Adventure food freeze-dried vegetarian dish test pasta with nuts

The Dutch brand Adventure food offers no less than 7 freeze-dried vegetarian dishes in its catalog and among them, the recipe Adventure food pasta with nuts. It is inspired by trenette alle noci, a typical recipe from the Genoa region that combines nuts, curdled milk, olive oil and herbs. I tested it in Lapland, during my crossing of the Pallas-Yllastunturi national park. Find all our freeze-dried meal tests.

First impressions

The main ingredients of the freeze-dried dish Adventure food pasta with walnuts are the pasta (57%) followed by the walnuts (11%) and the tomatoes (10%). The ingredients are rather natural and healthy, apart from palm oil, the presence of which we regret, both for environmental and health reasons. The recipe contains gluten, eggs, milk and nuts and may contain traces of peanuts. So many ingredients that exclude it from the menu of most allergy sufferers. The recipe is compatible with vegetarian but not vegan diets.

In terms of carbohydrate/lipid/protein balance, the freeze-dried Adventure food pasta with nuts dish offers a ratio of 59/15/12. We find the classic protein deficit of most freeze-dried dishes which struggle to reach the ideal value of 50/15/35. The presence of palm and coconut oil increases saturated fat to 33% of total fat. All the more regrettable that in the traditional recipe, olive oil is an essential taste component. The dish provides 600 kcal, or 3.68 kcal per gram transported, an average result for a recipe yet rich in carbohydrates and lipids.

Adventure food freeze-dried pasta with nuts on the ground

We are somewhere in the Lappish taiga, at the foot of the tunturis, those rounded peaks typical of arctic Scandinavia. The sky is clear and with the gradual disappearance of the cloud cover appear the aurora borealis. With almost -30°C on the thermometer and a good day towing the pulka in the powder snow, hunger is definitely there! I open the bag of Adventure Food Walnut Pasta at the notch and remove the oxygen absorber. I add 0.37 liters of boiling water in the bag, a line drawn on the packaging tells me the level of water filling, it's practical. I mix the contents and close the pocket with the zip while waiting for the 8 minutes needed for hydration. The indications of the amount of water and the hydration time needed (8 minutes) are perfectly calculated to hydrate the dish. In the absence of a cutout in the middle for easier access to the food at the bottom, the use of a long-handled spoon like the Optimus long spoon is strongly recommended to avoid getting your fingers full of it.

The smell of the freeze-dried Adventure food pasta with nuts is sweet and pleasant. On the taste, we find the scent of nuts and aromatic herbs without ever appearing the sometimes sickening aroma of sauces based on powdered milk. The ingredients are little differentiated but it is nevertheless rather a success. The lamb's lettuce is good and the pasta does not "boil". The pieces of walnut bring a pleasant crunch which strengthens the chew and increases the feeling of satiety. With 500 grams once rehydrated, the portion satisfies well.