When it comes to cooking, Guy Fieri believes some things are simply worth making from scratch.

In a recent interview with The Kitchn, the longtime Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy’s Grocery Games host shared his favorite foods to prepare while camping. His outdoor menu includes classics such as hamburgers, hot dogs, Chinese-inspired dishes, and pasta.

But there is one shortcut he refuses to take.

According to Fieri, he never uses store-bought pasta sauce, even when cooking outdoors.

“Cooking is my favorite pastime and how I spend time with family and friends. I don’t want to shortchange myself or them,” Fieri explained.

Instead of opening a jar, he insists on preparing the sauce himself.

“I’m still making that pasta sauce.”

For Fieri, the decision is about more than flavor. Cooking from scratch is a meaningful part of how he connects with family and friends, making homemade sauce an important tradition rather than just another recipe.

His preference also reflects his Italian-American background. In many Italian-American families, making large batches of tomato sauce during tomato season and preserving them in jars for the rest of the year is a long-standing tradition. Homemade sauce is often viewed as fresher, more personal, and closer to family recipes than many mass-produced alternatives.

Another possible factor is ingredients.

Many inexpensive jarred pasta sauces contain additives and preservatives designed to extend shelf life. Budget brands may include ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, or calcium chloride—components that are generally absent from traditional homemade tomato sauce.

That said, not all store-bought sauces are created equally.

Premium brands often use shorter ingredient lists consisting primarily of tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, onions, herbs, and salt. These products more closely resemble homemade recipes, although they typically come with a significantly higher price tag.

Ironically, Fieri himself has entered the jarred sauce market.

His Old Skool pasta sauce line is designed to mimic homemade cooking, featuring a relatively simple ingredient list compared with many lower-cost supermarket brands. That suggests Fieri’s objection may not be to jarred sauce itself, but rather to products he believes sacrifice quality or authenticity.

The same principle applies to creamy pasta sauces.

Shelf-stable Alfredo sauces often require stabilizers and thickeners, such as disodium phosphate or xanthan gum, to prevent spoilage and maintain their texture during long-term storage. While these ingredients are widely approved for food use, they are typically unnecessary in freshly prepared sauces.

For cooks seeking a fresher taste, refrigerated sauces or homemade recipes are often recommended alternatives.

Ultimately, Fieri’s philosophy remains consistent whether he’s cooking in a professional kitchen, at home, or around a campsite.

While many people appreciate the convenience of opening a jar, the celebrity chef believes that making pasta sauce by hand is part of the experience itself. For him, the extra time spent stirring tomatoes, herbs, and aromatics isn’t a chore—it’s one of the most rewarding parts of sharing a meal with the people around him.