Archive for the ‘Pasta’ Category

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SmartOnes Ravioli Florentine

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

SmartOnes Ravioli Florentine - Ad

SmartOnes Ravioli Florentine

Looks: You see how on the box, there’s one ravioli that’s cut open to show off the filling? You see how the one that I cut open fluffs up too to show the substantial filling? No? Yeah, that’s because there’s not nearly enough filling to get it to stay open like that. Other failings: the herbs look nothing like the fresh sprigs on the box, and the sauce is… lacking in texture, to say the least. 1.5 out of 5

Taste: Better than it looks. (SmartOnes meals are usually decent, so this isn’t surprising.) The filling is a dry ricotta mix, and the ravioli noodles have a decent bite to them. 3.5 out of 5

Posted in Frozen, Hall of Shame (Looks), Microwave, Pasta, Ravioli, Ricotta, SmartOnes | 1 Comment »

Banquet Swedish Meatballs

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

Banquet Swedish Meatballs - Ad

Banquet Swedish Meatballs

Looks: This meal is very well-represented on the box. The only nit I can find to pick is that the gravy/sauce comes out kind of lumpy, not smooth like on the packaging. Other than that, everything is fine – the meatballs are the right size, the colors are correct, and the portioning is accurate. 4.5 out of 5

Taste: What’s a word between that falls between “edible” and “delicious”? Oh right, it’s “banquetswedishmeatballs.” This meal is pretty good. The meatballs are substantial and actually taste like meat! (Really, they taste like salisbury steak balls.) The noodles are a little soft, but not as soft as say, Chef Boyardi Ravioli noodles, and the sauce has a nice peppery flavor. This is one of the few Banquet meals that I’ve bought after already having tried it in the past. 4 out of 5

Posted in Banquet, Egg Noodles, Frozen, Meatballs, Microwave, Pasta, Swedish Meatballs | 8 Comments »

SmartOnes Three Cheese Ziti Marinara

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

SmartOnes Three Cheese Ziti Marinara - Ad

SmartOnes Three Cheese Ziti Marinara

Looks: Much like the Healthy Choice Tomato Basil Penne, there is no way to cook this meal in a way that results in a dish like the one picture on the box without adding extra cheese (and some mint, I think). The picture on the box is also enlarged quite a bit, making the noodles appear larger than they actually are. 3 out of 5

Taste: SmartOnes frozen meals are generally a level above the competitors, but this one isn’t such a clear-cut winner. The ziti comes out a little over-cooked, and there’s no discernible cheese on the pasta since by the end of cooking, it has melted and been stirred into the sauce. It’s still a semi-filling meal, but not as tasty as the box would indicate. 3 out of 5

Posted in Cheese, Frozen, Marinara, Microwave, Pasta, SmartOnes, Ziti | 6 Comments »

Healthy Choice Tomato Basil Penne

Friday, September 11th, 2009

Healthy Choice Tomato Basil Penne - Ad

Healthy Choice Tomato Basil Penne

Looks: If you had access to all of the individual ingredients, you could maybe construct what is shown on the box, but for a meal that includes the instruction “stir entree and replace film cover,” you’re never going to end up with a pasta dish as displayed on the box, with the sauce and cheese nicely poured over the top. The noodles are the correct shape though and the sauce is the right color, so I guess that’s something. 2.5 out of 5

Taste: Ask my wife, she’s the one who ate it. (Hey, you’re not paying to read this, what did you expect?) Ok, I asked her and she said “The noodles were a good texture and the sauce was flavorful. I had to add my own cheese. I give it 4 foods out of 5. Wait, what scale does your little blog use?”

Posted in Basil, Frozen, Healthy Choice, Microwave, Pasta, Penne, Tomato | 3 Comments »

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