I am rarely called upon to show any prowess in the kitchen so pasta in (ready made) tomato sauce is one of my specialities
Knorr Spicy Ragu
In advertising days of old, Ragu promised to ‘bring the Italian out in you’. They have failed as I’m sure if it were the case I would have done something more imaginative than tip the contents of the jar over boiled pasta. The Tomato and Basil sauce is one of my favourites and a store cupboard staple, while their range also includes this slightly spicier version. A very smooth, quite rich tomato sauce that has a bit of bite with chunks of tomato. I wouldn’t advise giving it to unsuspecting kids, but otherwise a tasty product.
Price: €1.86 (37.2 cent per 100g)
Bertolli Creamy Pasta Sauce
I was attracted to the presentation of this, and liked the thought of it being essentially in a bag although I’m not quite sure why and is you only want to use half it makes it quite hard to store in the fridge. There is a range of flavours and I expected this ‘Creamy’ sauce to be exactly that, but the product was as red as other tomato-based sauces. However, it did have a very fresh, almost floral, taste to it and was a good consistency. Inspired by Lombardia – the cooking employed in this elegant area of Italy – this is a product I would certainly use again.
Price: €2.32 (51.6 cent per 100g)
Marks & Spencer Amatriciana Pasta Sauce
There are a couple of choices on offer at M&S, but with added smoky pancetta, this one seemed a bit different. The jar claims that this addition gives the sauce an extra robustness and I would agree – it had a meaty, almost earthy flavour. Quite a smooth sauce with visible herbs and tomato pips, it held its own when served with boiled pasta. A bit more expensive than the others but a great product.
Price: €3.68 (92.4 cent per 100g)
Mitsides Pasta Sauce with Basil
A local brand, so points for reducing your carbon footprint, even if it is a little bit more expensive than some of the imported brands. Quite a smooth tomato sauce that you could get past the kids if they don’t like lumps or green bits. In the taste, there is not much evidence of basil although you can see bits of it in the jar. Doesn’t work too well on its own but might be better as a base. Take that back about the food miles as it is actually produced in Italy.
Price: €1.87 (52 cent per 100g)
Dolmio Tomato and Cheese Pasta Bake
Another very smooth sauce; ideal for giving to kids who don’t like veg or ‘bits’ in their sauce. We had it with tortellini by way of a change (which cooked in four minutes so tea was ready in a trice). The packaging suggests serving this with tuna although I found the cheese taste quite strong so I’m not sure it would really go, great as a stand alone though. Has no artifical colours, flavours or preservatives so excellent for the family. I’d buy this again.
Price: €1.84 (37 cent per 100g)
Barilla Ragu alla Bolognese
My knowledge of Italian is not very good and I thought I was buying a sauce for Bolognaise, but it turned out I had bought a Bolognaise sauce. So much the better in terms of easy meals – this was enough by itself without having to add extra ingredients before pouring over pasta. The pieces of meat and tomato were even chopped small enough for the kids not to moan too. Also a great tasting sauce. It might be the most expensive of the supermarket brands but has the most genuine taste.
Price: €3.48 (87 cent per 100g)
Homepride Tomato & Basil Pasta Stir
The little man in the bowler hat (remember them?) is shown stirring the pasta on the front of the packet. This was not as smooth a sauce as many of the others and had quite a strong taste. Would perhaps be better added to different ingredients rather than just being poured over boiled pasta. A great base for a more imaginative dish.
Price: €2.37 (68 cent per 100g)
