I tested supermarket tomato pasta sauces – Heinz’ new ketchup flavour surprised me but 79p winner blew it out the water

HEINZ has brought out a new tomato ketchup flavour pasta sauce - but it won’t be long before it's pasta la vista.

The limited edition jar is on sale for October only, after pasta fans admitted to putting the condiment on their noodles. 

Here Thea Jacobs puts it to the test against supermarket own brand tomato and bolognese sauces, rating it for flavour, texture and value.

Heinz Tomato Ketchup pasta sauce

Tesco £2.25 (350g)

I was expecting this to be more like the condiment it is created from, but it's actually a really nicely balanced tomato pasta sauce.

This isn’t too sweet or salty and is a very smooth sauce from start to finish.

It does have the signature ketchup kick at the end, which I enjoyed.

• Flavour: 4/5

• Texture: 4/5

• Value: 3/5

• Total: 12/15

Chunky Veg Pasta Sauce

Tesco, 95p (500g)

I’m a big fan of veggies in my pasta sauce, and I love that Tesco embraces that with this sauce.

This is much less tomatoey than the other sauces, as peppers are the overpowering taste.

It is thinner too, and I’m disappointed with how it fails to properly coat the pasta. 

• Flavour: 3/5
• Texture: 2/5
• Value: 3/5
• Total: 8/15

Tomato and hidden veg pasta sauce

Sainsbury’s 89p (500g)

On giving this a shake before I opened it, the sauce looks very thin.

I can smell the peppers and carrots the second I open the jar.

It’s very salty, which I like, but I appreciate others may not. I can taste the veg over the tomato base.

I thought this would coat the pasta better, but it’s a bit sparse with its coverage. 

• Flavour: 3/5
• Texture: 3/5
• Value: 3/5
• Total: 9/15

Smooth Bolognese sauce

Asda, 90p (500g)

This sauce has a strange chemically smell underneath the sharp tomato tang.

But it's very smooth and reminds me of tomato passata.

While it does initially taste tomatoey, it has a harsh acidic taste that overpowers at the end.

It’s not something I really want on my pasta at all. 

• Flavour: 2/5
• Texture: 3/5
• Value: 2/5
• Total: 7/15

Tomato Lasagne

Morrison’s, £1.09 (500g)

This smells great and has a herby undertone to the tomato.

It is a very subtle flavour, but the herbs are the driving taste for this one.

The tomato runs through every mouthful and the sauce coats the pasta perfectly.

It doesn’t need much messing about with to make it taste good. I’m a fan.

• Flavour: 4/5
• Texture: 4/5
• Value: 3/5
• Total: 11/15

Baresa Bolognese sauce

Lidl, 79p (500g)

This smells very sweet and tomatoey and coats the pasta really well - excess clings as I twist spaghetti around my fork.

This is a sweet sauce, but that isn’t a bad thing. It has bits of tomato in which add lots of texture, which I love.

It’s a great sauce and really affordable at this price point. Lidl has produced a winner.

• Flavour: 4/5
• Texture: 5/5
• Value: 5/5
• Total: 14/15

Cucina Bolognese

Aldi, 79p (500g)

This almost smells meaty, despite only being made of vegetables.

It has a vinegary taste to it which overpowers the tomato and herbs in the jar.

This does coat the pasta very well, but even the carbs don’t tone down the acidic flavour.

It’s not awful, but I’ve had better. 

• Flavour: 3/5
• Texture: 4/5
• Value: 4/5
• Total: 11/15

Dolmio bolognese original

Tesco £2.50 (500g)

Dolmio is the classic sauce for families, and this one smells richly tomatoey with a meaty undertone.

It coats the spaghetti with ease - no surprise as it’s thick and smooth, and tastes fab.

It is a bit more expensive, but it has great flavour.

• Flavour: 4/5
• Texture: 4/5
• Value: 3/5
• Total: 12/15