I tested supermarket tinned pastas – £1 a can winner hit the spot while loser had sauce like gloopy custard
PASTA purists, look away now. Tinned carbonara is making its way to shelves around the country.
The Sun revealed yesterday how Heinz has launched the dish in a can for just £2, as a third of young people claim that they are hopeless at cooking.
But it’s not the only spaghetti dish you can eat straight from the tin, or warm up if you must.
Below, Hayley Minn tests eight other popular ready-to-eat pasta offerings to buy from across the supermarkets.
Meanwhile, Joe Hadden tried Heinz’s new addition and said: “Scooping carbonara out of a can is certainly not a highlight of my culinary life.
“Getting this down to just £2 is no small feat, but it seems Heinz has cut corners, particularly with the bacon.
“I found about a dozen tiny bits.
“The sauce is rich and smooth but overwhelmingly creamy.
“The spaghetti is swimming in sauce, which overpowers the entire dish, and the result is a carbonara that is likely to be too creamy for most.
“But for £2, you get what you pay for.
“My verdict? 3/5.”
Heinz Spaghetti Bolognese, £2
A GOOD old spag bol is a classic dinner in any household, but it can often take a long time to cook from scratch, so I was eager to try the Heinz version from a can.
While it was really tasty, with the brand’s distinctive tomatoey taste, it didn’t remind me of a bolognese.
It needed more flavour and added beef to make it really sing.
But it’s definitely a great alternative if you’re in a bit of a rush.
RATING: 3/5
Tesco Cheese Ravioli, £1
I’M a big fan of cheesy pasta, and this can of ravioli from Tesco hit the spot with an amazing cheese overload.
The pasta was certainly filled to the brim with the stuff, and the tomato sauce tasted just like classic Heinz.
It had just the right amount too, meaning the pasta didn’t become too soggy while I was eating it.
This is definitely the perfect comfort dinner.
RATING: 5/5
Newgate Beef Ravioli, 79p, Lidl
AT FIRST glance, Lidl looked like it was on to a winner with its beef ravioli, as the pasta was really soft and filled with meat when I cut into it, and the sauce looked really thick.
But the taste was a different story.
While the sauce was really sugary and tasted nothing like tomato, the pasta had no flavour at all.
You’ll need a lot of salt and pepper shoved on this to give it some oomph, but it’ll do as a hangover meal.
RATING: 3/5
Tesco Beef Ravioli, £1
I WAS actually very pleasantly surprised with this Tesco offering.
First off, it was packed with loads of minced meat in the shells, which were just the right balance of soft and al dente.
Plus, the beef was seasoned really well, too.
My one criticism would be that the tomato sauce, although tasty, was sadly a bit thin.
You could pop in some salt, pepper and herbs to make this a perfect dish.
RATING: 4/5
Heinz Beef Ravioli, £2
HEINZ’S tin is really delicious, and I could eat cans of the stuff, but it’s not thanks to the pasta, to be honest.
The meat in the pasta shells was quite sparse, so there wasn’t a beef taste.
It’s just all about that amazing tomato sauce.
It’s the sugary sweetness of the tomatoes – something every Heinz fan knows well – that overpowers the pasta.
But tasting this good, who cares?
RATING: 4/5
Asda Macaroni Cheese, 90p
THIS can of macaroni cheese from Asda has to be as cheesy as it gets, plus it was absolutely delicious.
The pasta was the perfect texture too, meaning it wasn’t too chewy or slimy, while the sauce was nicely thick and creamy.
Pop in chilli flakes plus a bit of garnish and you’ve got yourself the perfect meal, ready in minutes.
RATING: 5/5
Tesco Macaroni Cheese, £1
WHILE I was a big fan of Tesco’s ravioli, its mac and cheese in a can left me cold.
The pasta was a good texture, but that aside, the sauce didn’t taste cheesy.
In fact it was more like gloopy custard and it seemed like you didn’t get much in the can.
It was meant to be two portions worth, but it was more like two kids’ portions.
RATING: 2/5
Newgate Macaroni Cheese, 79p, Lidl
LIDL’S macaroni and cheese was, sadly, bang average.
While the sauce was very creamy, it didn’t have enough of the cheese flavour I’d expect from this pasta dish, and the pasta itself was a bit chewier than I’d like it to be.
Having said that, for 79p you can’t really go too wrong if you are in need of a quick late-night snack.
RATING: 3/5