I’m certainly no stranger to a Trader Joe’s frozen meal on days when I can’t be bothered to prepare anything from scratch.
So recently, I visited my local Trader Joe’s and bought every frozen pasta I could find, to see which are actually worth keeping in my weekly rotation.
Here’s what I thought of the options I tried.
Trader Joe’s sweet potato gnocchi came in a tasty butter and sage sauce.
Let’s start with the positive — this sweet potato gnocchi came in a pleasant butter and sage sauce, which was herby and had a great flavor.
However, the actual pasta left a lot to be desired.
Although the sauce was good, the gnocchi was very mushy and didn’t really have any chew or bite to it. The lack of texture is truly why it was my least favorite of the bunch.
The sweet potato had a good flavor, but the gummy texture of the gnocchi was enough to stop me from buying it again.
This was my first time trying ravioli from Trader Joe’s.
I’ve never tried frozen ravioli from Trader Joe’s before, but I thought the ricotta-and-spinach-filled version looked tasty. Once it was cooked, however, I wasn’t as impressed.
Overall, I thought the ravioli seemed dry.
The spinach ravioli came in a rather bland tomato sauce that left me disappointed.
The ricotta-and-spinach filling had potential, but the ravioli tasted super dry. I also wish the tomato sauce had a thicker consistency.
I was pleasantly surprised by Trader Joe’s spaghetti with meat sauce.
I picked up Trader Joe’s spaghetti with meat sauce in hopes that it would be a simple, hearty meal. The instructions said to microwave the dish for about six minutes, so that’s what I did.
The meat sauce had a lot of flavor.
After I heated this up, I noticed the sauce had plenty of small pieces of ground beef. It was also flavorful and filling without being too heavy.
The spaghetti was a little on the softer side, but if you’re after a freezer-friendly dinner that packs 27 grams of protein per serving, this is a good option to keep on hand. I’d definitely buy this one again.
I was excited to try Trader Joe’s three-cheese pasta with eggplant.
I was really excited when I saw Trader Joe’s had an eggplant and cheese pasta, since I’m a huge fan of the vegetable.
Although I could’ve cooked this in the microwave, I decided to bake it instead.
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t buy this meal again.
When I took the pasta out of the oven, I didn’t think it looked particularly appetizing. And once I tasted it, every bite felt uneven. Some pieces of eggplant were mushy, while others had more of a bite.
The pasta tasted a bit overcooked, too, even though I cooked it according to the directions on the package. Overall, I probably wouldn’t buy this again.
I was excited to try the penne arrabbiata.
I’m usually a fan of spicy arrabbiata sauces, so I was excited to try this version from Trader Joe’s.
The penne held its shape after cooking, and I thought the portion was generous.
I thought this dish had a lot of great flavor.
The sauce — although a bit watery — had a lovely kick of red pepper flakes, adding a hint of heat without making it too spicy.
Overall, it wasn’t restaurant-level arrabbiata, but it had a nice amount of flavor and was satisfying enough in a pinch.
Trader Joe’s spaghetti carbonara is made with two types of cheese.
Trader Joe’s spaghetti carbonara is made with uncured pancetta and two different kinds of cheese.
Overall, this was a decent plate of spaghetti, and the pasta itself held up nicely.
I wasn’t a fan of the sauce, though.
However, the sauce didn’t feel like carbonara to me. It was fine, but not super flavorful. It also didn’t seem as eggy as other versions I’ve tried.
I also thought the meat was strange — in my opinion, it tasted more like the pork you’d get in Chinese food than pancetta. Overall, I wouldn’t buy this again.
The cheese-filled fiocchetti looked fun.
I was drawn to this dish because I thought the fiocchetti shape looked appealing. However, once I took a bite, I felt like something was missing in terms of the flavor.
This pasta would have benefited from some extra spices.
Unfortunately, the cheese filling in the fiocchetti seemed a bit dry. I also thought the thin pink sauce would’ve benefited from some herbs or acidity.
Overall, the flavor felt a bit flat, like it could’ve used some red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, or basil. The sauce was also pretty thin, which I didn’t love.
The garlicky pasta came in a creamy sauce.
I was excited to try Trader Joe’s garlicky pasta, which was advertised as coming in a “creamy, umami, garlic sauce.”
I thought this pasta was excellent.
If you love garlic, you’ll likely consider this meal a crown jewel of the Trader Joe’s pasta selection. The glossy sauce was packed with garlic flavor and coated the pasta perfectly.
It was a little oily, but the unique umami flavor was very prominent and made me want to keep coming back for more. This has definitely earned a permanent spot in my freezer.
Trader Joe’s rigatoni alla contadina is loaded with veggies.
Trader Joe’s rigatoni alla contadina comes packed with vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, and peas. It’s also topped with a creamy sauce.
I’d definitely buy this one again.
For a veggie-loaded frozen pasta, I thought this was pretty good. The creamy sauce was mild, but it did a good job of tying everything together.
The rigatoni was cooked well, and the green vegetables added a nice texture, pop of color, and bite. A squeeze of lemon, Parmesan, or black pepper could take it even further, but as is, it’s a good meal.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the mushroom risotto.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for a frozen risotto. However, once prepared, I was shocked by how creamy and delicious it looked.
However, I think it would make a decent date-night meal.
I thought the mushroom flavor came through nicely, even though the pieces were fairly small. The meal was a little on the salty side, but I didn’t think that was a bad thing.
I really liked how it wasn’t too thick or heavy but still rich enough to feel indulgent. With the addition of a chicken cutlet, I could easily pass this off as a nice date-night meal.
Trader Joe’s spaghetti cacio e pepe looked promising.
I was excited to try Trader Joe’s take on cacio e pepe — a pasta dish made with a creamy cheese and black-pepper sauce.
The cacio e pepe was my favorite meal I tried.
This meal is a freezer MVP. The sauce was creamy, cheesy, and peppery, and the spaghetti had a satisfying chew.
It was very heavy, but in the comforting way you actually want from pasta.
One thing to note is that the sauce thickened significantly when it cooled. So, it’s best enjoyed hot.
With a little added Parmesan and grilled chicken, this would make a complete and satisfying meal.
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