Hosts planning an Asian-inspired meal
You’d like to choose your noodles and seasoning separately, rather than using an Italian pasta sauce. Carrefour lists both categories in its Asian noodles and Asian sauces and condiments ranges.
Who are these options for?
Anyone looking for a ready meal to heat up
You want to keep preparation to a minimum and can follow the storage and reheating instructions for your chosen dish. Carrefour Traiteur, for example, offers chicken noodles that should be kept between 0 and +4 °C.
Fans of fresh pasta with a fusion twist
You’d rather stick with fresh pasta and are happy with a dish that doesn’t have the flavour profile of an Asian sauce. Pesto, such as the varieties in the Barilla range, fits the bill.
What should you consider when choosing?
Noodles with an Asian condiment
Choose this if: you want to create your own dish using rice or egg noodles and a separate sauce.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to cook and assemble the dish. Choose a sauce to suit everyone’s tastes and avoid any unsuitable ingredients.
Chilled ready meal to heat up
Choose this if: you want to serve a ready-made dish quickly.
Bear in mind: there’s less scope to customise the dish, and you’ll need to follow its storage temperature, use-by date and reheating instructions.
Fresh pasta with pesto
Choose this if: fresh pasta matters more to you than an Asian-style seasoning.
Bear in mind: this is a fusion dish, not the same as noodles served with an Asian sauce.
| Factor | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Type of dish | Tell Asian noodles and condiments apart from Italian pasta sauces. | I want the base and seasoning to fit the theme of the meal, rather than starting with pesto. Around 37% of consumers prioritise this kind of consistency. |
| Preparation and storage | For a chilled ready meal, check the stated temperature, use-by date and reheating instructions. | For dinner tonight, I’d rather heat up a ready-made dish than cook the noodles and sauce separately. Speed is the main priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Choosing a sauce | Compare the type of condiment, and check its ingredients and allergen information. | If not everyone likes the same seasoning, I want to choose and serve the sauce separately. Around 18% of consumers value this freedom of choice. |
| Fresh pasta and fusion | Check the pesto recipe and allergen information. The 190 g Barilla Pesto alla Genovese listed on Joybuy contains milk, cashews and pine nuts. | I want to serve fresh pasta and am happy for the sauce to create a different result from an Asian noodle dish. This is the top priority for around 18% of consumers. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming pesto is an Asian sauce
Barilla presents its pestos as sauces for Italian recipes. Pesto can work with fresh pasta in a fusion dish, but it won’t give you the same kind of meal as noodles served with an Asian condiment.
Decide what kind of dish you want before choosing your base and sauce.
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Buying a chilled dish without checking how to store it
Storage requirements vary by product. Carrefour Traiteur’s chicken noodles, for example, should be kept between 0 and +4 °C. For applicable products, France’s Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control points out that the use-by date must be followed.
Check the date, temperature and reheating instructions on the dish you buy.
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Guessing allergens from a sauce’s name
The Joybuy listing for the 190 g Barilla Pesto alla Genovese states that it contains milk, cashews and pine nuts. So the word ‘pesto’ alone isn’t enough to tell you whether this product is suitable for your guests.
Check the allergen information for every sauce and packet of noodles you choose.
Brands and retailers to know
Panzani
Panzani offers ranges of pasta sauces, including tomato sauces, pestos, bolognese sauces and cream-based sauces.
- Worth considering if you’re sticking with fresh pasta for a fusion dish.
- Don’t assume a sauce from this range is an Asian condiment or a chilled product based on its name alone.
Barilla
Barilla’s pesto range is designed for pasta dishes and Italian recipes.
- A good match for fresh pasta with an Italian-style sauce.
- Check the allergens for the exact product. The Joybuy listing for the 190 g Pesto alla Genovese states that it contains milk, cashews and pine nuts.
Carrefour
Carrefour lists Asian noodles, Asian sauces and condiments, and ready meals to heat up as separate categories.
- These categories make it easy to compare a dish you put together yourself with one that’s already prepared.
- Follow the storage instructions for the specific chilled product you choose. Carrefour Traiteur’s chicken noodles should be kept between 0 and +4 °C.
Sauces and condiments to serve with noodles
These Joybuy sauces are for a meal where you choose the noodles separately. Pick a condiment to suit the flavour you’re after, then check the ingredients and storage instructions for the product you choose.
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5 ETOILES Sriracha Chili Sauce HL, 455 ml
A chilli sauce to consider if you’d like to add some heat to noodles prepared separately. Check the ingredients and heat level before serving it to your guests.
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Haiyin Bridge Premium Light Soy Sauce, 610 ml
A light soy sauce for anyone who prefers to season their noodles separately. Check the label for ingredients, allergens and nutritional information.
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JB Japan Teriyaki Sauce JB, 200 ml
A teriyaki sauce to consider if you’re putting together your own noodle dish and want this kind of seasoning. Check the ingredients and storage instructions on the bottle.
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Thai Dancer Sweet Chilli Sauce, 300 ml
A sweet chilli sauce to consider if you’re after a sweet and spicy seasoning for your noodles. Read the nutritional information and ingredients to see if this flavour profile is right for your dish.
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Squid Fish Sauce, 725 ml
A fish sauce to consider if this type of condiment suits the noodle recipe you have in mind. Check the ingredients, especially if anyone avoids fish, as well as the storage instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Is pesto suitable for an Asian-inspired dinner?
Yes, if you’re deliberately serving fresh pasta with a fusion twist, rather than trying to recreate the flavour profile of an Asian sauce. Barilla presents its pestos as sauces for pasta dishes. For a different result, choose noodles and an Asian condiment instead.
Rice or egg noodles: how do you choose?
Choose based on the type of base you want to serve and which ingredients suit your guests. Carrefour lists both categories in its Asian noodles range. Check the ingredients on the specific packet before choosing a separate sauce.
Is a jarred sauce always a fresh product?
No. Storage requirements depend on the product, and a jarred sauce shouldn’t be treated as a chilled ready meal. The Joybuy listing for the 190 g Barilla Pesto alla Genovese says to refrigerate after opening and use within five days.
Can you eat a product after its use-by date?
No. If a food carries a use-by date, you must follow it. France’s Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control distinguishes a use-by date from a best-before date. Check which date appears on the product.
Which allergens should you check in sauces and noodles?
Check the information for each product you choose instead of relying on its category. For example, the Joybuy listing for the 190 g Barilla Pesto alla Genovese states that it contains milk, cashews and pine nuts. Check the label on your noodles and any other condiments you choose, too.