Review- M&S Chargrilled Vegetable & Basil Pesto Wood Fired Pizza

Pizza isn't something to feature much here on R4R.. We just aren't pizza people in my house with no real logical reason as to why - We all love bread more than we should, cheese never goes a miss and we get through tomato sauces like they're going out of fashion. In theory we should be living for the stuff but alas.. Afraid not. 

Pizza base topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, chargrilled yellow peppers, chargrilled courgettes, Santarella red cherry tomatoes, balsamic onions and basil pesto. 

Having said that MSW saw this Chargrilled Vegetable & Basil Pesto number in M&S and took enough of a shining to it to buy it for a rather pricey £5.50. The 476g, loaded with veggies, Wood Fired Pizza is designed to feed 2 which I thought was quite generous and is suitable to Vegetarians (I should think so to!) but not for freezing so don't do that. 

I cooked the Pizza as instructed for about 12 minutes, at 200ºC Fan and it turned out beautifully - Melted, crisp and only slightly burnt. Cutting with a wheel, the base proved easy to get through thanks to just the right thickness and robust nature. Taste wise, it was flawless - The tomato was fresh and vibrant, only complemented by the gooey mozzarella and naturally, going well with the abundance of soft vegetables. A balsamic flavour definitely lingered with a real kick of basil from the pesto which not only added a bit of moisture but also heightened the flavour of the courgette and pepper. Surprisingly no element was lost and all in all with the strong bread-y, sourdough base, there wasn't a shadow of a doubt that it tasted like all the good of the Med! Yum!

See, it makes zero sense - Both MSW and I adored this M&S Chargrilled Vegetable & Basil Pizza and yet we still claim not to be Pizza people! Times must be changing though as I am already eager to see how the rest of the Wood Fired range fairs.. A chicken option may just be slipping into my basket very soon. It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me! 

Review- M&S NEW Activehealth Roasted Vegetable Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

So, after eating all that Chocolate Spread, I am thinking I need to get back on the healthy and start lowering my cholestrol once more.. Move over scrumptious Slow Cooked Lamb, Roasted Vegetable Ravioli is here! 

Free range egg pasta parcels filled with roasted vegetables with a smoked tomato sauce, roasted baby plum tomatoes and parsley. 

I don't know if M&S heard me moaning about the price of these NEW activehealth meals or what but the entire range is now a Mix & Match, 3 for £10 deal which is far more reasonable than having to fork out £4.25 each! 

I stabbed the 355g, Veggie friendly meal with a fork, ready to pop into the microwave for about 4 minutes.. Although you can also whack it in the oven at 160ºC Fan for 15 minutes, if you live for hard work. 

It looked a real treat after a good zapping! - Gloriously tomato-ey with a very rich, slightly smokey scent. I have to admit, I was hoping the latter wasn't going to reflect to much in the taste.. 

Thankfully, my wishes came true as the smoked tomato sauce wasn't really smokey at all - Just tomato all the way! 7 large and generously coated Ravioli were the star of the show with a soft bite (Some might say al dente!) and well filled vegetable centre. As expected, the pasta paired up perfectly with the not to sloppy, super fresh tasting sauce which came with a ever so slight hint of basil. The whole baby tomatoes were another element in abundance with 6 present.. But unfortunately, the skins were really quite unpleasantly chewy - I ended up peeling them and just eating the soft, juicy centre! One other negative which although didn't effect the overall deliciousness, was how one of the Ravioli had gone crisp. I can only assume this was down to not being covered in sauce fully which was unfortunate but easily avoidable with a bit of shifting about, next time! 

What on earth has happened to M&S? This Roasted Vegetable Ravioli is another champion product from the store! I am starting to worry a bit really.. I'm seeing past "faults" like undigestible tomato skins and occasional plaster like pasta all for an amazingly potent sauce come carb fest. You wouldn't even recognise it as a healthy meal either - It tastes that good.. And even better with cheese on top! 

Could they be "poisoning" us all into liking them? Perhaps. Are they intent on taking all our money? Wouldn't put it past them. Is this all part of a grand scheme in which we get hooked on Spirit of Summer? Without a shadow of a doubt. It's a cracking 4.5 out of 5 from me! 

Review- Roberto & Giuseppe's Tomato & Sweet Basil Pastinos

I am always excited to go into Waitrose as I don't have one right on my door step - Great snacks are to be found there! I spotted these Roberto & Giuseppe's Tomato & Sweet Basil Pastinos in the Crisp aisle and thought they looked a bit different. They also had a 1/3 off and only cost £1.46 which is always a bonus!

The Pastino Gourmet Snack gets its name by bringing together the words PASTa, which is what they are made from and the Italian word for snack, SpunTINOS. INGENIOUS, I tell you! 

They certainly look like pasta shells and sounded exactly as they do when shaken in the bag - It was a bit odd to think I was about to eat them "raw". Upon opening, I was welcomed by a lovely Mediterranean aroma. Taste wise, they were fantastic! They definitely tasted of pasta but with a light airy crunch rather than being soft. The sweet tomato and basil flavours were really apparent with a moreish salty kick which made them very hard to stop eating.

These are one of the nicest "Crisp" snacks, I have had! The 150g bag didn't last even an hour.. Thats the true sign of an amazing snack! The Pastinos also come in Arrabbiata Chilli & Tomato and Chianti & Olive which I am definitely going to get the next time I come across a Waitrose. Its top marks from me, 5 out of 5!