Product Review: Bertolli Premium Vodka Rustica Pasta Sauce

Last night I couldn't decide whether to whip up a new recipe or warm up leftovers. After bouncing between the fridge and the pantry for a few minutes, I decided to land somewhere in between. Leftovers just weren't doing it for me, but I wasn't in the mood to thaw out a pack of chicken breasts either. So I grabbed a pouch of pasta sauce from my pantry, and the rest is history!

I grabbed a pouch of Bertolli's new Premium Vodka Rustica Pasta Sauce at HyVee a few weeks ago. Little did I know how new this stuff really was! I couldn't even find it listed on Bertolli's website, so I called customer service to find out why. This flavor was just released into stores in February and the website hasn't been updated yet. I am so glad that I called; the representative was extremely pleasant to speak with, and even offered to mail me a pack of coupons for Bertolli and other Unilever products - SCORE!



Whether or not you can find it online, head to your local store and find the real thing; you won't be disappointed! I absolutely hate to do dishes, and I hate to clean up sauce splatters all over my stove even more. With this inventive little pouch, there is no need to do either! Simply snip the corner of the pouch and microwave for 90 seconds - and voila! Dinner's done!

I used a 1 pound box of Barilla Cellentani Pasta - OOPS! My only complaint about the dish was that it was rather dry; not enough sauce to go around. I confirmed with the Bertolli customer service representative - since this is a 13 ounce pouch of sauce, you are only supposed to use a HALF a pound of pasta! DOH! Once again, I failed the "reading directions" portion of the test miserably. However, dry or not, the taste was fabulous! I love Vodka sauces because you get the best of both worlds - a little bit tomato, a little bit cream. This pouch packs the perfect amount of both, and is very savory (I really dislike sweet pasta sauces, so that's a big score in my book)! Add some Pillsbury Butter Tastin' Flaky Layers Biscuits (actually not my favorite - I'll stick to plain ol' Grands! from now on), sprinkle with a little Kraft Grated Parmesan, and you've got a perfect meal! And a special note to all of my coupon cutters out there - I bought each of these items on sale and/or with a coupon - DOUBLE SCORE!

Have you tried Bertolli Premium Pasta pouches? I'd love to hear your comments. I will definitely snatch up a few more pouches of the Vodka Rustica next time I'm at HyVee; I think I'll have to try the other flavors too (the Champignon and Portabella Mushroom will likely win my husband over)!

dinner on a dime

Tonight's recipe will come from Taste of Home's Dinner on a Dime booklet. I picked this up at the grocery store last week (and yet I can't even say it is my newest cookbook! I know - it's a sickness).

So far I am impressed. The book is loaded with tips for saving money, which in this day and age is a necessity. Most (though not all) meals include a nice color photo (though I don't know why I always look for cookbooks with photographs - my meals never look like the one in the picture).

There are 25 recipes inside that I actually might try (that's huge for me - many of my more expensive cookbooks only have a handful that match my family's tastes, our budget and my cooking abilities). I made the Stovetop Beef 'n' Shells Monday night and it was a big hit. Think yummy goulash with smaller shells (easier for my toddler to eat)! I salted and peppered the beef before adding the rest of the ingredients (in addition to the seasonings the recipe called for) and my husband also added a generous sprinkling of seasoning salt. I bought a 15 oz can of tomato sauce (the large store brand can was cheaper than the small name brand can) and used almost all of it. I would actually suggest using the whole 15 oz can, since you simmer out much of the liquid anyway. It was just as good left over the next day (another big issue in our family, since none of us particularly like leftovers). This recipe will definitely go into our family favorites list.

After I tackle the Cola Chicken, I will post photos and let you know the results. Since the first meal was such a success I am excited about the potential in this book's other recipes. I would definitely recommend that you grab a copy while they are still available; the date on the cover says "Display until March 10, 2009".