Spaghetti bolognese is one of the most popular pasta dishes in the UK, and I decided to taste test every Sainsbury’s ready meal version to find out which one is worth buying.
I tried all the Sainsbury’s own-brand spaghetti bolognese – 1 was the tastiest
Featuring a hearty and flavoursome meat sauce, spaghetti bolognese ranks amongst the most beloved pasta dishes across the UK.
While numerous professional recipes for bolognese can prove intricate, the finest versions are invariably those comprising fresh, straightforward ingredients.
Nothing surpasses a home-cooked bolognese, yet occasionally you simply can’t muster the energy to prepare a meal from scratch, and during those moments, a ready meal proves convenient to have stored in the refrigerator.
I’m not particularly keen on ready meals, as they frequently fall short on taste, though I was pleasantly surprised to discover a reasonably good option during my Tesco lasagne ready meal evaluation.
On this occasion, I decided to sample all the spaghetti bolognese ready meals available at Sainsbury’s supermarket.
Starting off with the Sainsbury’s spaghetti bolognese from their calorie-counted range(Image: Angela Patrone)
Calorie-Counted Spaghetti BologneseCost: £3.75
Beginning with the Sainsbury’s spaghetti bolognese from their calorie-counted selection, the dish appeared quite ordinary once heated.
There was an adequate quantity of beef mince present, though I would have preferred slightly more sauce as it proved somewhat dry.
That said, the sauce proved extremely lacking in flavour, though I suppose that’s to be anticipated from a calorie-counted ready meal.
A further drawback was that the spaghetti had been overcooked and was nowhere near al dente.
Rating: 4/10Taste The Difference Beef BologneseCost: £4.85
Moving on to what I anticipated would be the standout option, given its range and price point, this one ultimately proved disappointing.
This bolognese dish featured tagliatelle rather than spaghetti, which was a welcome improvement, and it boasted an excellent texture — no overcooked pasta to speak of. The proportion of meat to sauce was commendable.
However, one element that significantly detracted from the dish for me, something that numerous premium ready meals appear guilty of, was the inclusion of smoked pancetta. The smoky flavour is far too dominant for a bolognese, and it’s not something I particularly enjoy.
Rating: 7/10
Taste The Difference Beef Bolognese(Image: Angela Patrone)
This is the cheapest spaghetti bolognese ready meal Sainsbury’s sells(Image: Angela Patrone)
Stamford Street Co. Spaghetti BologneseCost: £2.69
Being Sainsbury’s most budget-friendly spaghetti bolognese ready meal, I had anticipated this would be the weakest contender — and so it proved.
At first glance, it appeared rather unappetising, resembling little more than a basic tomato sauce. It was lacking in seasoning and devoid of flavour. The beef was virtually indistinguishable within the sauce, which is hardly ideal for a bolognese.
The spaghetti was even more disappointing. It was a congealed mush, which I had to stir to separate it. In all honesty, it’s understandable why it carries the lowest price tag, but at £2.69, I wouldn’t even pay that for it.
Rating: 1/10
Lastly, we have the Sainsbury’s standard spaghetti bolognese(Image: Angela Patrone)
Italian-Style Spaghetti BologneseCost: £3.75
Finally, we arrive at Sainsbury’s standard spaghetti bolognese, which emerged as the clear winner and the sole option I would contemplate purchasing again. The ratio of mince to sauce and pasta was spot-on, and the spaghetti had a wonderful texture.
The sole reason this scores an eight rather than higher is that, despite its superior flavour compared to the others, it fell slightly short on seasoning and carried a hint of undercooked onion — that distinctive taste you notice when the onions haven’t been given sufficient time in the pan.
Priced identically to the Calorie-Counted range option and coming in cheaper than the Taste The Difference variety, this would undoubtedly be the recommended choice.
Rating: 8/10
Dining and Cooking