You may remember me telling you about the fabulous hamper of goodies that Ragu sent through for us to try out their new range of pasta bake sauces. I asked the Madhouse residents which one they'd like to try first and the unanimous verdict was ... Cheese & Bacon.
It really is a simple dish to throw together. You just put 200g of dry pasta in a dish, pour over the contents of the jar, fill it 3/4 full with water and add that, then stir it all up. I have to say, it doesn't look at all appetising at this stage !
I decided to incorporate some extra veggies - some mushrooms and leeks plus the leftover roast carrots from yesterday. I also added some chopped ham because, although it has a strong bacon smell and a subtle bacon flavour, there are no lumps of meat in it whatsoever.
After 25 minutes in the oven, you need to sprinkle over grated cheese and pop it back in for another 20 minutes until the cheese is melting and bubbly. It looks very runny in this photo but if you look below, it isn't at all - most of the sauce is absorbed by the pasta.
The kids absolutely loved it and asked for seconds. The grown-ups liked it too but found it slightly bland so be prepared to sprinkle some herbs on top - some oregano, chilli flakes and garlic pepper perked it up no end ! It's such a simple dish to throw together that this will definitely become a regular on our menu plan for midweek mealtimes when I rush in from work and need something quick while I'm supervising homework, especially during the colder months. It's a great way of using up leftovers too, which is always great news.
100g of sauce contains 67 calories, 5g of fat (of which 1g saturates), 5g of carbs (of which 2g sugar) and 1g protein.
I'll let you know how we get on with the rest of the jars.
star rating : 4/5
RRP : £1.98 for 470g
Disclosure : I received a hamper of Ragu pasta bake sauces (and extra goodies) in order to write an honest review.
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I'm still not convinced by the look of it in the end. And disappointed to hear it's fairly bland, probably won't waste my money and continue to make sauces myself
ReplyDeleteIt's great when you're in a rush or if you lack confidence in the kitchen but as always, you can't beat homemade !
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