A bland penne! (Tesco Value Penne Pasta)

Member Name: xxfoxyredxx

Product:	Tesco Value Penne Pasta
Date:	25/07/09 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, lots of it and looks great when cooked

Disadvantages: Doesn't taste!

When it comes to pasta I love it! I find it simple to cook, filling and very healthy and most of all Versatile. I find when I'm out of the gym I crave carbs so this is a good meal for me with some chicken and vegetables or with a light sauce on top or IT something and not being the worlds best cook means it isn't too taxing for me!

I saw this in my local Tesco store and I was curious to try it. I usually pay about 80p a bag for the same sized pasta and of stores own brand and that this at 29p I thought probably wouldn't be the best thing since sliced bread but because I get through such alot of the stuff it may be a good, cheaper alternative and was worth a go!

The Packaging....

Mainly clear plastic square bag with red and white writing on it telling me it is Tesco 'Value' Penne (lots of information on here in different languages I don't understand), size is stated (500g), I'm told to cook it on the hob, that it is Vegetarian, the best before date is clearly stamped on and finally there is an at a glance nutritional chart on there. On the back of the bag other information includes cooking instructions, ingredients and allergy advice is given, a full nutritional chart is on there as are contact details for Tesco. This is cheap looking bag and it tears easily so if purchasing this be sure to have a container on stand by to tip this into! There's a tip for you lol.

To cook It....

Allow approx 75g per person.
Cook for 10-12 minutes in slightly salted water and once it's come to the boil further cook it on a moderate heat.

My Thoughts On It....

Well to look at it is a yellowy colour, hard tube shape and slanted to the ends and with slight ridges down it. It has no smell to it and is hard cos of course it's a dried food.

I allow 150g size for my lunch as it's an after the gym portion so that's 2 normal recommended servings and I find that just a bit more than what is needed for a regular portion so what I'm saying is be generous with this unless you have a small appetite!

It cooks very easily in about 12 minutes. It puffs up, goes to a cream colour and holds really well and creates no scum. It is important to use salt within cooking to bring out the flavour of the pasta as well! (Read on as to why lol).

Taste wise, even using salt in the water this is a very bland pasta. There is little flavour to it at all and it's best used with a sauce or something because plain it's like eating air! Yes it's filling enough, I don't mean air in that way but air would have more taste to it I'm sure lol. The only ingredients in this is durum wheat semolina and soft wheat semolina and that's your lot. No egg, no seasoning nothing and you can tell that. You really do need to shake the pasta dry (as it's tubes) or you get a really watery taste to the pasta too!

Verdict...

A filling and economical pasta this is and to be fair it cooks easy as I mentioned already and it holds well looking like decent pasta when you serve it. I always rinse my pasta off after cooking but if you don't want to then you don't need to cos it doesn't go gloopy anyway. So it's all very easy to prepare! Like I say though it's bland and therefore very boring and that's the main negative with this. It can be sorted out with sauces slightly but make no bones about it it is cheap tasting. When it comes to pasta you obviously get what you pay for! This proves that to be the case! Not great, not foul, but really nothing special!

Allergy Advice....

Contains: Wheat, Gluten.
Recipe: No nuts
Ingredients: cannot guarantee nut free.

Nutritional Advice....Per 75g serving when cooked contains:

Calories: 262
Sugar: 1.9g
Fat: 1.1g
Saturates: 0.4g
Salt: Trace

Only available in Tesco stores.

Summary: Not for me this!