Trader Joe's Ravioli, Ranked Worst To Best

I know I regularly refer to myself as a massive Trader Joe's fangirl, and I'll stand by that statement. Still, I can already hear the cries of "Heresy!" at what I'm about to say: I had never tried any of the chain's ravioli before today's taste test. I know, I know — other die-hard TJ's loyalists will want to revoke my metaphorical fan membership card at that admittance. To them, I beg for forgiveness, and hope I've sufficiently made amends by trying literally every ravioli my store had on its shelves.

To be fair, I'm a little mad at myself, too. I've been depriving myself of some S-tier Trader Joe's masterpieces for entirely too long. Usually, when I write rankings like this, ordering the products in question is a fairly straightforward task. Not so with this ravioli — when the quality gap between my "top" and "bottom" choices is so small, how am I supposed to begin parsing apart the minute differences between each? After much internal debate, I did manage to put some semblance of order to the following 11 ravioli. Personal preference played a large role in the ranking, and for this piece, I also considered whether a particular ravioli surprised me with robust flavors (which happened in more than one instance). Texture was only occasionally a factor. Check out my full method for this ranking at the end of the piece. 

Taking the unfortunate bottom spot in this ranking is Trader Joe's Spinach & Ricotta Raviolini, and not just because of its diminutive size (though that was certainly a player in ranking this last). The little pasta bundles are unashamedly adorable, and it wouldn't be hard to get even picky kiddos to latch onto this bite-sized treat, especially if you fried them up to serve as a snack.

I don't know if it's because the raviolini are so small or if it's just because the filling lacks enough oomph, but I couldn't really taste them. On the plus side, this nondescript nature is another factor that would endear this to kids. Beyond that, even the tiniest drizzle of one of my favorite olive oils (Pasolivo) completely overwhelmed the spinach and ricotta raviolini. Fortunately, they didn't taste bad, nor do I imagine they ever could. They just didn't pack as much flavor as the ravioli further down the list, and therefore, earned a last-place ranking. 

Trader Joe's 4 Cheese Ravioli got the second-to-last spot on this list for some of the same reasons its predecessor didn't fare well. Mostly, though still good, it just failed to impress to the extent of its successors. Sure, a four-cheese ravioli is always delicious, but it's just always around — because it's so prolific, it manages to fall back into non-noteworthy territory with much ease.

This is the ravioli you should buy if you want to play it safe. You can still taste its cheesy filling (which gave it a leg up on the aforementioned raviolini), but what you get is very expected. Keep this one around as a reliable rainy-day comfort food, that meal you have in your freezer for those days when you really don't want to go grocery shopping. But maybe don't pop it out at a gathering, unless your crowd has decidedly un-adventurous taste buds. 

And now, onto the part of the list where things start to get interesting with Trader Joe's Cacio e Pepe Ravioli. Cacio e pepe, which literally translates to "cheese and pepper," is a staple pasta dish I encountered at every restaurant on my journeys through Italy's historic cities and countryside alike. It may not be as commonly seen by name in the U.S., but it is still a relatively basic (albeit delicious) combination.

I wasn't impressed by the first bite, in which I hardly tasted any pepper, but I think it may have just been that singular raviolo — the next one I tried had plenty of peppery flavor. Still, sweet ricotta cheese manages to overtake the bite, and the whole piece seems slightly off-balance. That said, the filling is deliciously creamy, and I wouldn't have much to complain about were I just eating this on its own for dinner. Unfortunately for the cacio e pepe, it was scrutinized against some more impressive kin.

Don't feel like making your own butternut squash ravioli? You don't have to if you're within driving distance of a Trader Joe's — despite the seasonal appearance of its packaging, this staple is actually available year-round at the chain, and I don't think you'll be making a huge quality sacrifice if you buy some (though, to be fair, I've never made my own). While I enjoyed this ravioli, there were a couple of reasons it couldn't rank higher than spot number eight.

Of the ravioli I've discussed so far, this was definitely the most flavorful. That said, I still felt it could have used some more oomph. Why not butternut squash and bacon ravioli? Or butternut squash and sage? I just felt the company could have gone further, and I don't know that I'd have identified it as being butternut squash-filled on my own. The filling of this ravioli also had a mildly sticky mouthfeel. Not the worst thing (especially since it tasted good), but a factor that played a minor role in this ranking nonetheless. 

Up next is a ravioli that is indeed a seasonal offering; as I'm writing this in autumn, Trader Joe's Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli is making an appearance. I have to hand it to the company, the pumpkin ravioli is stunning, and easy to eat with your eyes. It's also not half bad when you cook it up (by which I mean to say, it's quite good). The addition of cheese here helps a lot, and funnily enough, pumpkin and cheese is not a duo I often see get much attention. 

This ravioli has a similar sticky mouthfeel to the previous one, but the flavor packed inside is well worth it. I really liked the subtle sweetness in each raviolo, and the cheesy pumpkin filling gave it both a savory and a seasonal appeal. Moreover, each was amply stuffed. These were certainly an impressive offering in the company's oeuvre, but truth be told, I found all the following to be more inventive and surprising. 

I don't dislike cauliflower, but I wouldn't name it among my favorite vegetables. So, my expectations for Trader Joe's Roasted Cauliflower & Cheese Ravioli weren't high, and I wouldn't have grabbed this off the shelf of my own volition. Imagine my surprise, then, when I ended up really enjoying this ravioli. Though still not my favorite, it impressed me enough to almost make the top five.

Roasted cauliflower came through at the beginning of the bite, and it was actually quite good — but the real shocker came once the cheese hit. It brought a sharp punch of flavor to the ravioli and highlighted the roasted cauliflower perfectly. This ravioli doesn't need any extra flavor garnishes (though a pinch of thyme certainly wouldn't hurt). Considering I really enjoyed this one, I can't imagine how much cauliflower fans would love it.

Another surprise came in the form of Trader Joe's Vegan Spinach & Cashew Ravioli. I'm not a huge fan of cooked spinach, so I didn't expect this offering to impress me, especially given that it didn't contain any actual cheese. Boy, was I wrong, and this product may have convinced me never to judge a ravioli by its filling again. This vegan offering shouldn't only be enjoyed by the vegan community — even non-vegans will like it, despite the lack of cheese. 

I particularly liked the relatively small size of each raviolo. This allowed them to be packed with flavor, and what's more, the cashew and spinach combination did a wonderful job at mimicking the flavor of cheese. This won't come as a surprise to anyone who's made a vegan cashew-based sauce before, but to the uninitiated, it's likely to impress. All of which is to say, don't leave these on the shelf just because of their "vegan" label.

I wouldn't blame you for being surprised that Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli got a particularly high ranking here, but I promise, I can explain. Often, when a certain product sees a gluten-free iteration, it's automatically assumed to be inferior to the non-gluten-free version. Companies rarely take the opportunity to be innovative with their gluten-free products. Now, I don't know if Trader Joe's intended to innovate here, but that certainly seemed to be the case. 

As for the cheesy interior, it was great, though nothing super impressive. What really caught my attention was the pasta dough, made of rice, cauliflower, and corn. This combination gave the dough an enviable flavor and texture — I loved the ample taste of corn and the sturdy, al dente toothsome-ness of the noodle. It refrained from being flimsy, like many gluten-free products can be, and it didn't feel like a substitute to fall back on solely due to dietary restrictions. This ravioli merits being chosen on its own. 

I know I've been going on and on about innovative and unique flavor combinations, but fortunately, Trader Joe's ravioli selection still leaves ample room for the classics to shine. Its Italian Tomato & Burrata Ravioloni is one example of this. I appreciate that the company went the extra mile here aesthetically; the duo-colored pasta brings some oomph to what may otherwise be considered too ordinary. 

Now, onto how it tasted. It's an excellent execution of a classic favorite, and reminded me of one of my other favorite foods from the chain, its frozen stuffed gnocchi. These ravioloni taste like a gourmet version of a standard offering; they're slightly sweet and very creamy, and the tomato and burrata both sit in great balance with one another. The result is a delicious, comforting ravioli dish that nobody will be able to turn their nose up at. 

Love mushroom ravioli, but don't want to make your own? I can't recommend Trader Joe's Porcini & Mushroom Ravioli highly enough. Choosing between this and the following for the top spot on this list was no easy task, and ultimately came solely down to personal preference. Still, I'd be happy to have these any day of the week, especially as a truffle enthusiast. Truffle doesn't hide here, though, so if you don't love the aromatic fungus, this ravioli may not be for you. 

The first words that came to mind when I dug into this plate were "succulent" and "gourmet." The ravioli were well salted, and I adored the earthy appeal of each. Truffle made for the perfect finishing touch (assuming you like truffle), and the finished result really doesn't need more than a drizzle of olive oil, though I certainly wouldn't blame you for pairing these with a light cream sauce. I don't think I'll ever be tempted to make my own mushroom-truffle ravioli after trying these. 

Finally, onto my absolute favorite ravioli of the bunch: Trader Joe's Goat Cheese & Caramelized Onion Ravioli. I won't bore you with my poetic waxings here, but just know: As long as you're not turned off by the slight gamey flavor of goat cheese, you'll love these. Moreover, these are once again slightly smaller-cut ravioli, which really helps the filling shine in each. Upon tasting them, the first word I wrote down was "heavenly." 

These ravioli don't taste like they should exist on grocery store shelves, and I implore you, please don't taint them with too much sauce. The rich goat cheese makes an incredible pairing with the sweet caramelized onion, and together, the duo is an incredibly creamy-textured filling that could never fail to impress. Really, all these need is a slight drizzle of olive oil and perhaps a sprinkle of Maldon salt. Don't do too much to them, but do stock up. 

Well, as I've already mentioned, putting all Trader Joe's stellar ravioli into any semblance of order was a monumental task. On the plus side, it won't be hard to pick one to keep on hand for easy meals, and you can bet I'll be doing that from now on. To round up ravioli to test, I just grabbed one of whatever my local store had in stock, and ended up with a grand total of 11 types of ravioli to try. 

I boiled a couple of pieces of each per the package instructions and, to garnish, just adorned them with a drizzle of olive oil. Again, each was too yummy. I ranked them based on the overall flavor profile, and the more unique profiles that impressed got a leg up over their competitors. Anyone can execute a great cheese ravioli — making one in a gluten-free wrapping that actually holds together and tastes good is a feat. Similarly, not every consumer will take it upon themselves to concoct a ravioli with goat cheese or one that features truffle. This method helped me distinguish between all the excellent ravioli and made it so that minor details (like a slightly-too-sticky filling or one that could have held more flavor) really mattered here.