A regional editor who tried Sainsbury's controversial chocolate and mascarpone-filled girasoli pasta has pronounced it tasty, despite initial scepticism about the sweet-savoury fusion.
The supermarket's Taste the Difference product drew sharp reactions on social media after launch, with one shopper calling it 'devastating' and another describing it as 'blasphemy to pasta' on Instagram. The editor admitted that was also their initial reaction, questioning who authorised the product.
Despite the mixed response, the curiosity proved irresistible. After Sainsbury's posted on social media showing the product sold out at one store, the editor went to their local branch and found only one packet remaining, overhearing two shoppers discussing the pasta as they headed to the fresh pasta section.
What is girasoli?
Sainsbury's describes the product as 'free range egg pasta with an indulgent milk chocolate & creamy mascarpone filling'. The name girasoli means 'sunflowers' in Italian, referring to the circular shape and crimped finish that replicates the sun's rays, distinguishing it from traditional ravioli.
The supermarket says the filled 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' trend combining sweet and savoury offerings, such as sweet potato ice cream or chocolate bars with salty potato chips. Chocolate with savoury food is not unprecedented, with Gordon Ramsay doing a red wine and chocolate sauce with venison.
How was it cooked and tasted?
Sainsbury's suggests serving the girasoli as a sweet sharing treat with fresh strawberries, chopped pistachios and vanilla ice cream. The pack offered two cooking options: boiling water or air fryer. The editor 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.
Tasting them plain, the editor found them 'very tasty' and 'moreish', with the melted chocolate giving an 'unctuous, satisfying finish'. Two factors made it work: the savoury pasta balanced the sweetness, and the chocolate, at a minimum 37 per cent cocoa solids, had depth rather than being a cheap sugary paste.
The chocolate melts into a gooey, fudgy sauce inside the savoury pasta. Experiments with yoghurt and olive oil were tried, but the editor preferred them plain. However, they are not sure about buying them again, viewing them as a novelty treat rather than a proper snack or dessert, and suspect the shelves may already be empty.
