Dr. Gourmet's Food Reviews

Conte’s Pasta Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli

Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli and
Gluten-Free Spinach and Cheese Ravioli

We like to review items that are both healthy and widely available. It is a bonus if they end up tasting good and even better when the quality is good and ingredients are ones that are recognizable. It doesn't always work out that products are easily available with some of the products purchased at places like Whole Foods and specialty stores.

This is why we are excited to find new and different products at chains like Winn-Dixie because it increases the chance that you might be able to get this at a store near you (if it is worth eating, of course). This week we found some gluten free ravioli by a New Jersey company, Conte's. We chose the Cheese Ravioli as well as the Spinach and Ricotta version.

We are seeing more "flat" gluten free pastas available such as wide noodles and lasagnas so this seemed like a no-brainer and the Nutrition Facts look pretty good. Four ravioli come in at around 300 calories for the cheese version with only 300 mg of sodium. They simply boil in water for about 6 to 8 minutes and are ready to serve.

The pasta itself is good albeit a bit bland with a firm and only slightly doughy texture. The cheese filling is flavorful and not overly salty with a creamy ricotta texture. The pasta holds up quite well and does not shatter as is the case with many gluten free pastas.

Tasters preferred the Spinach and Cheese version. Same respectable gluten free pasta but with a spinach filling that is quite flavorful for a frozen product. The drawback is that the spinach variety comes in at 500 mg of sodium Not outrageous but paired with almost any sauce could easily tip the salt content to over 750 milligrams.

A good offering and the best part is that they are widely available. You can find them in stores like Winn Dixie, Wegmans and Albertson's. They are also available for ordering online through their Web site.

First posted: November 7, 2014