Napolina pasta sauce feedback thread; find out what MNers think about the latest range - NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We asked 250 Mners with children to try the latest range of pasta sauces from Napolina – this is the thread for their feedback.

Napolina say “we are excited to launch a new range of No Added Sugar pasta sauces to complement our existing range of over 130 products including pasta, sauces, canned tomatoes, olive oil, pulses, pizzeria and balsamic vinegar. The sauces enable tasty and convenient meals to be created, whilst reducing ‘added sugar’ intake. Flavours are centred around Italian family classic meals and have been developed to appeal to parents and children alike.

All sauces have a smooth texture and are available in seven flavour variants:

~ Bolognese pasta sauce
~ Pasta sauce for Macaroni Cheese
~ Pasta sauce for Meatballs
~ Creamy Cheese and Tomato pasta sauce
~ Red Lasagne pasta sauce
~ White Lasagne pasta sauce
~ Tomato with Hidden Veg pasta sauce

Available in a 480g/500g jar for families of four or more (RRP £1.69), the sauces are perfect for creating Italian inspired family favourites on busy weekdays or leisurely weekends alike”.

Questions for testers

As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?
Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago?
What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?
From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like?
Would you use the products again? Why?
If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?

Selected testers who add feedback as required will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will get a £300 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

I made the meatball pasta last - in the slow cooker, oh my goodness it was lovely!

Kids were very excited they love meatballs and were not disappointed.

I used penne pasta with it as I forgot to buy spaghetti but nobody minded.

Yum! Will definitely buy this again

Thanks mumsnet! I got a new replacement jar of meatball sauce in the post today look forward to using it tomorrow

We eat quite a lot of pasta and I usually use pesto with it as I have concerns about the high sugar content in tomato-based ready made sauces. (Yes, I know, I could make my own, but frankly I'd rather be doing something else.) I have 4 children, and mealtimes are important moments in the day for us all to be together, but it's also quite a challenge to find things that everyone likes without me having to be spending hours in the kitchen preparing things - quick and simple is best for all of us. I have recently become much more aware of sugar content in things, and actually a bit shocked that there is so much added sugar in products I wouldn't really have thought of as sugary. So finding a no added sugar version of these sauces was good. I'm not sure if it's cheating that they have 'stevia' in them though. I'd rather they didn't have any sweetener really. But on balance I think I'd rather stevia than sugar. We tried the lasagna jars, the bolognaise and the macaroni cheese. Everyone loved the lasagna, although it was quite a faff to make, so I would probably only get that again on a special occasion rather than for a weeknight supper. The children loved the macaroni and they all wanted seconds, which is pretty unusual for our house. I wasn't wild about it as it tasted a bit strong and uncheesy to me, but everyone else thought it was great. The biggest hit was the bolognaise sauce. It was quite peppery I thought (a good thing as far as I'm concerned), but the kids didn't comment on that and wolfed it down, and again wanted seconds. So yes, I would definitely buy those two again, as if I find something everyone likes I tend to stick to it. If it came up in conversation with a friend I suppose I would recommend them to other people, though I tend not to have those sorts of conversations with friends really!

• As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?

Mine is finding something that all 3 dc will eat. Dd1 is pesceterian, and ds is just darned fussy! Pasta is always popular as I can make variations of a similar sauce (eg. beef and Quorn bolognese).

• Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago?

Yes, it has been in the news recently and I'm shocked how it seems to go into everything.

• What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?

Time - during the week, I like things that take less than an hour to cook.

• From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like?

Everyone liked the macaroni cheese, which I had never made before. The Tomato with Hidden Veg was also popular (and the veg was very well hidden, as dh detests celery and didn't detect it). The kids weren't so keen on the Creamy Cheese and Tomato - they thought it did not compare favourably with the tomato and mascarpone sauce I usually buy.

• Would you use the products again? Why?

I would, especially the macaroni cheese and the white lasagne sauce (which I used with extra cheese in a pasta bake). I'm not very confident with making (unlumpy) white sauce!

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?

Yes. One of my parents is diabetic so they are always looking out for lower sugar options.

As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you? cooking a healthy meal quickly that my three boys will all eat and like
Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago? i am more aware as it has been in the media and try to eat less sugar as a family
What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family? affordable as i am on a tight budget but it has to be quite healthy and tasty too
From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like? we tried the bolognese sauce which was really nice it was tasty and my sons 9/13/18 all ate it and liked it. it had a reallt tomato flavour and made a thick sauce. We also made macaroni cheese together another evening which was quick and easy to make
Would you use the products again? Why? i would use them again as they were easy to use and my sons liked them
If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?
i would recommend and i will be stocking up with them myself for quick dinners. thank you for choosing us for this trial

As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?
Finding food that the children find tasty without being unhealthy choices.

Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago?
I think so, there seems to be more awareness in general at all the things going into our food.

What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?
Something that everyone's going to enjoy-adults, teens and younger-without the foods being full of additives etc

From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like?
We had the creamy cheese and tomato, sauce for meatballs and two white lasagne sauces.We all loved the lasagne white sauce-even my youngest fussy eater. I didn't tell the kids the sauce was no added sugar and nobody noticed, in fact they all commented how delicious it was!

Would you use the products again? Why?
Yes, would definitely use again. All the sauces we tried tasted delicious and no different to the 'usual' sauces so you can enjoy all the taste with it being better for you!

If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?
Yes 100% would recommend everyone to give them a try.

We have just tried our final sauce - hidden vegetables. It was very popular with everyone in the family. I would buy this one again if I was buying a ready made pasta sauce.

I must admit being huge pasta eaters in this house my children have loved doing this product test. I don't think they will want anymore pasta meals for a couple of weeks now...lol

As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?
To try and add variety into meals which all the children will enjoy, My children love Pasta and Italian food but it's hard to not make each meal taste the same.

Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago?
I am now after trying out these products with the children. I used to just buy the foods that I know they would eat, as it is better than making a meal only to find myself making a different one an hour later. I am now more aware of the high sugar content in the different sauces and did spend a little time feeling guilty that I have not been giving the children the better options.

What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?
knowing it is something that they enjoy and will eat.

From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range?
My favourite was the meatball sauce, it was lovely and rich in flavour and really made a difference from the bland options that are available.

Which did your children like?
the children all enjoyed the Macaroni Cheese, it all got eaten and my little one who usually eats like a mouse asked for some more.

Would you use the products again? Yes
Why?
The products that I tried were all enjoyed by the children, not once did I hear a complaint whilst sat around the table. The option of them having far less sugar than the usual brands we use is much more appealing for the health of the whole family and it did not compromise the taste at all. In fact I believe that they tasted better for the lower sugar content.

If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?
Yes, I already have to family members as I had my nephew round for tea one evening when we were eating the meatballs.

As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?
Cooking something quick and healthy that both children will eat.
Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago?
Yes, there has been lots of publicity on this subject and I find it surprising how many savoury things have high added sugar.
What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?
Needs to be quick to prepare and healthy.
From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like? Cheese and tomato was everyone's favourite, macaroni cheese was also good.
Would you use the products again? Why?
I will probably buy them again when on holiday and don't have time to make my own tomato based sauce.
If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?
Yes

Monday 29th February---5.30pm
Tonight I am making macaroni cheese for the family. It is one of my grandchildren's favourites. This is my third Napolina test.
I found the recipe on the jar was not very clear as there was no mention of the amount of macaroni needed. I used 300g of macaroni to the jar of sauce plus the 160ml of water and 160ml of milk, this consistency suited us as we don't like it too thick.
I'm sorry to say we did not like this sauce very much. We found it bland. I was hoping the jar of macaroni cheese would save time but I prefer making the white sauce myself and adding my own grated cheese, it is much tastier.

Finally ready to add feedback. Thank you for the replacement sauce which arrived today.
The biggest challenge I have is choosing meals that everybody will eat some of, that can be cooked fairly quickly and within budget, so most weeks do include either a pasta meal or jacket potato meal.
I probably am more aware of 'added sugar' than before, mainly because I don't like using products with chemical sweeteners in and would actually rather have sugar! ( am a little surprised that a pasta sauce would have so much sugar in that it would be a issue that needs addressing, generally when I make it myself I would add maybe a teaspoon of sugar per tin of tomatoes)
Top priority when choosing meals is ingredients and where they come from, avoiding excessive food miles, dubious meat origin and trying to eat locally and seasonally where able.
The products had a mixed review from the kids, nobody liked the hidden veg sauce, I thought it seemed very very thick so watered it down slightly and then it tasted bland.
The meatball sauce was better, it clung to the meatballs nicely, had a good flavour and texture and resulted in fairly clean plates all round.
The mac cheese sauce was also a success, I quite liked the easy bung it all in the oven method and it was so much quicker and easier than making a cheese sauce from scratch I will be using it again.
The flavour was ok and people ate the Mac and cheese, even the child who doesn't like it said it was nice for something she doesn't normally eat.
Haven't tried the red lasagne sauce yet as we are pasta'ed out now but will try it next week.
So I would recommend and use the meatball and cheese sauces again.
Oh and thanks for the pasta, which we did like as being a slightly nicer brand than I normally buy it seemed to have a better texture and bite to it.

I am back to post a quick review of the bolognese sauce. My full review and answers to the given questions were posted on Tuesday 23rd feb.

So...the bolognese sauce. Normally when I make a bolognese sauce I add onions, mushrooms, peppers, oodles of garlic and black pepper and some chilli to tomatoes, mince and herbs. Today I just fried off the mince (Turkey breast mince,) added the sauce and let it simmer for ten minutes before dishing up.

It tasted ok but all the family commented that it was bland compared to our normal bolognese. Dd liked it more than the rest of us, but then she isn't as keen on strong flavours as the rest of us are. It was fine but I wouldn't be in a hurry to use this sauce again. We preferred the meatball sauce which we used last week.

Excuse the sloppy presentation of the meal in the photo...it was definitely tea in a hurry tonight!

Well, after a week spent diligently testing my four sauces I'm now able to give some comprehensive feedback!

• As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?

My DCs are now teenagers, but they are still fussy and opinionated when they want to be. So it's finding meals that everyone likes, but that are healthy/balanced AND can be adapted to a low-carb diet, which DH and I tend to follow. Also, I find cooking family meals very dull so I'm always on the lookout for a short cut.

• Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago?

No, I've been aware of it for a while. I think it's terrible that so much is added - so unnecessary.

• What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?

That the family will enjoy eating them!

• From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like?

OK, here goes.....we tried the following: Red Lasagne Sauce - I hardly ever cook lasagne because it's such a faff, but this took a lot of the hassle away. I had to bump up the mince content, because 500g would not have fed my hungry lot, but it all came together very nicely, and was happily scoffed by the whole family. Possibly not as "flavoursome" as I would normally have prepared, but absolutely perfect for a family meal. But it was a HIT, probably my favourite of the lot.

Macaroni Cheese Sauce - I didn't have high hopes for this one - it didn't smell great in the jar, and the instructions, as others have mentioned, were woeful (Pasta cooked or uncooked? How much? Measure 160ml milk/water in the jar - how??). I ended up using about 2/3 of a bag of dry macaroni, but when I took it out of the oven for the mid-way stir it was pretty clear it was going to be too dry, so I had to slosh a load more milk in. I also added some crispy bacon before putting the cheese on top. But oh my goodness, everyone loved this one, particularly 16yo DS who was in raptures! And it was so easy to cook, once I'd navigated those awful instructions. BIG HIT, definitely the DCs' favourite.

Tomato Sauce with Hidden Vegetables - this has gone into the fridge and the DCs have been using it for making post-school pasts snacks. Easy to prepare, and they report they have all enjoyed it. HIT

Meatball Sauce - we had this tonight. I changed things slightly by cooking in a dish in the oven rather than frying, but it worked perfectly well, and again was dead easy to put together. DCs had pasta, DH and I had courgetti. Clean plates all round, very tasty, but DD2 and I both thought it was a little bit salty. HIT

Would you use the products again? Why?
Yes. Even though I generally prefer to cook from scratch it would be very handy to have a couple of jars on standby for those days when there's nothig in the fridge. It will also encourage the DCs to prepare dinner sometimes if there's something simple they can put together.

If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?
Yes, I probably would, because they all tasted great, although it's ridiculous that there needs to be a sugar-free range of pasta sauces - it should all be sugar free anyway!

We tried the creamy cheese and tomato pasta sauce which all the family liked, although I did find it a bit thin. The bolognaise sauce wasn't so much of a hit though, a bit too herby, and needed embellishing with red wine and garlic! The kids loved the macaroni cheese sauce as expected, but I usually find this too rich anyway. Would probably buy the cheese and tomato sauce again and recommend to friends for a quick dinner.

We have used the Macaroni and the meatball sauce so far- making the lasagna in the next couple of days (trying not have pasta too many nights in a row!)

As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?

For me , trying to find something everyone will eat -Family of 5 , 3 children who never seem to like the same foods!! Also healthy tea's that can be relatively quick to make , and also trying to come up with different meals and not just the same things every week.

Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago? Y
Yes I think so, I think there is more and more information out there and we are more aware -things like the recent takeaway coffee scandal hitting the news make us really have a think.

What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?
Cost does make a difference , I meal plan and budget so it has to be something that is reasonable and not too much effort to make through the week when the kids have afterschool activities which gives me less time to prepare meals.

From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like?

We had the macaroni cheese sauce, Meatball sauce, white lasagna sauce and bolognaise sauce.
I personally thought the macaroni cheese didn't have that much flavour, I didn't really like watering it down as I personally like having a thick macaroni cheese...having said that my 2 girls really liked it and thought it was really nice.
The meatball sauce was a big hit with everyone although the kids said it was a bit more spicy than normal sauce they usually have but everyone ate it and enjoyed it.

Would you use the products again? Why?
If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?
I would use the tomato based and meatball sauces again ( Haven't made the lasagna yet) not sure I would use the Macaroni sauce -adding the milk and water etc I think I would have been just as quick to make my own white sauce which really isn't too much effort, and it didn't have loads of taste to it for me personally...having said that the girls have already asked when we can have that Macaroni again so maybe we will!

Last sauce:

White sauce for lasagne
Obviously it's easy to make a white sauce but in a rush to get something in the oven and avoid loads of washing up this is perfect: I would use this one again, as a time saver.

As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?

Finding something they will both eat happily that usually needs to be made relatively speedily. Balancing that with making sure they are healthy and nutritious.

Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago?

I definitely am more aware. I do look at the nutritional contents far more than I ever used to. I do think there's an element of sugar being the next big 'thing' to worry about. whereas I think everything in moderation and trying to eat less processed more fresh fruit and veg and not demonising any particular food group is better than jumping on the next health scare bandwagon.

What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?

Taste

From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like?

I tried the cheese and tomato. Ideas of what to do with the sauce would be good. I used this as a pasta bake with some chicken and veg. It was nice enough, nothing to write home about and children thought it was ok. I thought it had a sweetener type aftertaste - but like after you've drunk a Diet Coke (although much less). I'm not sure how much of that is because I was aware of the fact it had sweetener in it and I don't like sweeteners. But I noticed that other testers also found it had an aftertaste too.

Macaroni cheese was ok....not cheesy enough.

Would you use the products again? Why?
If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?

I'd be unlikely to use these again. I posted before about my stance about the fact it has sweeteners in it. That would put me off.

Follow up feedback to Napolina Sauces. I answered the questions on Feb 25th and have now tried all the sauces.

After having popped lids on 2 jars I was sent replacement jars - sadly they were both the same variety (white lasagne)

Jars tested were -

1. Meatball sauce. Myself and DH loved this one. DCs liked it and ate it all. Lovely thick rich tasty sauce, definitely one to buy again.
2. White Lasagne (had 2 jars). I used this to add to my Moussaka. Would usually make my own white sauce which is simple enough. The sauce was very thin but had a good taste. Prefer a thicker sauce so unlikely to buy this, sorry.
3. Creamy cheese & tomato. Good taste - everyone liked the flavour when mixed with the penne pasta and made into a Pasta Bake. Again, it was a thin consistency but once mixed with the pasta and a pile of grated cheese tasted good.

From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like?
Split decision here. Adults would choose the meatball and DCs liked the creamy cheese/tomato best.

Would you use the products again? Why?
Yes. I always buy Napolina tinned toms and now like their sauces too. Have been reading other posts with interest and will definitely be buying a jar of the Hidden Veg sauce and the meatball one.

If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?
Yes.

Thanks again MN and Napolina. A fabulous product test!

Moussaka. As you can see the sauce is not very thick. Tasted good though!

Pasta Bake with Cheese/Tomato sauce. Children liked this one

We are a family of teenagers - 3 boys and they need food on mass that doesn't take too long. The pasta was lovely and we have purchased it before - one sauce perished on route (white one) but that was no hardship as we are nor lasagna fans..
The 'without sugar' pasta sauces were a real hit. I am not sure why but I have really began to be able to taste the sugar in ragu and dolmio so for us we will be making the switch. The jars are big enough to do a dinner and only need nominal topping up with passata if short.
Boys liked it :)
All in all really pleased. Everything was a hit

As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?
Making food which all 3 like in the first nano second of arriving home so as to minimise the hell which is I'm hungry being chanted at you at great speed.

Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago?
I think we are all more aware of the hidden sugar in food, however as usual society is taking it to the extreme and declaring all sugar bad. We need to eat a healthy well balanced diet which does have space for some sugar.

What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?
It has to be something everyone likes, or is easily adaptable across the taste range. For example we all love carbornara, but only me and DH like the courgettes, so we have separate med roasted veg.

From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like?
Kids loved the cheesy tomato sauce, and the hidden veg, once they'd confirmed no lumps...

Would you use the products again? Why?
yes I think I will have a stock of these in the cupboard in the future

If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member
Yes - but I must say that whilst those jars look rather large...they don't feed 5 of us. (3 kids and 2 adults...)

The quickly popping back to say, we used the meatball sauce last night and my kids devoured it. I liked it too so will definitely be buying and recommending that one!

As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?

Getting a meal on the plate in 30 minutes as after that time everyone gets nibbly and cantankerous!

Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago?

Yes we have actively cut down on sugar although difficult with young sugar loving children.

What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?

Quality ingredients. I don't like using ready made meals due to the high salt and sugar content of them.

From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like?

We all liked the lasagne white sauce which I used with my spaghetti bolognese pie. My little boy actually said this is yummier than usual, what have you done. I'm not sure whether to be offended or relieved!!
Would you use the products again? Why?

I would have them as a stand by. They do make dinner quicker and are healthier than the alternatives on the supermarket shelves.

If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?

I think if they were looking for a yummy white sauce I'd know what to recommend!

As a parent, what is the biggest tea-time challenge for you?
Finding something that everyone likes, that isn't too boring, and with enough variety for every day.

Would you say you are more aware of the ‘added sugar’ in food now than you were perhaps a year ago?
Probably - I don't actively go out of my way to avoid sugar, just try to make choices of less processed food.

What is your top priority as a parent when choosing which products to purchase or meals to cook for your family?
That it tastes good, is reasonably healthy and everyone in the family will eat it.

From the ones you tried, which is your favourite flavour in the range? Which did your children like?
We all really enjoyed the creamy tomato and cheese sauce. I added a bit of bacon, mushrooms and courgettes to make it a bit chunkier. Full marks from the whole family. We also liked the bolognese tomato sauce - I did it with meatballs rather than traditional bolognese. I think my children liked that one best. I wasn't massively keen on the macaroni cheese sauce (I added peas, ham and more cheese) but the children liked it, and it was really quick.

Would you use the products again? Why?
I might use them again. I'd prefer if they came in smaller jars, as some nights I need to cook tea for the children early and the adults eat later, but I supose I could just put half a jar in the fridge.

If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the sauces to a friend or family member?
I might do. I was expecting them to be a bit glutinous and bland tasting, but in fact they tasted pretty good; I would certainly recommend them to family members who usually use jars of pasta sauce - perhaps less likely to recommend to those that make sauce from scratch.