The Italian Sauce Both Aldi And Trader Joe's Customers Are Not Going Back For

You know the old saying, "too much of a good thing is not a good thing?" Well, one could argue it also applies to food. When several delicious ingredients are combined — say, in a sauce — it doesn't always end up as good as you'd think. This is exactly what happened with the new Lemon Pesto sauces from Trader Joe's and Aldi. In theory, lemon juice, basil, cheese, and spices sound incredible together, especially when fresh. But customers say both jarred versions taste anything but.

According to Aldi's website, its Priano Lemon Pesto Sauce is "a zesty, vibrant pesto with fragrant basil and a refreshing lemon twist." However, customers say it's astoundingly bad. "It's like an unsweetened fake lemon tart filling with slight hints of rancidity," one Redditor said on the r/Aldi thread. "We just had this tonight and agreed we weren't getting it again. It was too weird," another commented. Many claim that if the ingredients were fresh, it might taste better... emphasis on might.

Trader Joe's pasta sauce fans had similar reactions to its version of the sauce, with lemon, parmesan cheese, almonds, and black pepper. The Trader Joe's website says it's "light, bright, a little cheesy" and "a little nutty," but it's more like an Alfredo sauce than pesto. Redditors on the r/traderjoes thread say it's entirely too bitter, and one even claimed, "It has so much sugar and is so sweet... really odd."

Despite negative reviews, some people genuinely enjoy both sauces for their bitter and tangy flavors. "I really liked it. Added it to pasta with asparagus and broccolini. I didn't even add any cheese. Very very good flavor," one Redditor said of the Aldi version. While some people find it tastes great on pasta, others prefer to use it as a marinade or base to elevate certain dishes.

For example, Redditors mention using Aldi's sauce as a bright marinade for Ahi tuna steaks, or putting it on pizza dough. We also suggest turning the Aldi pasta sauce into a flavorful sandwich spread. As for Trader Joe's Lemon Pesto Sauce, customers say it tastes pretty good on salmon, mixed with cold pasta salad and extra mayonnaise, or sauteed with vegetables and red and black pepper.

Not ready to part with pasta? Consider adding some embellishments. One customer added Aldi's sauce to crispy fried gnocchi and asparagus: "Just added a good squeeze of lemon and fresh parm. It wasn't bad at all." Multiple people also love using Trader Joe's sauce on the store's lemon pasta, with fresh lemon juice and extra cheese. If neither piques your interest, gain inspiration from other popular lemon-flavored products at Trader Joe's or the best Aldi items of 2026 instead.