You Can Find The Best Store-Bought Pasta Salad At This Grocery Chain

If you're looking for a meal that can satisfy even the pickiest of eaters, pasta salads are the perfect option. Not only are they delicious, but they can be customized to suit an array of palates. Plus, you can make them as complex or as simple as you like. Whether you're craving a creamy macaroni salad or Southwest pasta salad, there are so many ways to turn this meal into a delectable side dish, a well-balanced lunch, or a hearty dinner. However, this is difficult to replicate with store-bought pasta salad. Since they're pre-made, you're not guaranteed the same level of freshness, texture, and flavor you would get from a homemade version. But there's one company that truly knows how to make a mouthwatering pasta salad that will give your taste buds a pleasant surprise, and that company is Trader Joe's. In fact, its Mediterranean orzo pasta salad was ranked the best store-bought pasta salad by Tasting Table.

It was ranked the best because it meets all the criteria for the ultimate pasta salad. The pasta was perfectly cooked and had a springy texture to it. And the mixture of cooked and raw vegetables along with the feta cheese worked beautifully together to add the right amount of freshness and depth of flavor to this meal. The sun-dried tomatoes provided some much-needed color to this earth-tone colored salad. But it's the salad dressing that secures this pasta salad's win. The combination of white balsamic vinaigrette and basil pesto complement each other so well that they create a subtle, yet rich flavor that can only be described as an acidic flavor bomb.

Inspired by the fresh food of the Mediterranean, this store-bought pasta salad does a great job blending these complex flavor profiles to create a well-balanced dish. The shredded spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onions provided soft and crunchy textures while the salad dressing offered brininess from the vinaigrette. Although none of the ingredients compete for your attention, the raw red onion does add a pungency that isn't overbearing and helps elevate the salad's flavor profile even more.

With how much oil is listed in the ingredients, canola, olive, and soybean, this salad isn't too oily and is perfectly dressed. The orzo was the perfect pasta choice for this salad because it fits in perfectly with this group of strong flavors. Although, you don't see it until you thoroughly mix it. When you first open the salad, you're greeted with a handful of fresh spinach. Once it's mixed, you'll notice there's a perfect ratio of each ingredient. This ratio ensures the pasta salad is more balanced and refreshing while making sure each bite has a key element of flavor.

Served in a 12-ounce container, you can eat the whole thing in one sitting or get two servings out of it. Either way, this portion size will satisfy your hunger. One serving equates to 1 cup and has 200 calories and 7 grams of protein. For a pasta salad with no meat, that's a reasonable amount of protein. Plus, it's an affordable meal priced at roughly $5.