Two pastas are better than one, ShopRite's Can Can Sale and more

Egg noodles with pesto, left, and whole-wheat spaghetti in tomato sauce with anchovies.

Editor's note: Today, I report on Costco Wholesale and ShopRite, where the disappointing Can Can Sale will forever be known as the Can't Can't Sale.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto I bought at Costco Wholesale went beautifully with artisan egg noodles that took only 4 minutes to reach a perfectly firm, mouth-filling texture.

I prepared a second pasta for the same dinner -- Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti in Kirkland Signature Marinara with added anchovies.

To cut sodium in the finished dish, I didn't salt the pasta water and I drained the can of anchovies before rinsing the fish under the faucet.

This tagliatelle from Italy is made with cage-free eggs.

 

The tagliatelle came shrink-wrapped in sturdy boxes, and four portions of pasta totaling 1.1 pound were wrapped separately in paper. 

Half of the cooked noodles filled a large bowl that four of us shared, dressed in several heaping tablespoons of the fragrant pesto.

I also used the pesto over the weekend to make a 10-inch frittata with fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, grated sheep's milk Pecorino Romano cheese and a little low-fat milk.

I used 4 whole organic eggs and several ounces of liquid egg whites, starting the frittata on the stove to set the crust and finishing it under the broiler for 10 minutes.

The frittata puffs up under the broiler, but the "high" setting burnt a sun-dried tomato. Next time, I'll use the "low" broiler setting.

I found another great product from Italy today at my Costco in Hackensack -- a liter of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Toscano, made from olives harvested in late 2012 in Tuscany ($11.99).

That's about twice the price of Costco's extra-virgin olive oil from Spain.

I also picked a 12-pound bag of Della Organic Brown Rice ($13.99), 5 pounds of Mexican limes ($4.49), and two 3-pound bags of raw, sodium-free almonds ($12.99 each), which I roast at home for snacks and dust with Costco's cinnamon.

Three pounds of bananas are still $1.39, the lowest price in North Jersey.

A bottle of Extra Virgin Olive from ShopRite, center, is the same 1 liter size as the Toscano extra-virgin olive oil from Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

Can't Can't Sale

ShopRite's Can Can Sale lasted barely 2 weeks and many prices have reverted back to pre-sale levels.

At the Paramus store today, I found a liter of ShopRite Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Italy for $5.99 or $2 off the regular price, and a 12-pack of Adirondack Original Seltzer for $2.50.

But all the other Adirondack flavors are $3.79 for 12 cans.

I also picked up free-range Australian beef -- Nature's Reserve Whole Beef Tenderloin for Filet Mignon -- for $6.99 a pound, a discount of $2 a pound.

The sign said "yams," but the 5-pound box I brought home for $2.99 said "sweet potatoes" and claimed -- in the middle of winter -- to be "Jersey Fresh."