Knorr Marinara Pasta Sides 4.4 oz, Quick Easy Meal, Side Dish, 1PK

As I am getting older, I find myself eating the Knorr sides as main meals more and more. I used to like to prepare and cook a meal and not use prepackaged items, since my mom tended to rely too much on prepackaged meals when I was a kid. I thought mashed potatoes came out of a box until my teens. Over the years, I have found almost all of the Knorr sides fairly good by themselves and outstanding if you doctor them up. When I did not have a lot of money, these and Ramen noodles were staples in my diet and budget. Now that I am retired and comfortable, I find myself back to eating these regularly since they are quick, simple, cheap and delicious. For the Marinara, I cook according to the directions but only use a cup and half of water and a full can of diced tomatoes and then add some additional garlic and onion powder, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, a bay leaf, some frozen onions or three pepper blend and some olive oil to the pot. If I have fresh parsley or basil, I will add it in. I bring to boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. When hot, I put in a bowl and sprinkle parmesan powder on it to melt. I think this tastes as good or better than when I make marinara sauce from scratch and often times better than what I get in restaurants. Considering this side costs around a dollar and the other ingredients are added in just one pot with not a lot of mess or fuss, this is fantastic. For the other Knorr sides depending on the type, I will use all milk instead of milk and water, more butter, extra garlic and onion powder, shredded cheese and typically frozen broccoli, peas, mixed vegetables and/or canned mushrooms to the pot. They almost all turn out delicious and probably better than some stuff you would get at a restaurant or make at home.

Not too bad but honestly kinda blah. You need to spice up this stuff with maybe onion salt, pinch of garlic, salt & pepper, and Italian seasoning. Some little meatballs might be nice.

Very good and easy combo. Can be made into chicken ziti, and is very nutritional. The taste of the powderd tomatoe sauce keeps me buying it.

Good price. The noodles and sauce were convenient - being quick and easy to make, but I was not a fan of the taste. Good meal for someone who is not as picky as I am.

This product is simple to prepare and very tasty. I have a teenager at home who is always hungry. This is something that he can prepare for himself in a minimal amount of time.