Initially, Sauz pasta sauce flavors sound a little crazy. Hot Honey Marinara?? Rosemary Marinara? I was asked to give them a try, and soon all four Sauz flavors landed on my doorstep: the aforementioned Hot Honey Marinara and Rosemary Marinara as well as the Summer Lemon Marinara and Creamy Calabrian Vodka.

 

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Now that I had them, what to do with them? After consulting my trusty Flavor Bible for ideas (an invaluable reference book for putting together complementary ingredients) and bouncing ideas off of my spouse, I came up with the following game plan. It’s ordered from what I thought would be least to most challenging. 

• Creamy Calabrian Vodka sauce with Italian sausage over Strozzapreti (twisted, hollow pasta; penne will do just fine, too. You just want to ensure the pasta shape will capture the sauce.)
• Summer Lemon Marinara with Seared Scallops
• Wild Rosemary Marinara with Herbed Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Fingerling Potatoes over Orecchiette
• Hot Honey Marinara for Meatball Sandwiches

All of the sauces had merit, but one was different than expected, and I’d do something different with it next time. 

Sauz Creamy Calabrian Vodka Sauce with Italian Sausage over Strozzapreti

Some people think that traditional Italian food isn’t spicy, but the existence of the Calabrian pepper — native, of course, to the region of Calabria, the “toe” of the boot-shaped country — belies that idea. There are four types of Calabrian chilis, and some are spicier than others. In general, these peppers are known for their moderate heat and smoky, fruity flavor. 

So, I was expecting Sauz Creamy Calabrian Vodka Sauce to be spicy, but it was relatively mild. Surprisingly, the standout characteristic was “umami” — the rounded “fifth taste” carried by food such as cured meats. Other significant sources are hard cheeses such as aged Parmesan and tomatoes, one of the best sources of umami thanks to high glutamic acid content. Sauz Creamy Calabrian Vodka Sauce has diced tomatoes, tomato purée and Parmesan. 

The umami characteristic was even more pronounced than expected. Was it the vodka that amplified it, or perhaps butter or cream? I’m not sure, but my addition of rich, Italian sausage was overkill — and yet, it still all got eaten. The sauce is unique and flavorful, so next time, I’d use it to bolster a much-milder protein such as chicken (and, of course, vegetarians can use an alternative meat). Despite my misstep, it is a memorable flavor, and I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on it for a second try. 

Summer Lemon Sauce With Scallops

The Sauz Summer Lemon Marinara was like throwing me a culinary softball. I expected it to taste fresh and bright — and it did — so the natural complements are seafood, chicken or vegetables. I just happened to have scallops in my freezer at the time, but I would have been just as happy with Gulf shrimp. It was just a simple meal of seared scallops on top of the marinara and spaghetti, and that was perfectly fine with me. I didn’t even doctor the sauce; it didn’t need it, although you certainly can if you want. 

Wild Rosemary Marinara with Herbed Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Fingerling Potatoes over Orecchiette

Rosemary and pork go hand-in-hand, so this meal with Sauz’s Wild Rosemary Marinara was a complete winner. In fact, it was my favorite. Normally, I think of herbs such as basil and thyme as good additions to marinara. It turns out that fragrant, sturdy rosemary has its own charms. This meal was completely filling and good enough to serve to company. Nothing about it is all that challenging. I rubbed the pork tenderloin with olive oil and then a liberal application of herbes de Provence, then it went into a 400-degree oven at the same time as halved Brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes. Heat the water for the orecchiette and cook according to the package directions. 

A good instant-read thermometer is your best friend when roasting meat. Roast the pork tenderloin until it reaches 145 degrees. The Brussels sprouts and potatoes might need to go a little longer until the outer Brussels sprouts leaves start to crisp and the potatoes get nicely browned. Plate the orecchiette, top with the pasta sauce and layer slices of pork tenderloin on top. Serve the Brussels sprouts and potatoes alongside. 

Hot Honey Marinara Meatball Sandwiches

When considering how to use the Sauz products, the Hot Honey Marinara was the one that I had the most trepidation about. How hot was it? How sweet? Regardless, I thought it might go well with beef, so we bought sub rolls, made a batch of meatballs, seared them until a little browned and then simmered them in the sauce. 

The meatball sandwiches made for an easy Saturday afternoon lunch, but I didn’t prefer the Hot Honey Marinara to a more traditional spicy sauce. I can imagine that it would go well with chicken or pork alongside a vegetable with natural sweetness, such as sweet potatoes or butternut squash. One of the best, most intriguing ideas I saw was a Hot Honey Pizza with pepperoni, sliced jalapeños and a bit of chili crisp. 

Coming up for ideas for the Sauz sauces was fun, and the creative flavors made cooking feel more like playing in my kitchen. All of Sauz’ sauces are gluten-free and non-GMO. A quick check on Instacart showed that the Rosemary Marinara and Hot Honey Marinara are available at Central Market and, as of press time, on sale for $2 off. You can also find Sauz at select H-E-B grocery stores, and all of the flavors are online, too.

Phaedra Cook

Phaedra Cook has written about Houston’s restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She was a regular contributor to My Table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years, eventually being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has been its editor and publisher ever since.