Sainsbury's has faced a backlash over its new Taste the Difference chocolate and mascarpone-filled girasoli pasta, with shoppers calling it 'devastating' and 'blasphemy to pasta'. Despite the mixed reaction, the product reportedly sold out at one store, and our writer managed to secure the final pack at a local branch.
A controversial launch
The supermarket announced the product to a stir on social media, where one shopper reacted with 'Devastating' and another described it as 'blasphemy to pasta'. The writer, who makes their own pasta regularly, initially felt it was a travesty and questioned who authorised it.
After seeing a social media post suggesting it had sold out, the writer ventured to their local store and found only one packet left. They even overheard two girls discussing it as they headed to the fresh pasta section, unaware the final pack had been taken.
What is girasoli?
Sainsbury's describes the product as 'free range egg pasta with an indulgent milk chocolate & creamy mascarpone filling'. Girasoli means 'sunflowers' in Italian, a reference to its circular shape and crimped finish that replicates the sun's rays.
The supermarket says the pasta is 'crafted in Northern Italy by one of the country's oldest producers of filled pasta, a specialist in fresh pasta since 1882'. The dough uses wheat flour, eggs and semolina, with each filling made in small batches.
The product is part of the growing 'swavoury' food trend, combining sweet and savoury elements, such as sweet potato ice cream or chocolate bars with salty potato chips. Sainsbury's suggests serving the girasoli as a sweet sharing treat with fresh strawberries, chopped pistachios, and vanilla ice cream.
The taste test
The pack offered two cooking options: boiling water or air fryer. The writer chose boiling water, adding a pinch of salt, and cooked them for three and a half minutes instead of the suggested four, allowing them to cool to avoid burning the mouth on the hot chocolate filling.
Trying a few plain, the writer found them 'very tasty' and 'moreish', with the melted chocolate giving an unctuous, satisfying finish. The savoury taste of the pasta balanced the sweetness, and the chocolate, at a minimum of 37 per cent cocoa solids, had some depth rather than being a cheap, sugary paste.
The writer experimented with yoghurt and olive oil but preferred them on their own. They are unsure about buying them again, noting they are a novelty treat that may not pass as either a snack or a dessert, and questioning whether Sainsbury's has any left on the shelves.
