Specially Selected Tomato & Mozzarella Macaroni & Cheese
Pasta is one of my favorite comfort foods. One day recently, after accomplishing some important and mildly stressful tasks in the morning, I was looking forward to unwinding with a quiet, peaceful lunch at home. I took stock of what we had in the freezer and pantry, and I settled on some tomato and mozzarella mac and cheese from Aldi.
Specially Selected Tomato & Mozzarella Macaroni & Cheese is a boxed pasta kit you’ll find among the other pastas and sauces at Aldi. According to the box, it features “Italian pasta with tomato and mozzarella cheese sauce.” This is imported from Italy.
Specially Selected Tomato & Mozzarella Macaroni & Cheese may be a fall/winter Seasonal Item that Aldi only stocks during the cooler months, but we’re not completely sure about that. If this isn’t in stock at your local store, though, you won’t be able to order it online from Aldi.
We buy all products for review using our own funds. I paid $2.49 for a 6.5-ounce package at my local Aldi at the time of writing. That’s about 38 cents per ounce.
If you’re looking out for allergens, this contains wheat and milk. It may contain soy, eggs, and crustacean shellfish (shrimp).
One box contains two servings. A serving will net you 360 calories, 9 grams of total fat (12% DV), 4 grams of saturated fat (20% DV), 780 mg of sodium (34% DV), 55 grams of total carbohydrates (20% DV), 3 grams of dietary fiber (11% DV), 6 grams of total sugars, 0.5 grams of added sugars (1% DV), and 14 grams of protein.
The box has instructions for cooking this on the stovetop or in a microwave.
To make on the stovetop, pour 2 1/2 cups of unsalted water into an 8-inch-diameter pot and bring to a boil. Pour the contents of the pouch into the boiling water, stir well, and cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 9-11 minutes. Stir occasionally until water is completely absorbed. Serve without draining.
To make in the microwave, bring 2 1/4 cups of unsalted water to boil in a microwave-safe dish (about 2-quart sized). Pour the contents of the pouch into the boiling water. Stir well and cook uncovered on high for about 9-11 minutes until water is completely absorbed.
I cooked this on the stovetop and it came out fine. I cooked it for about 11 minutes, on the longer end of the suggested cooking time, to get as much of the liquid absorbed as possible.
The sauce is flavorful, with notes of both tomato and cheese, and it’s good. The leftovers didn’t last long. This is a nice change from traditional macaroni and cheese, and I like keeping a couple of boxes stashed in my pantry.
The Verdict:
Specially Selected Tomato & Mozzarella Macaroni & Cheese is a boxed, shelf-stable mac and cheese at Aldi. It requires no additional ingredients such as butter or milk. Simply measure out some water, boil it, add the pasta and sauce mix, and cook until the liquid is absorbed. We like the taste of this mac and cheese, as it’s a little different from the usual boxed mac. It’s well worth picking up a box to try.