| Product: |
Tesco Cheese and Ham Pasta |
| Date: |
05/02/06 (263 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Quick and easy to make, very tasty
Disadvantages: Pasta sometimes takes longer to soften than stated
If you have read any of my other reviews you'll know that I'm a great fan of Tesco and their many own brand products. This cheese and ham pasta delight is just another example of what a great quality selection is available at lower prices.
The packaging for this flavour is a lovely sunny yellow which instantly draws your attention to it and quite simply shows the product served on a plate. This variety is made up of pasta tubes which are covered in a gorgeous creamy cheese sauce with pieces of reformed ham through it. Other varieties are made up using different shapes such as small shells or spirals. On the front of the pack it also has the information that it takes 13 minutes to cook in a microwave or 7 minutes to cook on a hob. I have always cooked this on the hob as I find it the easier option.
On the back of the pack there are detailed instructions of what to add, how to cook it and the nutritional make up of the product. There is also some allergy advice which states that it includes milk, wheat, gluten and yeast. I find Tesco own brand excellent when it comes to including this type of information on their packs. There is also the Tesco promise which states that a refund can be given if this product doesn't meet to standards and an address and freephone number to contact them on if you do have any comments on the product.
Whether you prefer microwave or hob the additions are exactly the same. You need 120mls of milk, 280mls water and 25g of butter. Although I have to say that this can be tasty by just adding more water instead of milk if you are watching your calories. It isn't quite as creamy and takes a bit longer to thicken but the pasta does soften quicker this way. This was also a handy option when my daughter was camping out with the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme as she was able to have this as a lovely filling meal done on her little camping stove. It's very simple to make as you just put those ingredients into a saucepan, bring it to the boil and add the dried packet ingredients to it. All it takes in the ability to simmer it and occasionally stir it til the pasta softens and the sauce thickens. Simple even for those people out there who can only boil an egg.
The microwave instructions are slightly different though as you just put everything into a bowl and depending on which wattage your microwave is cook it on full power from between 3 1/2 and 4 minutes before stirring and cooking again for between another 3-4 minutes. Then there is a standing time before serving which is what adds 2-5 minutes to the cooking time.
It says on the packet that there is enough to make up 2 servings and thats great if you are having it alongside some garlic bread, salad or chips. However, if you are having this on it's own I would say that it is only 1 serving. Having said that because it is quite creamy it can be pretty filling at the time but like most high carb foods they can leave you feeling hungry again in an hour or so. Because of this I often eat these for lunch rather than a main meal.
The colour looks fantastic - it is a creamy yellow mixed with red peppers and the green parsley - and there is a lovely delicate garlic aroma when this is cooked. The pasta is tasty, the cheese sauce is really scrumptious with the garlic and onion powder through it is just enough to blend the flavours to perfection and there is quite a reasonable amount of ham in here too. Although there is pepper in it already I do tend to add a sprinkling over the top at the end to finish it off but no salt is needed either during cooking or when it is ready to eat as it is quite salty in itself what with the cured ham and the cheese powder used in this product. Another idea to add a different texture to this meal is to cut up some pepperoni or salami and add that in at the start of cooking to give it a bit of zing for a tea time treat.
Now for the boring bit - the nutritional values:-
A 214g serving made with the milk as previously mentioned contains 313 Calories, 10.5g Protein, and 5.6g Fibre. It also has in it a whopping 41.7g Carbs, 11.6g Fat and it states that this contains the equivelent of 2.4g of salt too which I think is quite high considering the recommended daily allowance is 6g.
One thing that keeps me buying this variety is that I have tried some of the more expensive alternative packet pastas and the cheese ones often go a bit stodgy. I haven't found this to be the case with the Tesco one. If it does appear to be thickening before the pasta has softened, adding a small amount of water will counteract this just enough to finish it off. Be warned though, don't leave this on it's own cooking or the pasta could stick to your pan bottom if you don't have the non-stick type.
There are 7 varieties in this pasta range but the only other one I have tried is the Chicken, Garlic and Wine and it is just as tasty and mouth watering as the cheese and ham flavour. The other flavours are Cheese and Broccoli, Chicken and Mushroom, Creamy Mushroom, Tomato and Mushroom and Tomato and Onion. They all sell for just 51p for 120g packet which is somewhat cheaper than other makes such as Batchelors who are usually priced around 70p for the same amount.
So if you love pasta and are looking for a quick and easy meal to treat yourself to then why not give one of these packs a try. At the price they are at you can't go wrong.
Summary: Great tasting cheap snack
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