In July I received a nice, shiny coupon for a free “Buitoni Frozen Meals for Two” package as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program.
I didn’t see Buitoni meals in the freezer section at first, then realized that it just looked exactly like our local Wegman’s “Italian Classic” generic brand and grabbed a package. Out of the available options, I chose the Four Cheese & Spinach Ravioli.
A few days later, we cooked the pasta and sauce according to the package directions and plopped ourselves down to eat. The pasta tasted alright, though a little bit soggy. As is the case with all frozen pasta, the flavors were a bit muted in the filling. The spinach was basically just for decoration, not for taste. The sauce was alright as well, though too sweet for my tastes.
At the check-out register, I remember the frozen meal being around $8. While this does feed two people, I could see some people being left hungry. I also think that this is a fairly easy meal to make yourself for much cheaper. Cheese Ravioli + Pasta Sauce? That’s one of the cheapest, easiest meals to make, and I didn’t see a big flavor payoff to justify the price increase.
Thanks Buitoni, but I don’t think I’ll buy these again!
Below is a picture of the product from their website, for comparison.
seriously!? for $8 you can absolutely make something better yourself. even if it means just buying a jar of sauce and a package of refrigerated pasta.
i know! i could make it even cheaper by using dried pasta.
i made the albondigas for about the same price and it had more protein and yielded portions for four people (or more!).
also, if you make the pasta, separately, you can make it healthier by using whole wheat, and use a healthier sauce too.
usually when we make pasta + sauce, it’s enough food for 3 or 4 people (for cheaper). this was more expensive for less. Though this is a “Premium Frozen Meal” (as their site says).
Although it’s easy & simple to cook frozen ravioli, I always avoid them. I have yet to read a review that raves about frozen pasta.
Thanks for the review!
yep! i would rather use dried or fridge pasta. i think you sacrifice a great deal of texture when using frozen, filled, pasta.