yummy Italian in a jiffy (Tesco Italian Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta Bake)

Member Name: kelebhutu

Product:	Tesco Italian Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta Bake
Date:	26/10/08 (239 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: quick, very cheap, tasty, storable

Disadvantages: smallish

I was very pleased to see that Dooyou has paid heed to my suggestion and has added this product for reveiwing on its site..hence my thanks to dooyou.
This is basically a ready made 360gms pasta dish of pasta shells in a thick tomato sauce bubbling with cheese.

I wanted to try it as it was reduced from £1.58 to £1 a few weeks back and then I went back to buy a few more packs as it is freezable too for a month from purchase date.

packaging:

Well this does'nt really inspire you to grab it off the shelf and put it into your trolley with the promise of its being on the table at the next meal..but is okish with instructions precisely written.

ease off preparing:

The dish is extremely simple to make as are all ready meals.Dish can microwaved - in just 4 minutes on 750W . When the dish is cooked, one has to be careful with the film covering as the trapped steam underneath can easily scald you.

The dish can also be cooked in the conventional oven, takes only 20 minutes if fan assisted. The dish is equally good either ways. However personally I find the cheesy top layer better cooked in the oven as microwaving makes it go a bit crusty.

Taste:

Though a bit syntheticy in taste it taste quite good in fact unlike so many packed meals on the shelf today. The herby tomato sauce ha the taste of tinned tomatoes but the herbs are pleasant smelling not overpowering or understated. I found the salt content a tad less (must be because I have too much).

Amount:

Good enough for a mela for one and value for money..you just can't expect anything more for a pound ..do you?

Nutritional Value per serving:

Cal 400kCal
Fat 10.8g
Sat Fat 3.6g
Sugar 1.1g
Salt 2.3g

Ingredients
Tomato (38%), Cooked Egg Pasta (37%), Onion, Mozzarella Cheese (5%), Tomato Puree, Water, Olive Oil, Cornflour, Garlic Puree, Salt, Basil, Black Pepper.
Cooked Egg Pasta: Durum Wheat Semolina, Water, Pasteurised Egg.
Tomato: Tomato, Tomato Juice.
The fat content and calorific value being small makes this relatively healthy choice for dieters ocassionally as well.

Being a simple meal is ideal for small children for tea as well , or if eaten as snack or taken to work..and very cheap as well for a dish tasting that good I would say. Pack size just right for an adult but I would'nt say generous but you get what you pay for.

wanted to add another line: this is a good meal for vegetarians too.

Summary: very cheap and tasty ready meal