What’s in other people’s shopping baskets and trolleys is always interesting, and we would love to hear about the things you have discovered too. Tell me about them and I will track them down, try them out and report back. Thank you.
What is it? Ottimo Fresh Frozen Pasta (€3.50, 300g)
What’s good about it? The makers, frozen food giant Green Isle, claim it is the only frozen fresh pasta on the market in Ireland. It comes in three varieties, four-cheese ravioli, spinach and ricotta tortelloni, and mushroom ravioli, all of them suitable for vegetarians.
How do I use it? It cooks in a pot of boiling water in four minutes from frozen. I tried the four-cheese variety and was impressed. I topped the cooked pasta, which was pleasantly toothsome, with melted butter, grated Parmesan and black pepper and it made a quick, tasty WFH lunch. There were 20 substantial pieces of pasta in the bag and five was enough for me for lunch, though the pack says it serves two.
Beauty & the Beast review: On the way home, younger audience members re-enact scenes. There’s no higher recommendation
Matt Cooper: I’m an only child. I’ve always been conscious of not having brothers or sisters
A Dublin scam: After more than 10 years in New York, nothing like this had ever happened to me
Patrick Freyne: I am becoming a demotivational speaker – let’s all have an averagely productive December
Where can I buy it? In the frozen food aisles of supermarkets nationwide.
Sustainability credentials? Hmm... well, it cooks quickly so it won’t add too much to your energy bill. The pasta is made in Ireland, using durum wheat semolina of both EU and non-EU origin, and the same applies to the sourcing of the cheese in the filling.
Anything else? I’m not going to pretend this isn’t a highly processed food – the long ingredients list for the four-cheese filling dispels that notion. But the texture of the pasta was really good, and for an occasional quick, convenient and inexpensive lunch or dinner, it has a place in my freezer.
