WE are eating out less to save money – and lasagne is our favourite romantic meal to enjoy at home.
Research by Asda found that 70 per cent of couples are staying in more due to the cost of living crisis.
And 36 per cent say they would happily pass off a quality ready meal as their own, with lasagne ranked top of the date night dishes.
Loads of supermarkets offer good quality dine-in versions.
Lynsey Hope tried some that do not require the hassle of preparing them and will also save you a pretty penne.
She rates them out of five.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference (800g)
£6.50, 81p per 100g
VERY flavoursome and not too salty, I would definitely go back for this.
It is good value, comes with a silky creamy sauce and a generous amount of meat filling.
A brilliant option if you don’t want to cook.
Rating: 4/5
M&S Our Best Ever Beef Lasagne (800g)
£9.50, £1.19 per 100g
YOU could really taste the Chianti red wine and pancetta in this delicious meal.
It had five layers of silky pasta and plenty of beef. I would have liked a bit more of the cheesy bechamel sauce.
Make sure you follow the instructions and let it rest for five minutes after it has cooked.
You could easily pass this off as homemade, but it was the most expensive in our test so it is only a once-in-a-while treat.
Rating: 4/5
Aldi Gastro Lasagne Al Forno (700g)
£4.79, 68p per 100g
ON the packaging, “al forno” just means “baked” but once cooked, this ready meal had a lovely golden top and the pasta was melt-in-the-mouth delicious.
I would have preferred more minced beef. It was good value, though you get a smaller portion than all of the other lasagnes in our test.
Rating: 3/5
Morrisons The Best Lasagne Al Forno (750g)
£6.99, 93p per 100g
MORRISONS recently reduced the proportion of beef in its lasagne from 30 to 26 per cent to save costs, and sadly it shows.
There was clearly not enough meat and what was left was quite grissly.
The flavour was spot on, but a real shame about the meat.
I also found the sauce consistency a bit gloopy and thick.
Rating: 2/5
Tesco Finest Beef Lasagne (700g)
£6.50, 93p per 100g
THE beef and pork mince was bland and there wasn’t enough of it.
I thought this was too saucy and contained too much oregano.
The ready meal was topped with tangy Pecorino cheese, which I wasn’t a fan of either, and the pasta sheets were too thick.
Not my favourite.
Rating: 1/5
Waitrose No1 Beef Lasagne (800g)
£9.25, £1.16 per 100g
THIS was a cheesy generous portion. It says for two but it could easily serve up to three.
The ragu was rich with pancetta and red wine, and there was quite a lot of parsley on the top which I liked it. The pasta was perfectly cooked.
It is expensive but good value if you opt for the £12 Waitrose meal deal and get a starter, side and dessert as well.
A great date night option.
Rating: 4/5
Asda Bistro Lasagne Al Forno (730g)
£6, 82p per 100g
A REALLY tasty ragu, I would have liked more of it.
I found it held its shape really well when serving.
It was quite rich and if I had just one complaint, it would be that there wasn’t enough bechamel sauce to counter act the strong flavour.
But overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this ready meal and it really is incredible value from Asda.
Rating: 4/5
Lidl Deluxe Beef Lasagne (800g)
£4.65, 58p per 100g
THIS lasagne was ghost like in its pale appearance, which wasn’t the most appetising. It had a strong aroma, too.
However, upon tucking in I was pleasantly surprised.
The chunky minced beef tasted homemade and despite my initial reservations, I finished every bite.
I am very impressed given it was the cheapest in our test.
Rating: 5/5