From breaking spaghetti to ketchup on pasta, this World Pasta Day, Dolmio reveals the habits dividing dinner tables across the UK
- 9 in 10 pasta eaters admit to at least one questionable pasta habit, from adding ketchup, mayo or brown sauce to rinsing pasta after cooking.
- 49% have swapped Italian cheese for cheddar.
- 44% have broken spaghetti before cooking.
- London named the UK region most likely to commit a pasta crime.
LONDON, UK (October 23, 2026) – Few foods spark debate quite like pasta. Scroll through social media and pasta purists and rule-breakers alike are divided. Is snapping spaghetti in half before cooking sensible or a step too far? Is topping it with ketchup a guilty pleasure or just personal taste? The comment sections are split, and nobody is backing down.
This World Pasta Day, new research from Dolmio finds that when it comes to enjoying pasta at home, Britain is far less traditional than it might seem. More than nine in 10 pasta eaters admit to at least one habit a purist might question, from swapping Italian cheese for cheddar and snapping spaghetti before cooking, to mixing different pasta types in the same pot or reaching for less traditional toppings such as ketchup, mayo, salad cream or brown sauce. And while 71% of Brits believe Italians have the best pasta expertise, most have their own way of doing things in the kitchen.
Nearly half of pasta eaters (49%) admit they have swapped Italian cheese for cheddar, while 44% have snapped spaghetti before cooking it and 38% have mixed different pasta types in the same pot. Taken together, the findings reveal just how readily Brits are rewriting the traditional pasta rulebook.
Social media is fuelling both sides of the debate and continues to encourage experimentation. 89% of Brits turn to social media for food inspiration on a weekly basis*. Almost six in 10 Gen Z pasta eaters (59%) have recreated a pasta dish after spotting it online. Four in 10 (40%) would try one-pan pasta and 30% would give baked feta pasta a go.
The pasta debate also looks very different across the country, with new research revealing the regional habits around the dinner table:
- Wales: Almost two thirds (63%) swap Italian cheese for cheddar
- North West: 47% admit to breaking spaghetti before cooking
- South West: 47% skip adding salt to their pasta water
- West Midlands: 20% say a bad pasta habit could be a dating dealbreaker
- Scotland: 20% admit to adding ketchup to their pasta
- London: 37% of Londoners have debated with someone about the right way to cook pasta
Hana Hutchinson, Brand Director, Dolmio UK, said: “Pasta comes with plenty of traditions, but when it comes to our own kitchens and tables, we all have our little quirks, touches and preferences that make it our own."
“Dolmio has one too: we put cream in our carbonara. We know pasta purists might have something to say about that, but for Dolmio, enjoying dinner isn’t about getting every rule right.”
“Whether you snap your spaghetti, reach for cheddar or have a pasta combination that’s completely your own, we want people to enjoy meals that work for them. Dinner should be tasty, accessible and healthy, without worrying about getting every pasta rule right.”
Rather than deciding what’s right or wrong, Dolmio is inviting the nation to celebrate their pasta confessions and the different ways we make meals our own.
This campaign is just one part of Mars Food & Nutrition’s Making Meals Matter initiative, designed to help more people enjoy fulfilling, nutritious and delicious meals. By bringing together its trusted brands, nutrition science, culinary expertise and partnerships, Mars Food & Nutrition is helping overcome the barriers that too often stand between people and a better meal.
For further information, please contact the Mars Food & Nutrition press team at Golin Ketchum: Ket-MarsUK@ketchum.com
Research conducted among 2,000 UK Adults aged 18-65 by OnePoll commissioned by Dolmio.
*Separate research commissioned by Florette, based on a poll of 2,000 UK adults, found that 75% of Brits discover recipes and meal ideas online each week, rising to 89% among 25–34-year-olds. Source: Food and Drink Technology, August 2026.
About Dolmio
Dolmio is the #1 Italian cooking sauce brand in UK and Ireland. The Dolmio range of Italian cooking sauces consists of over 40 products including bolognese, lasagne, pasta bakes, stir-ins, and Intensify pasta sauces, ready meals and is available nationwide.
About Mars Food and Nutrition
Mars Food & Nutrition is a segment of Mars, Incorporated, with 2,000 Associates across the globe. It has some of the world’s leading food brands: Ben’s Original™, Kevin’s Natural Foods, MasterFoods®, SEEDS OF CHANGE®, Tasty Bite®, and DOLMIO® enjoyed in more than 30 markets around the world.
