We Tried The Alfredo & Arrabiata Pasta Sauces By Funfoods

From a quick tiffin meal to an easy dinner, ready to use pasta sauces don’t just make the cooking process easier, but also help save a LOT of time. Hence, full of convenience. 

Over the years, we have reviewed an extensive range of products by Funfoods, While some were a hit, others a miss. Adding to our list, here is Dr Oetkar Funfoods Pasta Sauces review. We reviewed two variants – Cheesy Alfredo and Arrabbiata, and here’s the one we think is worth trying.

Quick details on both variants are explained in the following table. 

What were we looking for when reviewing Funfoods Pasta sauces? 

For a product like ready to use sauce, convenience is as significant as flavor. We also observed the consistency, texture, and aroma. 

We do mention the ingredients, but that was not a parameter, as this is not really a product claiming to be healthy or made using gourmet ingredients. 

1. Taste

Arrabbiata, a globally-loved sauce, is made with tomatoes, onion, basil, and spices. Alfredo, on the other hand, has a nutty flavor from parmesan cheese with a garlicky warmth.

How well are these seasoned, their freshness and depth of flavor were checked under this parameter.

2. Texture

How well does the sauce coat the pasta? Are the completely smooth, or did they have some peels or bits? Could we see any ingredients? 

Was the consistency thick and gloopy or flowy?

3. Convenience

In addition to boiled pasta and veggies, what other ingredients did we need to add? Salt, spices? Do these make for convenient products? 

4. Secondary Parameters

Here, we gauged the price, packaging, shelf life, ingredients, and other non-tasting parameters. 

Our detailed experience with both variants is explained in this section.

Price + Packaging

This sauce comes in a clear PET jar. It holds 275 grams and is priced at Rs 119/- The shelf life is of half a year. 

Main Ingredients

The sauce is made with refined soybean oil, water, cheese powder (7%), sugar, milk solids, spices and condiments, iodised salt, acidity regulators (INS 270, INS 330), emulsifiers and stabilizers (INS 415, INS 1442), oregano, preservatives (INS 211, INS 202), antioxidant (INS 319), natural and nature-identical flavoring substances. 

How did we test this?

As instructed on the pack, we boiled 100 grams of pasta with some salt then cooked it with 100 grams of sauce and milk (only for the Alfredo variant). We skipped adding vegetables, as that was not mentioned. No other seasoning was added either, we just garnished the portion with some basil leaves. 

Aroma + Appearance

Like most cheese-based sauces and dips, this had an off-white appearance. We noticed a supremely cheesy aroma, but it wasn’t fresh. That said, it did not seem stale either. 

There were also hints of a mildly herby aroma. 

Taste + Texture

The sauce was smooth and creamy, it had no lumps. When we mixed it with pasta, it coated the fusilli well. There was an even distribution. In terms of texture, it had a desirable creaminess without any clots.

The flavors were a mix of creamy, milky, cheesiness that would be appreciated by a child. We quite liked the cheddar-like pungency and sourness but isn’t very fresh. The seasoning was balanced really well with a lovely interplay of herbs in the background.

Price + Packaging

A clear plastic jar holds 325 grams of product and is priced at Rs 89/- It has a shelf life of six months. 

Main Ingredients

Tomatoes (28%), tomato paste, refined soybean oil, water, liquid glucose, sugar, garlic, iodised salt, basil leaves, red chillies (3%), herbs, mixed spices, emulsifiers and stabilizers (INS 1422, INS 415, INS 322), acidity regulators (INS 260), preservative (INS 211), antioxidant (INS 319) are all ingredients that go in the making.

How did we make it?

The proportions were similar as Alfredo. 100 grams of pasta with 100 grams of the sauce, and we did not add any veggies. 

As per our experience, you can easily use the same quantity of sauce with 150-175 grams of pasta, add cream or milk to make a pink sauce.

Aroma + Appearance

This sauce had a deep red appearance and we can see herby bits. 

Taste + Texture

It was comparatively thicker to the Alfredo variant and has a paste-like consistency. However, somehow this did not coat the pasta as well as the other variant from the range. It’s slightly more chunkier, we could say. 

As for the taste, the tomato-ey tang and acidity were robust, to a point where we felt it’s overpowering everything else. Unfortunately, it did not have the freshness that enhances the overall flavor. To fix this, we’d recommend either adding cream and veggies (make a pink sauce pasta) or increase the quantity of pasta and reduce the sharp sourness. This had some herby flavors and the salt was balanced, no adjustments needed here. But there was absolutely no spice. 

Here are some interesting FAQs on Fun Foods Pasta Sauces.

That’s all from us on Dr Oetkar Funfoods Pasta Sauces. While the texture and consistency were decent, there is a lot of room for improvement in the flavor department. Yes, these are super convenient for those who struggle to make pasta at home and do not understand flavor combinations as well. But the lack of freshness in flavors is what pulls it down.

So do these have potential to become pantry staples? Not really.

How about you, would you be interested in trying these?