WE all love a Spaghetti Bolognese but the cost of a jar of Dolmio pasta sauce is rising.
According to recent figures from The Grocer, the price has soared by a whopping 51 per cent this year.
We tested supermarket own-brand pasta sauce
A 500g jar will now set you back around £2.50 depending where you shop.
But will a cheaper, own-brand sauce taste us good in our favourite pasta dishes?
Mum-of-three Lynsey Hope, 41, from West Malling, Kent, tried out some supermarket jars and here, she shares her verdict:
Essential Waitrose Bolognese Sauce (340g)
We loved the Waitrose oneCredit: Gary Stone
Lynsey says: “An amazing product from Waitrose. It’s inexpensive – cheaper in fact per 100g than Morrisons. The tomatoes had a real depth of flavour and weren’t too acidic. It wasn’t as sugary as other brands.
“My only small complaint is that it’s quite a small jar. Bigger families might prefer a bigger size. But this tasted far better than more expensive brands. Five stars. I’ll be buying more.”
- Taste: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
- Overall: 10/10
- Total score: 30/30
Morrisons The Best Bolognese with Barolo Pasta Sauce (350g)
This one stood out from the rest as wellCredit: Gary Stone
Lynsey says: “Loved this sauce – it really stood out from the rest. It’s not as sugary as Dolmio and the depth of flavour is delicious.
“It tasted more home-made and everyone loved my scummy pasta with this on it. Beware it does contain red wine.
“The only reason this is not my winner is that Waitrose was also yummy, but cheaper.”
- Taste: 10/10
- Value: 9/10
- Overall: 9/10
- Total score: 28/30
Lidl Baresa Bolognese Sauce (500g)
Lidl’s was a pleasant surpriseCredit: Gary Stone
Lynsey says: “I found it quite hard to coat all the meat with this Baresa sauce from Lidl. It looked quite watery and my expectations were low before I started tucking in.
“I was left pleasantly surprised. The taste was actually great. It wasn’t as rich as Dolmio but it felt light and nice to eat.
“The best thing – it’s only 69p for a 500g jar. Buying one of these instead of Dolmio every week could save you over £78 a year – an amazing saving!”
- Taste: 8/10
- Value: 10/10
- Overall: 9/10
- Total score: 27/30
Tesco Smooth Bolognese Sauce (500g)
The Tesco sauce might be a bit too sweetCredit: Gary Stone
Lynsey says: “A smooth and rich sauce from Tesco, I liked it, but thought it was perhaps a little too sweet. My kids – who prefer a smooth sauce – lapped it up though.”
- Taste: 6/10
- Value: 8/10
- Overall: 7/10
- Total score: 21/30
Aldi Cucina Smooth Tomato pasta Sauce (500g)
We thought Aldi’s was a little blandCredit: Gary Stone
Lynsey says: “A bit bland to be honest. It’s a great price but if you use this as a base for your Bolognese you might want to add a few herbs and spices to boost the taste.
“Again, it’s a great price, and you could do worse than this pasta sauce from Aldi.”
- Taste: 5/10
- Value: 9/10
- Overall: 6/10
- Total score: 20/30
Sainsbury’s So Organic Tomato sauce with Basil (350g)
The Sainsbury’s one is a bit too expensive for what it isCredit: Gary Stone
Lynsey says: “A lovely base for Bolognese or any pasta. It tasted lovely – more like a sauce you’d make yourself at home, but it’s very expensive at £1.90 a jar.
“Liked it but at that price I wouldn’t rush back for more.”
- Taste: 7/10
- Value: 5/10
- Overall: 6/10
- Total score: 18/30
Heinz Tomato Sauce for Bolognese (350g)
This isn’t worth the priceCredit: Gary Stone
Lynsey says: “This Heinz sauce contains no added sugar so it’s a healthier choice than many, but it’s very expensive – nearly twice the price of my favourite Waitrose sauce – and the priciest included in this test.
“The tomatoes had a lovely flavour but I thought it had too much carrot in it. Not worth the high price tag.”
- Taste: 6/10
- Value: 5/10
- Overall: 6/10
- Total score: 17/30
Dolmio Original Bolognese Sauce (500g)
This one is far too sugaryCredit: Gary Stone
Lynsey says: “Never been a big fan of Dolmio. It’s very quick and easy to use but to me, this tastes far too sugary and sweet. The tomatoes were very acidic.
“I didn’t like the price much either – there are cheaper alternatives which taste better than this.”
- Taste: 5/10
- Value: 5/10
- Overall: 5/10
- Total score: 15/30
Asda Smooth Bolognese Sauce (500g)
If you’re on a tight budget this might be okay, but otherwise not the bestCredit: Gary Stone
Lynsey says: “Quite runny, it felt a bit ‘fake’ even though the ingredients state it is 78 per cent tomatoes. Super cheap if you’re on a tight budget but not my favourite.”
- Taste: 4/10
- Value: 6/10
- Overall: 4/10
- Total score: 14/30