Essentials Pasta Penne 500g

Not great but acce. First Impression as soon as I picked it up was it looked “cheap and nasty” this was going by the bland packaging and the dark colour the pasta had compared to the other brands I usually buy. Cooking time was ok but the appearance still didn’t look as good and a lot of pasta fell apart. Once it was covered in sauce the sauce took over and it was ok. If there is no other pasta on sale and you are saving every penny buy it. As long as you can make a good sauce it will pass.

Used to be good. This pasta has been a staple in our household for many years, however, it's only been in the past six months or so that when cooking it before becoming al dente and adding to our sauce it falls apart - every single piece. Not sure what has changed, certainly not my cooking. Very disappointed not to be buying anymore as it's a great price point and we love the fact that it's made from Australian produce

A Pantry Staple. I usually buy Essentials Pasta Penne or spaghetti due to its cheap price and not any noticeable difference for pasta in this price range. If I am not trying to achieve a certain texture for a show off meal I find it doesnt matter what pasta I use - just don't over cook it. The dearer range of pasta is obviously more al dente If you closely examine low-cost pastas, you’ll notice that they are almost shiny and incredibly smooth ― that’s the work of the Teflon die. To save even more time and produce large quantities of pasta, mass manufacturers then quickly dry the pasta, sometimes for only a few hours, before boxing it and shipping it. If you’ve always struggled with achieving al dente pasta, try buying a more premium brand. They’re extruded though ... MoreA Pantry Staple. I usually buy Essentials Pasta Penne or spaghetti due to its cheap price and not any noticeable difference for pasta in this price range. If I am not trying to achieve a certain texture for a show off meal I find it doesnt matter what pasta I use - just don't over cook it. The dearer range of pasta is obviously more al dente If you closely examine low-cost pastas, you’ll notice that they are almost shiny and incredibly smooth ― that’s the work of the Teflon die. To save even more time and produce large quantities of pasta, mass manufacturers then quickly dry the pasta, sometimes for only a few hours, before boxing it and shipping it. If you’ve always struggled with achieving al dente pasta, try buying a more premium brand. They’re extruded though brass and bronze dies, which create a rough skin on the pasta. This creates a perfect texture for the sauce to grab and stick to as it coats the pasta. For a pantry staple and a quick spaghetti bolognese for the kids - you can rely on this product to be up for the challenge.

Penne with a softer texture! It didn't hold it's shape as normal. I always try to cook "al dento" but it seemed more on the soft side. Flavour and price was ok. It was definitely usable and tasted fine with the sauce. I have used the Woollies brand previously and have had no issues so will buy again. I would still recommend as tastes fine.

Great pasta. I cooked the pasta for a pasta bake and it cooked quite well and did not break. The family enjoyed the meal and did not know that it was a different brand. The price is great 90c a packet compared to other brands and I will definitely be purchasing again. I also saw other pasta shapes and will purchase those in the future. Being Italian we eat a lot of pasta and during these expensive times it is great value and can easily feed a family of 4. I boiled the pasta first for 10 minutes then I added bolognese sauce with mince and mozzarella, baked for 30 min and the meal was complete. Delicious.

Enjoyed it though wasn’t the best. Found on the top shelves in the pasta aisle, was easily recognisable in the bold Woolworths green coloured packet. I love how the packet has a clear window in the shape of a saucepan with the Essentials Penne pasta showing through The Penne shape was as it should be, the only difference to my normal brand Penne is that this Woolworths Penne has a lovely groove design all way round along the length of each Penne piece. I’m happy the pasta has a 4’ star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ health rating and is made from no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and also is a good source of fibre in your diet. With easy cooking instructions on the back between 10 - 14 min. Ours cooked around 13 min to a perfect al dente taste. I made a massive delicious ... MoreEnjoyed it though wasn’t the best. Found on the top shelves in the pasta aisle, was easily recognisable in the bold Woolworths green coloured packet. I love how the packet has a clear window in the shape of a saucepan with the Essentials Penne pasta showing through The Penne shape was as it should be, the only difference to my normal brand Penne is that this Woolworths Penne has a lovely groove design all way round along the length of each Penne piece. I’m happy the pasta has a 4’ star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ health rating and is made from no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and also is a good source of fibre in your diet. With easy cooking instructions on the back between 10 - 14 min. Ours cooked around 13 min to a perfect al dente taste. I made a massive delicious Chicken Cacciatore, so there was plenty for Mr23 work lunches. We enjoyed the penne though it wasn’t the best. The only thing compared to our normal brand and also when comparing to other Woolies pastas, we found this Penne to have a doughy / floury taste. Thank you Woolworths for the sample, but for this reason I’ve marked accordingly, and will only continue to purchase other Woolies Essential pastas ver

Delicious + great value = repeat purchase. When it comes to short pasta we ALWAYS buy fusilli as the kids love the spiral shape, so I was interested to see if there really was much of a difference when it came to cooking and eating a different shape. The answer was unsurprisingly, no. This penne was delicious. I used it in my usual pasta bake recipe instead of fusilli and I actually think it made the dish even better. I never really pay attention to how long pasta takes to cook, so I didn't really notice it taking longer like many other Bunchees have said. The end result was a perfectly cooked al dente pasta that paired well with the other ingredients in the pasta bake. Everyone in the family gave it a big tick, so I may just be a convert. In addition to the ... MoreDelicious + great value = repeat purchase. When it comes to short pasta we ALWAYS buy fusilli as the kids love the spiral shape, so I was interested to see if there really was much of a difference when it came to cooking and eating a different shape. The answer was unsurprisingly, no. This penne was delicious. I used it in my usual pasta bake recipe instead of fusilli and I actually think it made the dish even better. I never really pay attention to how long pasta takes to cook, so I didn't really notice it taking longer like many other Bunchees have said. The end result was a perfectly cooked al dente pasta that paired well with the other ingredients in the pasta bake. Everyone in the family gave it a big tick, so I may just be a convert. In addition to the delicious taste, the penne was dirt cheap. Just 80c for a large 500g bag! I normally buy branded pasta in a box, but for over three times the price I'm starting to wonder why... So, would I buy this again? You know what, I think I would! Nice one Woolies :)

Great budget pasta. I didn’t even want to try it! I come from an Italian family where we either make the pasta fresh or buy a high quality pasta. I was mistaken. I decided to use my packet of penne to make a cold pasta salad for work lunches. I mixed it with homemade pesto and a variety of veggies. The penne held their shape, good texture and tasted nice. I would definitely buy the penne again to make this and similar dishes.

Pantry staple. We love pasta in our household and penne pasta is one of our favourites. We buy this often and it is a staple in our pantry. I cook it for less time than the 14 mins it states, as it's too long and the pasta will be overcooked. I normally make a sundried tomato pesto pasta with this penne; it coats all the pasta and is so delicious. Very quick and easy meal to make for the whole family. Product of Australia, good value and price too.

Awesome meal. Great meal for less than $5 total. This is something that you can leave on the cupboard shelf for those times that you don’t know what to cook and haven’t been to the shops that day. Perfect time to pull out the pasta and sauce. If you are anything like me I make sure this is a weekly event too, as for me it’s a near perfect food and so easy to prepare even I can do it. Not to mention so affordable with the pasta under $1. Now where can you find a good quality pasta for under a dollar?The cooking time on the package says to boil the water first and then the cooking time is 10 to 14 minutes from there. Still total preparation time is under 20 minutes for a solid good meal for the family and you can’t go wrong there. This pasta allow you to have each ... MoreAwesome meal. Great meal for less than $5 total. This is something that you can leave on the cupboard shelf for those times that you don’t know what to cook and haven’t been to the shops that day. Perfect time to pull out the pasta and sauce. If you are anything like me I make sure this is a weekly event too, as for me it’s a near perfect food and so easy to prepare even I can do it. Not to mention so affordable with the pasta under $1. Now where can you find a good quality pasta for under a dollar?The cooking time on the package says to boil the water first and then the cooking time is 10 to 14 minutes from there. Still total preparation time is under 20 minutes for a solid good meal for the family and you can’t go wrong there. This pasta allow you to have each mouthful with your choice of tasty sauces filling the hollows of the pasta, so it’s good on every bite. I loved this pasta and the entire meal and once again for under $5 and for under a 20 minute preparation time. If you want to go all out throw some garlic bread with the meal and bob’s your uncle. This is one that I’ll keep in the cupboard so I can throw it together again when I’m tired and don’t want to work at cooking a meal.