A taste test of four Sainsbury's own-brand pasta bake ready meals has revealed a clear winner, with the chicken and bacon option scoring 9/10. The result came as a surprise, as the reviewer had initially expected the sausage pasta bake to be the standout.
The taste test
During a routine weekly shop at Sainsbury's, four different own-brand pasta bake options were selected for testing. The options were the sausage pasta bake, three cheese pasta bake, tuna pasta bake, and chicken and bacon pasta bake. The sausage pasta bake cost £3.75, the three cheese pasta bake cost £4.25, the tuna pasta bake cost £3.75, and the chicken and bacon pasta bake cost £3.75.
Having previously sampled all of Sainsbury's own-brand spaghetti bolognese meals and uncovered a clear winner, the reviewer was eager to discover whether their pasta bakes would impress.
Individual reviews
The sausage pasta bake was anticipated to be the standout amongst the four, yet it proved rather unremarkable. The sauce was generous, despite being somewhat lacking in flavour, and the pasta held its texture well. There were plenty of sausage slices throughout, but they were disappointingly bland, and the texture left much to be desired, with the meat practically dissolving into a mush. Although grated cheddar cheese was present, the quantity was far too modest to truly justify calling it a pasta bake. Rating: 5/10.
The three cheese pasta bake was the priciest option, but it serves two, while the remaining options are single servings. It was generously loaded with mozzarella, cheddar and red Leicester cheese, which at times masked the rather bland tomato sauce lurking beneath. This cheesy pasta bake was a marked improvement on the previous one, though it still fell short of the top spot. Rating: 7/10.
The tuna pasta bake featured a creamy white sauce alongside the classic tomato pasta sauce. Rather than rigatoni or penne, this version used pasta shells, which made for a welcome change. Given the reviewer's fondness for tuna, it was genuinely taken aback to find this pasta bake was arguably the most disappointing of the lot. While the tuna itself was the highlight, the sauces — particularly the béchamel — left much to be desired. Despite looking rather appealing on top, once the pasta was mixed through, the white sauce proved disappointingly watery, and the tomato sauce was notably sparse throughout the dish. Rating: 3/10.
The winner
The chicken and bacon pasta bake was the standout winner of the entire selection, given that white sauce-based pasta isn't ordinarily the reviewer's preference. The cheese sauce was a considerable improvement on that of the tuna pasta bake, though a touch more seasoning wouldn't have gone amiss. The generous portions of chicken and bacon were also greatly appreciated. Were the reviewer to purchase a pasta bake from Sainsbury's again, this would undoubtedly be the first choice. Rating: 9/10.
