First up, I love Vegetarian Bolognese. I mean I really LOVE IT! It's rich, hearty and incredibly verstile, Lasagne, Spaghetti, Mac n Cheese, Bolognese sauce works for all of it. Now, I'm not a traditionalist by any means but I do believe that if you advertise something as Bolognese, it should have some similarities, other than both being made with tomato products. And this is where things hit a hitch for me. Both dm and Alnatura Bolognese sauce were made with tomato being one of the first ingredients but Bolognese has very little tomato in it, it's mostlystock and soya-schnitzel (common in Germany) and just a few other spices, vegetables and milk. It creates a rich and wonderful product. With that being said, I didn't dislike Alnatura or dm products just thought it was more of a generic sauce than a true Bolognese (does this make me a food traditionalist? Can a Vegetarian be a traditionalist?).
I gave the dm Bolognese sauce the same mark as I gave the Alnatura Bolognese, much for the same reasons. Is it the same product? No, I guess not but looking at the ingredients list they are identical. But irregardless of the identical product, I found the dm to be a little bit less sweet (psychological?) and not actually being a Bolognese sauce (I know I've said this but still...) But overall the flavor was really good and when needing a product that is ready made and easily accessible this is a must have in your pantry just for those days that you don't feel like cooking. It's got a slightly cheaper price point at 1,65 Euros.
Alnatura Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce also has a really great taste. But I found it difficult to really distinguish from the dm product. I mean there are differences and when we tried the different sauces blind, all four of us could tell the differences in the sauces but they were so similar that the products are almost interchangable. A touch heavy on the sugar and definitely not a Bolognese sauce but a great choice if you want some ease or are in a hurry. At 1,95 Euros it's a bit more than the dm product and maybe a bit tastier but practically the same flavor.
The third product we tried was Dennree's version of Bolognese and if I'm being honest, it's a mixed bag for me. I generally really like Dennree's products and with a price point that is generally affordable it's usually a great product to go with. However, this Bolognese sauce is not what I would expect from them. It lacks any real flavor, to the point where I had to add my own spices. I generally felt disappointed with the whole experience. I liked the texture and enjoyed the concept but felt that the execution was a bit lacking. At 1,79 Euros it snuggles in between both the Alnatura and the dm variety but I honestly would only purchase it for the consistancy and would add my own spices to give the product a bit more flavor.
Overall, I would go with the dm version of these three options. The price point is low and the quality is almost the same as Alnatura. Though, I would change the names and call them something like meaty tomato sauce. So the search for the perfect Bolognese sauce continues.
Tip:
A great alternative to just using this Bolognese sauce on pasta is to use it as your base for a pizza or alternatively in puff pastry. Throw in some cheese and roll into cigar shape, cut into little rounds and bake off until golden and delicious, let cool and enjoy.
Comments