Shrimp & Angel Hair Pasta - Deal of the Day

For once the cover photo is not an exaggeration. My latest Deal of the Day is off to a great start!

See the plump shrimp, they're really inside the box. While not large shrimp, they're so much better than typical teeny bay shrimp used in frozen seafood fare. Shrimp & Angel Hair Pasta by Lean Cuisine is not a perfect meal, but pretty darn close.

And I'm glad the shrimp are frozen raw. They have a great texture when fresh cooked firm. 

I got a few boxes of Shrimp & Angel Hair Pasta by Lean Cuisine at my local 99c only Store. I was nervous when examining the crinkled and crumbled packages they had in the frozen deli case. But, when I was at work the next day and opened the box, the cellophane was still sealed on the black microwave bowl. So all was well with this steal of a deal.

Click on photo to read ingredient list.

The best parts of this cheap meal are the shrimp. I got 5 nice sized ones, peeled and deveined. They are raw, so you need to turn them halfway through microwaving to cook all the way through. Look for a pink color, that's means they are done.

If you like bell pepper there is plenty here, and it doesn't take much to overpower an entree. The amount in this meal skates right up to the edge for me. There are also welcome matchstick slices of carrot, and not too well done. I like some crunchy veggies in my pasta.

The pasta is peppered with fine chopped herbs, but what they are is a mystery, as there is no mention in the ingredient list. -- kinda strange.

The weakest link is the too light and watery cream sauce. It's mainly flavored with skim milk, cheese, garlic and sherry wine. Now I enjoyed the sauce, I just wish it was a little richer with cream, but that's to be expected when an entree is made by Lean Cuisine. But this is a quibble.

The angel hair pasta is fine. A bit overcooked, but I know it's difficult to microwave cooked pasta. It can easily become mushy if steamed too long, especially thin angel hair. The pasta strands were chopped - I like my noodles left long. But the pasta mixes well with all the shrimp, veggies and sauce.

So how does Shrimp & Angel Hair Pasta by Lean Cuisine rate on my cheaps$kate scale of 1-9, 9 being best? Even with a couple of small flaws, this Deal of the Day still gets a perfect 9 !

If you are lucky enough to run across this small and tasty entree, make sure to pick up a few packages. Even for low calorie fare, I can highly recommend it for taste and quality cooking.