5 Trader Joe's Frozen Pastas To Buy And 2 To Skip, According To Customers

Ah, frozen pasta. It's what we reach for when we're feeling under the weather and don't want to cook. It's what we pull out of the freezer when we get home from a long day's work. It's what we rely on when we realize that there are no other ingredients in the pantry. But what if frozen pasta could be something we look forward to, not as a backup plan, but as an entirely delicious meal in its own right?

A handful of Trader Joe's frozen pastas are up for the task, pleasing customers with myriad appetites. Whether you're craving a stick-to-your-ribs bowl of mac and cheese or a simple serving of noodles, you can find what you want in the frozen aisles of this popular grocery store. There's a lot to love about these pastas, with customers often marveling over their creamy sauces and superb textures. At the same time, however, there are some products that many customers adamantly avoid, often because of an off-putting flavor or texture that overpowers the rest of the dish.

We've scoured online forums to get a better sense of the frozen pastas that you should buy and skip, according to customers. You'll find them below, along with suggestions about how to best cook the products, as well as how to jazz them up with other ingredients, if desired. You can find more notes on our methodology at the end of this article.

Sometimes, the best dishes require the least amount of work — and we're not just referring to frozen pasta. Our recipe for creamy garlic butter noodles, for instance, requires only five ingredients and 15 minutes of your time. But if you'd rather expedite your dinner even more, grab a bag of Garlicky Pasta from Trader Joe's, which many Redditors have given raving reviews.

You'll need to cook the frozen pasta nests and the blocks of sauce in a skillet with around ¼ cup of water for seven to eight minutes. After that, you can dive into your meal immediately, since flavorful ingredients like butter, soy sauce, parsley, Pecorino Romano cheese, and, of course, garlic are already included in the packet. Vegetarians should note, however, that the product includes oyster sauce, fish sauce, and animal rennet.

If you'd rather make this a more substantial and well-rounded meal, customers have plenty of advice for how to take this pasta to the next level. Parmesan seems to be a must if you want to ride more with the Italian flavors of this dish, and a dash of lemon juice and black pepper apparently go a long way as well. Meanwhile, those striving to meet their veggie quotas should look no further than a few florets of broccoli. Finally, if your taste buds are demanding Asian cuisine, one customer suggested adding gochujang and Trader Joe's spicy honey sauce, while another recommended the beef bulgogi and a Korean BBQ sauce.

The mac and cheese selection at Trader Joe's is so diverse that you could have a different style of mac and cheese every weekday evening (on the weekends, use your extra time to make our slow cooker mac and cheese recipe). The French onion mac and cheese is rich with umami flavors, while Joe's Diner Mac 'n Cheese is made with four types of cheese. Then there's the gluten-free mac and cheese for those with dietary limitations and a creamy mac and cheese found in the freshly prepared foods section. All these options are good options, but nevertheless, many customers would say that the Hatch chile macaroni and cheese easily surpasses its competition.

This product's package proudly states that it contains authentic Hatch chiles, a group of peppers known for their distinct flavors. In theory, we would expect the sweet, piquant, grassy, and smoky elements of roasted Hatch chiles to complement the cheddar cheese and butter that cover this pasta. And in practice, customer reviews suggest that Trader Joe's has indeed struck the perfect harmony; the flavors of this pasta are reportedly commendable without being oppressively spicy. You can pop this pasta into the oven or microwave it, with each method delivering minor textural differences.

Two small critiques of this product are worth mentioning. Firstly, if you have a high spice tolerance, consider stirring in more Hatch chiles. And secondly, while each box allegedly contains two servings, multiple reviewers state that the portion sizes are small, so don't hesitate to buy a few boxes in one go.

Just a few months ago, we were delighted to discover that Olive Garden brought back its Ravioli di Portobello for a limited time. Note, however, that the key words here are "limited time." After mid-March, you may be on the hunt for a new mushroom ravioli to fill its place (and your belly). Sadly, we can't recommend hitting up your local Trader Joe's to satisfy your cravings; even fans of mushrooms have said this product is revolting.

One reviewer commented that this product goes overboard on the mushroom flavors and aromas, while another described the truffle oil as having a chemical, chlorine-like tinge. Yet another customer lamented that the sauce was comparable to cream of mushroom soup. Perhaps if the ravioli had been paired with a sun-dried tomato sauce (as is the case with Olive Garden's product) or a brown butter sage sauce, this pasta would have been more impressive. As for the pasta itself, folks say that it is incredibly soft — so much so that it's a flimsy vehicle for the mushroom filling.

If ravioli is definitely on your shopping list, don't write off Trader Joe's just yet. Redditors say that the vegan spinach and cashew ravioli is a showstopper. If the season is right, the sweet corn, burrata, and basil ravioli is another product that may have you returning to the store for more.

Trader Joe's takes many liberties with its seasonal and experimental products, often fusing cuisines with one another to turn out spectacular results. Sometimes, though, we're only in the mood for a classic, familiar dish, and according to customer reviews, Trader Joe's penne arrabbiata might just hit the spot on such occasions. Penne arrabbiata is known for packing a punch, making this product perfect for those who always find themselves reaching for the red pepper flakes to give dishes extra oomph. Garlic and white pepper are present to make this pasta even more pungent.

If you enjoy spicy food, but not to an extreme degree, fear not: Folks say that Trader Joe's version is mild enough to be kid-friendly, yet with enough strength to excite your palate. That makes it a strong contender for your family's regular meal rotation. Indeed, one Redditor relayed that they had eaten this product once every two weeks, at the minimum, for several years running.

This pasta can be prepared in seven minutes or less, but feel free to keep it over the heat for longer to achieve a thicker sauce. Unlike some of Trader Joe's other pastas, this one is said to turn out al dente. Customers recommend topping it with cheeses like ricotta or Trader Joe's chevre with fine herbs. Meats like fried shrimp and vegetables like kale pair well, according to reviews.

Unless it's summertime, we're not likely to be whipping up batches of our favorite bright and fresh pesto recipe. We're usually throwing basil into everything we can when the calendar says it's July, but 2 cups of basil becomes far more expensive in the dead of winter. That's when Trader Joe's linguine with pesto and tomatoes comes into the picture. We're not saying that it can compete with a freshly made pot of pesto pasta, but according to customers, it's certainly got a lot working in its favor.

Redditors say this pasta is excellent, with an admirable texture despite being frozen. One Redditor revealed that it's better than their homemade pasta dishes, while another customer took it even further, saying that it was better than any pasta they had ever eaten. One minor, recurring complaint about this pasta is that it features an excessive amount of pesto, but that can easily be remedied: Simply remove a few frozen chunks of pesto and save them for another dish. While we're speaking of pesto, it's the use of cashews in lieu of pine nuts that contributes to the affordability and creaminess of this bold green sauce.

If you love the acidity and juiciness of tomatoes, don't hesitate to throw in more, like one customer recommended. You can even add sun-dried tomatoes, like we do in this sun-dried tomato pesto pasta recipe. Meanwhile, other customers suggested adding broccoli, chicken, vegetarian sausage, and spinach. We think air-fried tofu would act as a wonderful accompaniment as well.

Although Trader Joe's outside-in stuffed gnocchi and sweet potato gnocchi have received a fair amount of praise, the cauliflower gnocchi is far more contested. Those who enjoy it often cite the need to cook it for an extended period of time in butter, lest it turn into a bowl of mush. Another (admittedly easier) workaround to this pasta is air frying or baking it. But if you cook this product according to the directions on its package, you may end up with a disappointingly slimy, sticky, gummy meal. Furthermore, while some say that the flavor of cauliflower is not detectable, you may be forced to contend with the vegetable's stench as this product cooks.

Another thing to note about this pasta is that you will need to supply your own sauce — whether it's store-bought or homemade. It can be a simple sauce like pesto or marinara, but having tried quite a few of Trader Joe's pasta sauces, we would recommend the organic vodka sauce or three cheese pomodoro sauce. Adding roasted vegetables such as squash wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

As a final note, this product is gluten-free, so it makes sense to give it a go if you're avoiding gluten for dietary reasons. However, if you are able to consume gluten, we strongly urge you to consider one of Trader Joe's other gnocchi offerings.

If you don't know how to pronounce the name of this pasta, you're not alone. After all, fiocchetti is not part of the average American's vocabulary. This is the Italian word used to describe little bows or knots of thread, according to Trader Joe's, which makes sense once you've laid eyes on the pasta itself. Before we go any further, let's learn how to pronounce it: "fee-ohk-ket-tee."

Now that we can properly say the name of this pasta, it's time to eat it. Oh, wait — the reviews! Trust us, they're raving. One Redditor said this product could go for $25 at an Italian restaurant, roughly five times what it costs at Trader Joe's. They suggested topping this dish with cheeses like shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan, as well as aglio olio seasoning. Other customers on the same thread repeatedly recommended adding peas, spinach, langostino tails, and party-size meatballs (though not necessarily all at once).

But could you microwave this product at work and serve it as-is? Certainly. Each piece of pasta is filled with taleggio, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese, giving it ample creaminess. Meanwhile, tomatoes and cream make for a vibrant sauce. Folks say that not adding water can help lend the sauce of this dish a better consistency, while adding heavy cream and Parmesan can also do wonders in the thickness department.

Naturally, everyone has their own opinions when it comes to what makes a frozen pasta worth buying. We recommended products that have received overwhelmingly positive reviews online, while discouraging the purchase of products that have been repeatedly critiqued. We made recommendations based on valid reasons other than personal preferences; in other words, we looked for objective, commonly agreed-upon observations of each product's flavors and textures. We based our suggestions on notes given by customers in blogs, as well as online forums like Reddit, where folks often provide in-depth feedback on Trader Joe's products.