Heinz has launched spaghetti carbonara in a tin — claiming the pasta is a fail-proof gift for kitchen-dodging Gen Z.
It comes as a third of young people claim they are hopeless at cooking and want quick, easy grub instead.
The £2 (A$3.87) no-drama carbonara was introduced in the UK because Gen Z consistently ranks the dish as one of the toughest to whip up.
Heinz claimed it has made a “recipe that’s fail-proof, taking all the fuss out of cooking, allowing pasta lovers to nail it every time”, The Sun reports.
But the move has enraged pasta purists, who branded the can version a “disgrace”.
Alessandra de Dreuille, meals director at Kraft Heinz said: “We understand people are looking for convenient meals that are effortless to prepare.
“Our spaghetti carbonara delivers just that.
“It’s the perfect solution for a quick and satisfying meal at home.”
But Ciara Tassoni, 31, who manages posh Italian restaurant Bottega Prelibato, in Shoreditch, East London, said anybody who asked for a can-style carbonara would be quickly shown the door.
The restaurant made headlines last year for banning the traditional dish after British customers kept demanding cream, mushrooms and chicken were added.
Ciara said: “Now they are putting it in a can? It’s a disgrace and it couldn’t be any further from authentic carbonara.
“If somebody came in here and asked for a can of carbonara they would immediately be thrown out.”
Alessandro Pipero, whose Michelin-starred Pipero restaurant in the heart of Rome has earned him the billing “carbonara king”, was also bemused by the tinned meal.
The chef appeared to recoil at the idea Heinz’s newest offering, quizzically asking: “Do you mean in a tin, like cat food?
“Shouldn’t we stick to putting things like Coca-Cola in a can?” he said via The Times.
The origins and recipe for carbonara are often disputed.
Most say it is a simple dish of pancetta, eggs cooked by the hot pasta, and hard cheese.
