. Following closely were Wisconsin (46%), West Virginia (43%), Delaware (36%), and South Dakota (35%). Conversely, California (-30%), Idaho (-28%), and Maine (-28%) appeared to have less appetite for pasta sauce, ranking at the bottom of the list.

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Boiling Down Regional Trends

This analysis also showed regional quirks, highlighting distinct sauce preferences across the nation. Here's the breakdown:

• Animated for Alfredo: The South has a visible preference for indulgent alfredo sauce, particularly in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
• Magnetic marinara: Dominating the list, marinara is popular with consumers across the country, with the coasts showing a clear penchant for the classic sauce.
• Totally tomato: With an interesting smattering of tastes, tomato basil showed a higher concentration in neighboring states Delaware and Maryland, as well as in Missouri and Oklahoma.
• Tomato sauce tradition: In West Virginia, old-school tomato sauce also emerged as a favorite, proving the classics never go out of style.

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Like a Sauce: Cities That Bought the Most Pasta Sauce

Kansas City, MO isn't just about barbecue—it also took the top spot in pasta sauce purchases, ordering 20% more often than the national average. On the other end of the spectrum, foodie-filled San Francisco ordered pasta sauce the least, at 37% below the national average.

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Sauce Is Seasonal

Pasta sauce preferences follow the seasons, with demand spiking in the chilly winter months and tapering off in summer. The cold weather fuels cravings, as January saw pasta sauce orders at their highest.

As anticipated, pasta sauce orders fell to their lowest level around Thanksgiving as consumers stocked up on their holiday classics. Interestingly, there was a spike in April, indicating consumers' fondness for fresh sauce at the start of spring.

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Keep Calm and Carbonara On

From comforting classics like marinara to indulgent favorites like alfredo, it's clear that pasta sauces are versatile staples in American kitchens.

This story was produced by Instacart and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.