Review: Barilla - Tomato & Basil Whole Grain Penne

Barilla's Tomato & Basil Whole Grain Penne is a shelf-stable meal of a tomato & basil sauce over whole grain penne pasta.

A 9-oz box was $2.

The sauce and pasta are kept separated during microwaving with the sauce in a removable cup that you pour over the pasta after it's done cooking.

The whole wheat pasta turns out pretty firm and has a just slightly grainy texture with a more robust wheat quality. Rather than yellow it's more of a light brown. The shape does a good job wicking up the sauce. I prefer the more familiar neutral taste of regular pasta but some might like the whole wheat better.

The tomato sauce keeps it pretty simple with a pleasant, tangy basil flavor that's a touch on the sweet side. It's nothing fancy but it's good.

Overall, Barilla's Tomato & Basil Whole Grain Penne is a decent choice if you don't have a fridge handy at work or school, or really hate boiling pasta. It's very basic though so you might want to keep some parmesan or pepper handy (if you're at home, I recommend tossing in some sausage or other protein).

Nutritional Info - Barilla Tomato & Basil Whole Grain Penne (255g)
Calories - 310 (Calories from Fat - 40)
Fat - 4.5g (Saturated Fat - 1g)
Sodium - 680mg
Carbs - 57g (Sugar - 6g)
Protein - 10g