Grocery
A Definitive Ranking of Trader Joe's Frozen Pasta
These pastas are the secret to my weeknight dinners.
The frozen food section in Trader Joe’s is my safe space. Though the steps to prepare their globe-trotting frozen meals vary in rigor, most are to just add heat and water—a simple set of instructions, and one of the reasons why this is my favorite TJ’s aisle.
While you may know about Trader Joe’s frozen dumpling selection, or have read us wax poetic about their cheeses and dips, their frozen pasta offering is surprisingly impressive. I should know; I’ve eaten through every TJ’s frozen pasta I could find.
The frozen, bagged pastas are filled with a mixture of thin pieces of frozen sauce and par-cooked pasta. Though these pastas can be prepared in the microwave, my preferred method is dumping the contents of the bag into a skillet, adding a few tablespoons of water , and letting everything simmer until the pasta is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Though the bags technically contain three servings, I think that they are a perfect dinner for two. From unexpectedly complex Cacio e Pepe to utterly confusing Inside-out Gnocchi, here are the best frozen pastas from Trader Joe’s.
Stand Outs:
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
Trader Giotto’s (Joe’s Italian brother, I can only assume) take on this Southern Italian baked gnocchi dish is truly impressive. The skillet-ready potato gnocchi might be the ideal pasta type for the freezer-to-pan preparation Trader Joe’s calls for. Salty and acidic tomato sauce, streaked with melted mozzarella, coats the little pillows as they cook. It's nearly impossible to overcook this bouncy, chewy pasta.
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe
The certifiable It Girl of the past few years, cacio e pepe is traditionally made with just cheese, pepper, and pasta. Since its rise in popularity a few years ago, the iconic Roman dish has been an inspiration for many recipe riffs (like biscuits, pizza,and ramen). Trader Joe's version comes with nests of spaghetti that unfurl in the skillet and a bright, peppery, cheesy sauce that (I can’t believe I'm saying this) rivals restaurant-quality.
Honorable Mentions:
Penne Arrabbiata
Though I am not penne’s biggest fan, the shape worked surprisingly well in this preparation—it stayed nice and al dente without sticking together. The sauce has good tomato flavor but could use a bit more heat to be the arrabbiata of my dreams.
Gnocchi al Gorgonzola
Like in the stand-out Sorrentina, the texture of the gnocchi is chewy and delightful. I would certainly make this pasta again, but perhaps with the addition of some extra gorgonzola (and maybe a little salt, too) to bump up the funky blue cheese flavor.
Mushroom Ravioli with Mushroom Truffle Sauce
I love a good mushroom sauce and this ravioli dish is everything you want it to be—plus, a truffle pasta sauce for $4?! The ravioli are on the large size, taken down in about two bites.
Linguine with Clam Sauce
Nests of linguine come together with a garlicky, parsley-flecked sauce made with chopped clams and broth. Though flavorful and a fun divergence from the tomato- and cream-forward offerings, the linguine fell apart in the skillet.
No Thanks:
Cheese Filled Fiochetti with Pink Sauce
Fiochetti are small, cheese-filled pouches made of thin pasta dough. While a super satisfying shape to eat, the downfall of this pasta is the pink sauce. It had some tang, but an overwhelming amount of sweetness. Perhaps some more flavor in the bland, ricotta-esque filling might balance it out.
Outside-In Stuffed Gnocchi
I was intrigued when I added this to my grocery cart, but my reaction at home was: “Who thought this was a good idea?” Coming from the overachieving gnocchi dishes, I had real high hopes for this outside-in variation. Though the package boasted crispy gnocchi oozing with bubbly sauce, these potato gnocchi turned out to be gummy balls and the sauce was mostly flavorless.
Written by: Lucy Simon
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53 Comments
For quick "cheater's carbonara", I use TJ's frozen Fettucinne Alfredo with leftover cooked bacon cut into bits plus pepper, added towards the end.
Note about the bacon: heat separately in the oven and add once pasta is cooked through. It doesn't work if you heat the bacon then add the frozen elements.
I love your idea though!
I have never understood why people purchase these premade meals, of ANY kind.
Most pasta dishes take little more time, if any, to prepare than these frozen things. It is very easy to prepare your sauces in advance and freeze them in individual, or larger portions in vacuum sealed bags. Then it is simply a matter of cooking the pasta, which takes minutes, heating up the sauce, and tossing it together. And in some cases, making a sauce from scratch won't add any significant time either. Here in Montreal, you can pick up fresh ravioli or tortellini in about any grocery store, or a package of frozen if you prefer to have some on hand, for less than it costs for any of these frozen products.
And I know it has already been mentioned, but it cannot be stated enough times... gnocchi is NOT PASTA.
Also great for people with disabilities. Glad you feel like you always have the time and energy, clearly there are people who do not. (But the fully made ravioli is about the same as a package of fresh ravioli)
I have had plenty of friends tell me they never have time to cook, so they always order out instead. Many of them, I have shown how to prep things in advance so that they can prep a healthy quality meal in a very short time that will taste better than take out, be ready quicker, and will cost less per week than one evening of ordering out will. Of course, there are those who refuse to even try, but some of them now pay ME to do meal prep for them, which I am glad to do. :)
All I'm pointing out is that you assume everyone has the same circumstances, and I'm telling you that on some days, people cannot accomplish more than opening a bag. Not that they don't want to, they can't. So asking them to do a prep day with multiple dishes is also not on the cards. (and yes, several. Not everything can be done in one pot or one skillet)
I'm glad you have the skill and ability, but you can't assume everyone is on the same boat.
But I am 65 years old, retired for the past 10 years after a major heart attack left me unable to work, so I am well aware of the difficulties of living alone, having certain physical limitations, and not always feeling like cooking something. But I also know that cooking my own food is about 100X healthier for me than any packaged food or take out I may find. And yes, I will criticize people who take the easy way out and stock their freezer with mass-produced, sodium packed, unhealthy food. While 'Trader Joe's' may have a reputation, it is no healthier than a Swanson TV dinner in the end.
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