Rana Chicken Carbonara Lasagna Review
Author’s note: I have no affiliation with Giovanni Rana or Costco, and this is not a sponsored review. Of course.
Bits of jiggly pig.
Rana’s Chicken Carbonara Lasagna has a great smokey flavor. And a sharp kind of cheesiness. Almost a twang, even. Delicious savory rich taste. And nobody skimped on the salt. I really relished these flavors.
But the flavor didn’t compensate for the textures. Alas.
Trillionare-level rich sauce
The sauce is rich. Like, obscene trillionare-level rich. I love fatty food, but even I was a little grossed out. Yes, food can be too rich. Just like people.
It’s goopy sauce. Thick, and unctious. Almost slimy. It’s everywhere, and you can’t escape it. Like a sneaky, unrelenting salesman.
Too much sauce?
It might be more an issue that there was TOO MUCH of this rich sauce. It might have worked with 50% less. And that’s weird, coming from someone who has complained about skimpy sauce in lasagna before. It just doesn’t work with THIS sauce. Look at it.
Chicken texture
I had heard not-great things about Rana’s chicken texture. Those complaints were mostly accurate. Some pieces are a bit rubbery. With a sort of processed texture. It’s not very tender, either? Kind of a char-broiled taste. Weird for chicken.
Do you love squashy bacon?
But the bacon. Maybe some folks love soft, squashy bacon. I don’t. I had to spit it out. They’re generous pieces, and almost completely white and soft. It’s not accurate to call it “raw.” It’s just flaccid, jiggly, and chewy at the same time. Jiggly bits! Bits of jiggly pig! Piggly jig. No ma’am. I cannot even.
Here is a drawing of a pig dancing a jig (a piggly jig), courtesy my father.
(This is suddenly the best blog you’ve ever read, isn’t it? Admit it.)
Is lasagna just an expensive casserole?
I think the noodles are fine. (Better texture than the noodles in this Aldi Lasagna.) But they reminded me of casserole noodles. I think of lasagna as a more structured dish. It has engineering and intentional placement. This was slightly chaotic pile. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Casseroles are delicious, too. But they’re not lasagna. (Or are they? Discuss amongst yourselves.)
The crunchy-ish bread crumbs on top remind me of casserole, too. And that has me wondering: if Rana had branded this a “Chicken Carbonara Casserole,” would it have mattered? I think we expect to pay less for a casserole. Do we? Don’t we?
Ingredients in Rana 4 Cheese Chicken Carbonara Lasagna
Good lord. Typing this out made me dizzy. Maybe it would be easier to tell us what ISN’T in here. This is a lot:
- Carbonara Sauce: Water, Cream (Milk, Cream), Uncured Smoked Bacon no nitrates or nitrites added except for those naturally occuring in sea salt and cultured celery juice (Pork, Water, Contains 2% or less of Sea Salt, Cane Sugar, Cultured Celery Juice, Natural Flavor, May contain Salt, Sugar, Natural Smoke Flavor), Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Cultured Part-Skim Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Onions, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor, Chicken Stock Concentrate (Chicken Broth, Yeast Extract, Salt, Sugar, Chicken Fat, Potato Starch, Onion Powder, Natural Flavors), Asiago Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Modified Food Starch, 2% or less of Eggs, Roasted Garlic, Natural Chicken Flavor (Natural Flavor, Maltodextrin, Yeast Extract, Salt, Lactic Acid, Chicken Fat, Chicken), Salt, Black Pepper, Ricotta Cheese (Whey, Milk, Cream, Vinegar), Natural Smoke Flavor, Turmeric.
- White Sauce: Water, Nonfat Dry Milk, Sunflower Oil, Mofieid Food Starch, Wheat Flour, 2% or less of Roasted Garlic Chicken Stock Concentrate (Chicken Broth, yeast Extract, Salt, Sugar, Chicken Fat (Chicken Broth, Yeast Extract, Salt, Sugar, Chicken Fat, Potato Starch, Onion Powder, Natural Flavors), SAlt, Natural Flavor, Vegetable Base (Maltodextrin, Onion Extract, Sauteed Onion, Sugar, Salt, Yeast Extract, Corn Oil, Carrot Extract, Celery Extract, Spices, Garlic Powder, Red Wine), Black Pepper, Natural Smoke Flavor.
- Pasta: Durum Wheat Flour, Water, Eggs.
- Shredded Chicken Breast with Rib Meat: Boneless Chicken Breast with Rib Meat, Water, Less than 2% of Modified Potato Starch, Sodium Phosphates, Salt, Chicken Meat including Natural Chicken Juices, Maltodextrin, Chicken Fat, Sugar, Dried Whey, Natural Flavoring, Turmeric.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes.
- Bread Crumbs: Wheat Flour, 2% or less of Yeast, Salt, Sugar.
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 1 cup (200 grams) and contains 340 calories. You get 16 grams of fat (6 grams saturated fat) and 19 grams of protein. There are 29 grams total carbohydrates, of which 6 grams are sugar (0 grams “added sugar”) and 1 gram is fiber. You get 18% your daily value cholesterol and 37% your daily value sodium per serving. There’s also a generous 20% your daily value calcium.
Price and Servings
The 2.5 pound lasagna cost $13.99 at my local Costco. But I got mine on sale for $10.49. Since there are 6 servings per package, each slice would cost $2.33 at the regular price.
Shelf Life
The “use or freeze by” date on my package allowed approximately 2 months to consume. Or, ummm, freeze.
Cooking Instructions
The box offers two ways to prepare the lasagna:
- Microwave: 9 minutes on HIGH
- Conventional Oven: 25 minutes at 375 degrees
Dramatic Conclusion
I loved the smokey-sharp-cheesy flavor. I was not a fan of the textures, particularly the sauce and bacon. The chicken tastes “processed.” It has casserole vibes. Without the sale price, it feels overpriced.
The Awesome-o-Meter rates this Chicken Carbonara Lasagna an annoyed “Meh.” I ate all but two slices (I tried!), but I can’t see myself buying another one.
The End.
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