Fact Checked
Coles rated numero uno in fresh pasta ratings
Fresh pasta is ‘pastably’ one of the best dinnertime meals out there! Whether you prefer a spinach ravioli, farfalle, or beef lasagne, it’s never too hard to find a recipe that will please the whole family. This is perhaps the reason almost half of our survey respondents (47%) dish up pasta at least once a week. But, with so many different varieties of fresh stuff available, how do you find a type of pasta and brand that will tick all your boxes?
To find out, we asked nearly 400 Australian consumers to rate different packaged pastas they’ve purchased from a supermarket or grocer and consumed over the last three months. Brands were compared on taste, texture, range variety, value for money and overall satisfaction. Those that received the minimum required survey sample size (of 30 responses) were included in the final results.
So, what did we find? Our 2021 fresh pasta review featured four brands, but only one was rated numero uno – Coles! The brand cooked up five-star reviews across all categories.
Best Fresh Pasta

Here are the best fresh pasta brands in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s latest review:
- Coles
- Woolworths
- Barilla
- Latina Fresh
Supermarket Coles took the lead in our latest fresh pasta review, rating best across the board, including for overall satisfaction! Woolworths landed on four stars overall, while Barilla and Latina Fresh rounded up the scores on three stars each.
Fresh Pasta Brands
Coles

Coles own brand is the supermarket’s line of ‘essentials’ for your home and kitchen. The private label offers a modest variety of fresh pasta products, including some organic options at affordable prices, compared to big-name brands. Here is a sample selection from the range:
- Coles Chicken Tortellini
- Coles Ricotta Spinach Agnolotti Pasta
- Coles Lasagne Sheets
- Coles Beef Ravioli Pasta
- Coles Pasta Tortellini Veal
Prices for Coles’ fresh pasta products start from $2.90 for 375g.
- Coles was not only rated best for overall satisfaction and in all other categories, but it was also the only brand to receive a five-star review in our latest ratings.
Woolworths

Woolworths feeds customers a variety of affordable fresh pasta options, most of which come in a form of ready-to-eat kits. Its creamy pasta is available in different sizes, including 250g, 400g and 800g. Keep in mind that products vary between store locations and states. Some pasta options you’ll find in Woolworths’ refrigerated section include:
- Woolworths Creamy Pasta Salad
- Woolworths Creamy Bacon Pasta Salad Kit
- Woolworths Cook Stir Fry Hokkien Noodles
Prices for fresh pasta from Woolies start from $2 and go up to $8.
- Woolworths earned four stars in most categories, such as value for money and overall satisfaction. The only exception was taste, where it got three stars.
Barilla

With a history of making pasta since the early 1900s, Barilla knows a thing or two about the dinnertime staple. The brand offers a wide variety of pastas, including everything from lasagne sheets to angel hair pasta and filled three-cheese tortellini. Barilla has several ranges including Collezione, Classic Blue Box, Gluten-Free, Wholegrain and Legumes. Some products include:
- Barilla Penne Rigate Pasta No 73
- Barilla Egg Tagliatelle
- Barilla Collezione Orecchiette Pasta
- Barilla Spaghetti Gluten-Free
- Barilla Oven Ready Gluten-Free Lasagne
Barilla’s range usually starts from $2.40 for 500g.
- Barilla achieved four stars for taste and variety, plus three stars for texture, value for money and overall satisfaction.
Latina Fresh

Latina Fresh is said to have started in Melbourne in the 1980s from humble beginnings and quickly grew to become one of Australia’s most renowned producers of chilled pasta products, sauces and ready-to-eat meals. The brand’s mission is to share simple, fresh inspiration, starting with what’s on the table. Here are a few products in the Latina Fresh pasta range:
- Latina Fresh Gluten-Free Lasagne Sheets
- Latina Fresh Kids Mini Ravioli Cheese & Vegetable
- Latina Fresh Beef Tortellini & Ready Ragu Sauce
- Latina Fresh Roast Chicken & Garlic Ravioli
- Latina Fresh Veal Tortellini
Prices for Latina Fresh pasta products start from $4.50 for a 200g pack from the brand’s Latina Fresh Kids Mini range.
- Latina Fresh received four stars for taste and texture, before landing on three stars for overall satisfaction and everywhere else.
Which fresh pasta should I buy?
There are dozens of fresh pasta varieties to choose from, but ultimately your choice will depend on what you plan to dish up. Fresh pasta is made from a dough of eggs and flour which gets kneaded and rolled until it’s as thin or thick as desired. It then gets cut into strands of different widths to make different pastas like fettuccine or lasagne, or gets stuffed into tortellini and ravioli.
Our research revealed that one in four Australians (26%) pick up multiple packs of pasta during their regular shop, with a third (30%) preferring to stick to the same brand. A similar portion of people also said they make sure to buy different types of pasta from their favourite brand (37%). Aside from that, taste and texture are still the most important factors of customer satisfaction when it comes to pasta, while value for money appeared at the bottom of the list, suggesting Aussies are willing to pay a pretty penne for delicious pasta.
About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.
Online Grocery Shopping
Picture credit: Stockcreations/Shutterstock.com.