I tested supermarket pasta sauces – 69p winner was a rich and smoky alternative to the £2.50 best seller
THE news that spaghetti bolognese is the latest victim of food shrinkflation has jarred with buyers.
With Dolmio reducing its sauce from 500g to 450g, while keeping the price the same, it could be time to find an alternative.
Luckily there are plenty of cheaper and larger jars on offer.
Laura Stott puts some to the test.
Dolmio (450g) £2.50
Major stores
MADE with 95 per cent vegetables and 83 per cent tomatoes, a portion of this on your pasta counts as one of your five a day.
The UK’s best-selling brand has plenty of sweet tomato, a hint of garlic and herbs and isn’t too salty, either.
But at £2.50 for 450g it hardly represents value for money.
RATING: 2/5
Morrisons Bolognese (500g) 95p
Morrisons.com
THIS has a more rustic flavour, similar to one I could rustle up myself, but with all the convenience of being ready made in a jar.
A very authentic looking Bloody Mary shade, easy to stir, but not too thick or gloopy.
Lovely with thick, hearty pastas like rigatoni.
RATING: 3/5
Tomato and Herb (500g) 69p
Sainsburys.co.uk
A BELTER of a bargain Bolognese sauce.
It gives a rich, slightly smokey flavour, so as well as it being a bigger jar, I found I needed to use less – ideal if you have lots of mouths to feed.
There’s a nice amount of herby notes and garlic plus enough sweetness for a well-balanced sauce.
RATING: 5/5
Baresa (500g) 65p
Lidl
THE onion is strong in this, which could divide the crowd, but I enjoyed it.
It wasn’t as herby or as thick as some of the other sauces, but that made it very easy to coat all the pasta with.
For the size and price, this is a great alternative to Dolmio – and I loved the Italian-style label.
RATING: 4/5
Tesco Red Lasagne (500g) 69p
Tesco.com
THICKER and more intense in flavour than Dolmio, this lasagne sauce would also work well in Bolognese or pasta bake.
I was a big fan of the minimal ingredients in the jar – 65 per cent tomato, 25 per cent tomato puree, onion, sugar, salt, garlic and black pepper, plus a dash of lemon and cornflour to thicken.
RATING: 3/5
Cucina (500g) 69p
Aldi
ANOTHER top value jar, this gives you 50g more than Dolmio but for almost a quarter of the price.
Oregano, cloves, basil and marjoram are all listed as ingredients, but while you can see flecks of herbs in the liquid, I couldn’t really taste them.
It does the job for a quick meal, though.
Nice with ravioli.
RATING: 4/5
Asda Bolognese (500g) 69p
Asda.com
A RATHER acidic sauce and, sadly, I thought this tasted a little off balance.
I had to add a good whack of black pepper to even it out.
It is nice enough in a pasta bake, topped with lots of salty cheddar and some extra herbs.
For a passable spag bol just add mince and lots of pepper.
RATING: 3/5
Stamford Street (440g) 50p
Sainsburys.co.uk
CONSIDERING this is the cheapest of the sauces I tried, it isn’t too bad at all.
It is noticeably thinner and more watery, though, and lacks the depth of flavour of some of the other options.
It has a paler, creamier hue, too, but is perfect for eating in a hurry.
RATING: 3/5