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[	Tags	|	5 stars, dairy-free, itailan, organic, pasta, rising moon organics, vegan, vegetarian	]
[	Feelin'	|	calm	]

For dinner last night I FINALLY tried Rising Moon Organics “Organic Lasagna”
“Made with organic PRIMAcotta soy ricotta and organic pasta”
-380 Calories
-10g Total fat

Molly Says: I've had this meal in the freezer since just after Thanksgiving and for whatever reason (likely the barrage of Amy's meals we received in the mail...) I've passed it over time and time again. Last night I finally found myself craving Italian (and willing to be satisfied with the lesser frozen Italian.) The microwave directions are simple. Cut a one inch slit in overwrap and microwave for five minutes. This went on without incident, which is something we rarely notice and I feel should be appreciated (especially after having several explosive meals and hours of back-breaking scrubbing of the inside of the microwave...) In the interest of full disclosure I must add that I did garnish the top of this lasagna with Parmesan cheese, dried basil and red pepper flakes. Though the addition of these ingredients surely made the meal more appealing to me, it would have been plenty tasty without. The sauce was somewhat chunky and punchy- but not overly acidic. The PRIMAcotta soy ricotta replacement tasted NO different than an average (actually quite good tasting) ricotta cheese. Basil is mixed into the smooth PRIMAcotta mixture making it sweet and delightful. The noodles were noticeably better than most other frozen noodles. They had a distinct homemade-style texture. They were not as thick as some brands, but instead, were delicate and light-which worked well with the rest of the meal and was, in my opinion, ideal.

I give Rising Moon Organics “Organic Lasagna”
* * * * * 5 of 5 stars
For its chunky, homemade style sauce, delicious PRIMAcotta soy ricotta replacement and delicate noodles. Yum!

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[	Tags	|	4 stars, dairy-free, organic, pasta, rising moon organics, vegan, vegetarian	]
[	Feelin'	|	bored	]

Rising Moon Organics “Manicotti With Sauce”
-“Made with organic PRIMAcotta soy ricotta and organic pasta”
-370 Calories
-10g Fat
-Vegan

Molly Says: These manicotti tasted amazing. I didn’t miss the ricotta at all. The PRIMAcotta soy ricotta was tasty and had an identical consistency to real ricotta cheese. The sauce was definitely developed by someone who appreciates the natural flavor of tomatoes. The sauce had a rich homemade taste that was deep with a pleasant punch of fresh tomato flavor.  The durum semolina flour pasta had a great texture and held the filling well. I do have a few complaints though. The box says to heat the manicotti on medium for four minutes. I did this, though I was skeptical, and took the manicotti out of the tray and put them on my plate to eat. When I sat down to take a bite, the manicotti were cold (not frozen, just cold.) I put them back in the microwave for a minute and a half on high and that managed to heat them through. I’m sure you noticed in the picture that the manicotti managed to expel a good deal of liquid in the heating process. I had to dump a great deal of this watery liquid down the drain before eating. I can imagine that this is the excess moisture that is used to achieve a flavorful soy replacement ricotta style non-dairy filling (… that was quite the mouthful.) I was fine with dumping the extra liquid off of the plate but I’m sure that most people would find it unappetizing. For all the extra hassle I’ll deduct one star but as for the overall taste of the meal, I was impressed. I wouldn’t be opposed to eating this in place of real manicotti, and I think that most people would have a hard time telling the difference.

I give Rising Moon Organics “Manicotti With Sauce”

* * * * 4 of 5 stars

Delicious vegan meal with deep punchy tomato sauce, good-for-you pasta and a flavorful ricotta replacement filling (though the moisture might turn you off…)