Barilla Italian-Style Entrees, Tomato & Basil Penne, 9 Ounce (Pack of 6)

One of the BEST new products I have tried this year (2012). Unlike some other meals, in simi;ar pachages, this is fully cooked ,and ready eat in just 60 seconds!I became aware of this product at a "craft service" table on a television shoot that went in to the wee hours - it is really good! Perfect for a lunch, or perhaps a side-dish. Or... when you get home, and are too tired to cook ANYTHING ( been there, done THAT ).Barilla has always had good pasta and sauce, and this flavor should be familar to you, if you have tried them before. The KEY feature here is ease of prep. If you can, add in some grated cheese and a salad, and you have a meal in minutes.While popular on TV and movie sets, this could easily be a a terrific "comfort food" gift for seniors, college students, or perhaps someone not feeling up to par.I like the spicy formula, though there are several others, without the minor "kick". Is it "al-dente"?, no, but is it darn good. Plate it (or even paper-plate it) and you will enjoy a fast-casual premium dining option.The Amazon price is great, and is LOWER than what I saw in a wharehouse store this weekend- the individual packs are around $4.00 each, at regular retail, and are well worth it.Do consider this for yourself, it is a bit of everyday luxury. And, like I said, consider those seniors, and college students - I ASSURE you this would be a most welcome gift!

This was clearly the best of the quick meals for lunch or dinner. Superior pasta and sauce tastes like a slow cooked home meal. Very disappointed that Barilla discontinued this product during the pandemic, and has not re-introduced it since.

After eating this, I couldn't tell there was actual meat in the pasta. It tastes good and it's easy to prepare. Just remove or peel back the lid past the sauce tray. If you try to do it after, it can get messy. Small detail but it will save you the mess afterwards. The pasta has a nice chew, the tomato sauce is slightly sweet and tangy. There's meat in there but it's not that noticeable to me. Portion size is decent. You have might have to dress it up with toppings and add some bread to it. For a quick lunch, it's a great option. For dinner, you might need to eat 2 of these.

The Barilla Italian Entrees are quick meals that definitely deliver when it comes to convenience. They take only one minute to cook in the microwave. I like that there is a generous portion of sauce in each package, which is pretty tasty. The noodles were somewhat bland but overall these are good to have on hand for a quick meal at the office or at home when time is critical.This is my first time trying these entrees and depending on price point I would buy again. They are great for convenience but otherwise not something my family or I will get excited about.

Excellent quality and excellent taste! It really takes only one minute to heat (I use a 1000 watt microwave). I heat up one package for lunch, and it filled me up, which surprised me, because I did not expect it to.I want to give a special heads up to others who, like me, are disabled and can't devote the energy to cooking a full hot meal. The food in this entree is well worth the minute it takes to heat up. I can't say enough nice things about it. Especially because I didn't expect to be so taken with. Great product!One thing I need to mention, having bought both this product and another Barilla variety, (which is also delicious) the pasta is just this side of al dente. I enjoy both al dente and a smidgen softer, so it's not a 'con' for me. It is possible the company can offer a solution to al dente, to make the pasta a bit softer, but I did not ask as I love the entree as it is. Mangia!

Given what the product was, I was expecting to a) no longer be hungry, but b) still be disappointed.I was thankfully wrong, at least with regard to item b.Primarily, I was expecting there to not be enough sauce. You know how it is with quick meals and such: the manufacturer includes just barely enough sauce to indicate they made an effort.Perhaps because Barilla also makes great sauce, and they want their customers to finish their meal glad that they had it, but the sauce tasted great, and, MOST ESPECIALLY, there was plenty of it.I had actually bought extra jars of sauce (Barilla) and fully expected that I was going to have to heat up a saucer of it. I'm glad I waited until after I'd poured the sauce on the pasta. Extra sauce is not needed. In fact, adding more would just have the noodles swimming in sauce.I will definitely be ordering more of this product.

I cannot tell you how skeptical I was to try one of these. But I bought the six pack and boy was I pleasantly surprised. I usually don't write a lot of reviews on Amazon, but this one I had to review. First, it only took one minute to heat up in the microwave. How fast is that? And let me tell you it came out completely done just the way I like my pasta. There are no preservatives at all in this dish which is a big plus for me. There's no chemical taste it tastes exactly like you would boil a pot of pasta on your own stove and heat up a jar of sauce and pour over your pasta. It is excellent. I would not hesitate in buying this at all. My husband has tried many other flavors Barilla puts out, and he says they are equally as delicious. I can't say enough about this dish.