Why we picked it
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The heat is Guntur chilli flakes, not a flavouring or paprika added to make it look hot.
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San Marzano leads the tomatoes, with Roma added for acidity because San Marzano alone runs sweet.
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Nothing on the ingredient list is a preservative, colour or thickener — every line on it is a food.
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Onion, garlic and basil go in fresh, not as powders or flavourings.
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Going spicy has not meant going salty — it has the least salt of the three sauces.
What to look for in Pasta Sauce?
What to look for in Pasta Sauce?
- 01Tomato should lead the ingredient list. If water or paste comes first, the sauce has been built back up rather than cooked down.
- 02Added sugar is common in jarred sauce to cover acidity. A sauce made from good tomatoes does not need it.
- 03Sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate are the usual preservatives. Properly processed and sealed sauce can do without them.
- 04Herbs and aromatics should appear by name. 'Nature-identical flavouring' is there to make up for weaker tomato.
What's inside
Whole peeled, packed in their own juice. The majority of what is in the jar.
Whole peeled. Added because San Marzano on its own is too sweet to carry the sauce.
Concentrated tomato and nothing else. It thickens the sauce, so no starch or gum has to.
The cooking fat, rather than a cheaper refined or blended oil.
Minced fresh and cooked down, not added as a powder.
Minced fresh, not garlic powder or a flavouring.
Where all the heat comes from. Real chilli, not a flavouring and not paprika added for colour.
The least of the three sauces in the range. Nothing here is doing preservative work.
Goes in fresh, not dried or as a flavouring.
Seasoning. Ground pepper, not an extract or an oleoresin.
Real juice, used to adjust acidity rather than an acidity regulator.
Brings the sauce to the right thickness as it cooks down.
Pomoro Spicy Arrabbiata vs other pasta sauces
| What to compare | Purepicked | Other pasta sauces |
|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | San Marzano led, with Roma added for acidity | Often unnamed 'tomatoes', or paste alone |
| Heat | Guntur chilli flakes | Often chilli flavouring, or paprika for colour |
| Added sugar | None | Commonly added to soften the acidity |
| Preservatives | None | Usually one or more |
| Oil | Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil | Often a cheaper refined or blended oil |
| Salt | 0.47 g per 100 g, the lowest of the three Pomoro sauces | Varies widely |
Nutrition facts · per 100 g
- Energy
- 74.2 kcal
- Protein
- 1.67 g
- Carbohydrate
- 9.87 g
- Total sugars
- 5.32 g
- Added sugars
- <0.5 g
- Dietary fibre
- 2.87 g
- Total fat
- 3.12 g
- Saturated fat
- 0.64 g
- Trans fat
- <0.1 g
- Salt
- 0.47 g
How to use it
- Loosen with a splash of pasta water and toss with penne — the classic
- Stir through hot pasta straight from the jar
- Spread over a pizza base if you want the heat
- Crack eggs into a panful and bake it for a spicy shakshuka
- Warm a bowl of it and dip bread or fries in
Is it for you?
Good for
Pasta, pizza bases and baked egg dishes
Anyone who wants heat in a packaged sauce
Vegan cooking
Anyone avoiding added sugar in packaged sauces
Avoid if
Thin, pourable sauces — this one is thick and paste-like
Children, or anyone sensitive to chilli heat
Product details
- Sold by
- Purepicked
- Brand
- Pomoro
- Net quantity
- 390 g
- Type
- Sauces
Also on the label
Questions people ask
Where does the heat come from?
Guntur chilli flakes. It is real chilli, not a flavouring or paprika added for colour.
How spicy is it?
It is built for heat, so it isn't suited to children or anyone sensitive to chilli.
Does it have added sugar?
No. It is lab tested, and the results confirm no added sugar and no trans fat. It also has the least salt of the three Pomoro sauces, at 0.47 g per 100 g.
Is it vegan?
Yes. Every ingredient is a plant food: tomatoes, olive oil, onion, garlic, chilli, basil, pepper, lemon juice, salt and water.
How do I use it?
Loosen with a splash of pasta water and toss with penne, spread it on pizza, or bake eggs in it for a spicy shakshuka.
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