Eastern Market's Strauss Bros. Co. launches new pasta sauce line

Put down the Prego and the Ragu — there's a new, locally made jarred pasta sauce coming to the market this spring.

Eastern Market's Strauss Brothers Co. is readying to launch four styles of small-batch pasta sauce: arrabbiata, vodka, palomino and tomato and basil.

The latter is based on an Italian family recipe that's been passed down for generations. All sauces are gluten free, and three are vegan; the vodka sauce is made with imported Parmigiano-Reggiano and chicken stock.

"For our family, pasta and sauces has always been one of the most powerful connections to the wonderful experiences we share around the table," said co-owner Adam Meldrum. His wife, her siblings and their families revived the Strauss Brothers Co. name last year. Their father and grandfather ran the butchery in Eastern Market from 1954-2005.

"For my wife and her sisters, making sauce with their grandmother is an incredibly powerful part of their special bond. The sounds, smells, and flavors that fill our homes during those time are an experience we wanted to bring to market with our sauces for others to enjoy with their own friends and family," said Meldrum.

Last year the family brought back the Strauss Bros. Co. name with soft openings of the Eastern Market storefront, selling small-batch seasoning blends. The plan is to open the shop officially this summer.

"Our seasoning blends were a less complicated product to launch the company with last year and it was a great way to learn the ropes of the food products business," said Meldrum. "But our plan was always to transition into higher impact products like sauces and dressings that are more straightforward for people to use on a regular basis."

The pasta sauces will make their debut at the store, 2478 Riopelle in Eastern Market, on March 18 at another soft opening. Strauss Bros. will also give away free popcorn dressed with their seasoning blend. After that, the 24-ounce jars will be sold at straussbrothers.com starting April 1 for $11.99, and can be found on store shelves this summer.

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybaetens