Saturday, 18 January 2014

Giovanni Rana fresh filled pasta review


Giovanni Rana have been busy adding some rather lovely new recipes to their range of fresh pasta products and they kindly sent us through some samples to try out. They only take a few minutes to prepare so they are ideal for a busy day when you've just rushed in from work and need something on the table quickly but still want fresh-tasting, sophisticated food on your plate.


Their first addition is a new Indulgence Range which includes lovely combinations such as crumbly ricotta, shredded baby spinach and mascarpone, chicken and rosemary or sun blushed tomato, olive and mozzarella, carefully enclosed in fresh egg ravioli. We received the Gorgonzola PDO and Crunchy Mellow Walnut ravioli, a flavour combination that I wasn't too sure about when I read the label but which actually works really well. I love the fact that this range is inspired by traditional regional Italian recipes. They have a  delicate flavour that we served with just butter and parmesan on top so that we didn't overpower the taste of the filling. A 250g bag serves one very large serving or two much more reasonable ones. Before deciding which option you want to go for, you might want to take into account the fact that a 125g half bag serving contains 370 calories, 18.8g of fat (of which 9.4g saturates) and 46.3g of carbs (of which 4.4g sugars). I must admit, that was more than I expected !


They have also introduced some new flavour combinations to their Simply Italian Range, which is their more family-oriented every day line. You have the choice between Cured Ham and Cheese Tortelloni (Italian cured ham mixed with ricotta and mascarpone cheeses), Selected Italian Cheeses Ravioli (with a blend of Ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, Gorgonzola PDO and Pecorino Romano), Chicken and Mozzarella with Smoked Pancetta, Rich Bolognese Tortelloni  and Mushroom with Creamy Ricotta Ravioli, as well as the Italian Cured Ham and Cheese Tortelloni that we tried.After cooking it in boiling water for 3 minutes, we just added a drizzle of crème fraîche then sprinkled on some parmesan and added a shake of chilli flakes to give it a little kick. A 250g half bag serving contains 345 calories, 11.3g of fat (of which 6.9g saturates) and 45g of carbs (of which 2.9g sugars). 

You can't beat them for convenience and they offer a much more authentic and luxurious taste than you can get with dried pasta.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £2.49 for Italian Indulgence and £1.99 for Simply Italian

Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Ainsley Harriott Premium Soups review

2 comments:

  1. We haven't tried them all but slowly working through the range, lol.

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    Replies
    1. Wow, that's high praise indeed, coming from you guys ! :)

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