Gastro Gnome Spicy Italian Sausage Rigatoni

-Manufacturer: Gastro Gnome Packable Meals

-Made in: Bozeman Montana

-Price: $14.75 from gastrognomemeals.com

-Availability: Website Only www.gastrognomemeals.com

-Weight: 6.0 ounces/170 grams

-Calories: 850/pouch

-Calories per oz: 141.66

-Calories per Dollar: 57.62

-Ease of use: Just add water

-Water Needed: aprox 12 ounces

-Hydration Time: 15-20 minutes

Taste: Fantastic flavor. Slight spice. Deep roasted red pepper sauce.

Texture: Large rigatoni rehydrated nicely. There were small chunks of vegetables that were easy to distinguish from the other ingredients.

Overall Score: Buy it!

Notes:

This Italian inspired meal has bested my beloved Mountain House Lasagna. I will deduct a couple of points due to the fairly short shelf life (roughly 1 year) and my packet does not say how much water may be needed. It does have a “fill to here” line on the outside of the bag but I like knowing an estimate as to how much water I should boil in the first place. I believe this has been changed on their newer packaging.

I was really surprised how deep and rich the flavors were. I was able to make out the fennel and spinach pieces while still having a coherent and cohesive flavor. The sausage had a wonderful amount of spice that may be moderately spicy to some but was just slightly spicy for me. I will definitely be ordering more of these in the future despite their slightly high price tag.

May the miles you hike be filled with wonder and the glasses you raise be filled with whiskey. Cheers!