Consumers can take a realistic Italian entrée from the freezer to the microwave to the table in less than 5 minutes with Marie Callender’s Pasta al Dente, from ConAgra Foods, Omaha, Neb.
Developed from classic Italian recipes and traditions that use fresh Italian herbs and spices, the 10 varieties are: Penne Chicken Piccata with lemon and white wine butter sauce, spinach and capers; Chicken Carbonara with uncured bacon and peas; Chicken Pesto Parmesan with Roma tomatoes, broccoli, and Parmesan cheese; Beef Bolognese Rigatoni with hearty vegetables and rich Parmesan cheese; Rigatoni Marinara Classico with meatballs and Italian sausage; Tortellini Romano with fresh basil and real Parmesan cheese; Penne Garlic Chicken with chunks of artichoke hearts and Roma tomatoes; Creamy Basil Chicken with crushed pesto and fresh zucchini;Fettuccini Chicken Balsamic with crimini mushrooms and balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy, and Shrimp Rigatoni with shrimp in lobster cream sauce.
All varieties utilize patented SteaCooker technology, which separates the ingredients from the sauce with a two-tray, steam-cooking system that steams the meals in your microwave. It’s the same technology used in Healthy Choice Café Steamers, recognized as the best-selling new food product in 2008 by Information Resources Inc. (IRI).
“We conducted extensive research prior to launching [the line] to find out what consumers were looking for in a frozen meal,” explains Rob McCutcheon, vice president and general manager of Marie Callender’s. “We learned they were disappointed in the quality of many frozen pasta meals, which were often soggy or mushy. Consumers wanted something better, so we created Marie Callender’s Pasta al Dente to meet that need. We’re so confident these meals will shatter consumers’ expectations of what frozen meals can be that we’re backing it up with our Perfect Pasta Promise – your meal steamed perfectly every time, or your money back.”
Suggested retail price for a 10-11-oz. meal is $3.49.
