Buy It And Try It: Pasta 'n More

 The Pasta 'n More is supposed to create perfect pasta every time,
right in your microwave. Let's find out if it does what it claims.

At Espanol Italian on Folsom Boulevard, you're entering a decades old
family-run business.

Karen was around 12 when she started. She and her kid sister Paula
remember working at their original location in Old Sacramento which
was torn down in the '60s to make room for Interstate 5.

Their Italian menu hasn't changed too much since then.

I brought them my Pasta 'n More to check out, which is meant to "serve
perfect pasta without the hassle."

But the sisters say boiling water isn't really a hassle. They check
out the plastic device.

"I don't think it could cook it very good," Karen says.

The box says, just cook pasta in the microwave, drain, and serve. We
search for the instructions, and realize it didn't come with any. We
don't know how much pasta or water to use, or how long to cook it.

It also didn't come with the promised cookbook. So we call it a day,
and call the company for directions.

The company faxed us directions, and we went back. We now know you can
measure spaghetti servings in the special handles. We're going to make
enough for two.

You fill the water up to a designated line, and 15 minutes in the
microwave. You can strain right through the lid.

"The strainer part is not bad," Karen laughs.

She puts it on a plate and tastes it.

"No, well, yeah, it's not really… it kind of worked!"

She didn't think it would. I try it, and sure enough, our spaghetti is al dente.

"I was expecting it not to work at all," Karen says. "It's not bad at all."

Let's try it on some penne. The directions say to cook it for 17
minutes, stirring once in the middle. She does, drains it, and dresses
it up before the taste test.

"Well, it cooked it okay, I mean I'm surprised."

It passes our test, but Karen is concerned it takes too long.

"It's just too much time," she says. "You can just boil some water,
put some pasta in it, less than 10 minutes you can have it."

The Pasta 'n More is $19.95 plus shipping and handling.