Real men, especially Italian men, may not eat quiche but they might be tempted to try Quorn's meat substitute pasta sauces. Especially as it comes fresh and with low fat content. As a recently lapsed vegetarian of many years' practice, I am still on the look out for that elusive dish, an authentic pasta sauce which looks the part, tastes good, and leaves the animals in the field. Quorn's new bolognese and carbonara sauces achieve this and almost take me back to the hills south of Naples which are the homelands of my partner. The sauces come in sunny Mediterranean orange tubs which emphasise the low fat content and the sauces' freshness. The 300g tubs would probably serve two, but I had them all to myself. Cooking couldn't be easier. Cook the pasta and drain. Heat up the sauce for four to five minutes, and then mix in with the pasta. The carbonara has a smokey bacon smell and a rich creamy appearance. Mixed with penne pasta, it looked the part and tasted delicious. My only criticism would be that the ham pieces reminded me of cooked smoked salmon and the sauce had a rather strong peppery aftertaste. But if you like white pasta sauces this is a good alternative. The bolognese looked fresh and could have come straight from my Italian mother-in-law's kitchen. The chopped tomatoes were firm, not pulpy, and mixed with onions and herbs to give the sauce a rich flavour. The quorn pieces looked very like mince and had that slightly gritty texture of minced beef. Again the sauce was rather peppery, but, tossed with spaghetti it made a quick and tasty dish. As a veggie you might argue that I would say good things about a meat free product no matter what it was like. But this deserved praise. The sunny packaging was good. The aroma and taste were authentic. The taste delicious. Perhaps the bolognese could do with a little olive oil dribbled over it to increase the richness, but there must be a small price to pay for low fat. Topped by shavings of parmesan cheese, and accompanied by a lollo rosso salad and a glass of chianti, the sauces whisked me off to the lemon groves, olive tree covered hills and gently rolling countryside of southern Italy. My verdict: molto bene! {{P&P }}

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