Trader Joe’s is famous for its manyfan-favorite grocery items.
If you’ve taken a stroll down the aisles, you’ll know what we’re talking about.
The options are seemingly endless, which is a good thing, but it can feel overwhelming.
Photos: Trader Joe’s. Design: Eat This, Not That!
The look:A light gray, mushroomy color with significant bits of black pepper in it.
The taste:Underwhelming.
It was also lacking in the salt department.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
I most likely won’t rebuy this one.
For one, it didn’t taste that cheesy.
I dropped $3.49 on this pasta sauce, which I wished had more cheese flavor.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The look:Light red with an orangey tint.
It wasn’t overly watery or thick.
Instead, it had a balanced texture with small chunks of onions and tomatoes in it.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The taste:Confusing!
Does it have pleasantly edgy, zippy vodka flavor notes?
Does it blend with the pasta easily?
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
Unfortunately, this pasta sauce didn’t check any of these boxes.
I spent $3.49 on a jar of vodka-based pasta sauce that tastes like it was made sans vodka.
The look:A medium red shade with a very watery consistency.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
It wasn’t chunky like how traditional vodka sauces are and looked a touch diluted.
The taste:It was okay, but it didn’t taste much like vodka sauce.
For starters, it was missing that gloriously tangy vodka flavor that vodka sauce is so famous for.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
Instead, it was overly acidic with a bitter garlic and menthol aftertaste.
I felt like it was missing something, and, all in all, it fell flat.
I’ll often buy a package of ground beef and make my own.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
I paid $3.49 for a bolognese sauce that I wish was meatier and thicker.
The look:A transparent brownish-red color.
This pasta sauce was frustratingly thin and watery, with minuscule pieces of what looked like meat.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
It took some time to mix into the pasta since it wasn’t meshing well at first.
The taste:Underwhelming.
The look:Pale green in color with pieces of dark green basil and kale blended in it.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The consistency was creamy with not much visible oil.
The taste:I was surprised that the first flavor I noticed in this one was kale.
It wasn’t bad, but I wished it had a little more salt and pepper in it.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
I’d make this one again, but would probably add more spices to it.
The look:It was orangey red with a highly creamy consistency that reminded me of baby food.
Mixing it with the pasta didn’t give me any issues.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The taste:I like spicy foods, but this just didn’t do it for me.
I also didn’t enjoy the texture that much, as it came across as borderline slimy.
This is one sauce that needs a bit of tweaking.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
This one had small bits of onions, and the spices used were apparent.
The taste:This one was similar to the brand’s traditional Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce.
However, it had a very strong basil taste that overpowered the other flavors.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
Still, it wasn’t too sweet or salty and didn’t have a bad aftertaste.
Although it was good, I would most likely purchase the regular Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce before this one.
It had small chunks of chopped sundried tomatoes and a glossy, oily finish.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The taste:Exactly as expected.
The flavors of this one were extra bold with a majorly spicy kick.
These ingredients also gave this sauce a smoky-sweet aftertaste.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
Too much of it felt overpowering.
A more balanced flavor would have made a world of difference.
I spent $3.49 on a tomato sauce I don’t think I’d buy again.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The look:A deep red with bits of hunter-green basil stirred in it.
The consistency reminded me of pureed vegetables.
It also felt thick on the pasta.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
The taste:Just okay.
It also had a somewhat smoky aftertaste, which we both didn’t enjoy.
Although the ingredients were intriguing, they didn’t mesh that well together.
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
It was thick and opaque and looked more like a dip than a sauce.
The taste:What’s that saying?
Close but no cigar?
Brittany Natale/Eat This Not That
This one wasn’t bad, per se, but it lacked something.
I also wasn’t expecting actual crunchy almond pieces, so that was surprising.
I spent $3.49 on a sauce that needs some TLC.
The look:A light orange with a thin layer of oily swirls.
This sauce felt clunky coming out of the can and was hard to mix into the pasta.
It had large pieces of crushed tomatoes, which was a nice touch.
The taste:Pretty good.
Although it’s not bad, I wouldn’t repurchase this one.
It’s made with basil, oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, andwait for itwalnuts.
This one cost $3.49, and I would most likely rebuy it.
The look:An intense, dark green with a thick layer of yellow-tinged oil on top.
The consistency was also very oily, with very small pieces of cheese and chopped-up walnuts bobbing on top.
The taste:Exquisite.
This is one pesto I’d buy repeatedly.
I spent $3.49 on this sauce, and I’d most likely buy it again.
The look:A medium red with a smooth texture.
It was easy to pour out of the jar and mixed into the sauce easily.
It had tiny, thin chunks of onion and a hefty dash of spices.
The taste:Wonderful.
It’s bright and vibrant with a touch of bitterness from the garlic and saltiness from the parmesan cheese.
It was well-seasoned, and no one ingredient was overpowering.
I dropped $2.99 on this pesto that exceeded my expectations.
The look:A matte pale green hue with a granular texture and very oily edges.
The taste:Excellent.
The grana padano cheese offered a delicate salty flavor, while the basil and garlic were bold and balanced.
Overall, really good.
The texture resembled mayonnaise or ranch dressing and was easy to stir into pasta.
The taste:Delicious!
I imagine it would taste good with grated parmesan cheese and a touch of lemon zest.
My boyfriend liked this one so much he suggested we make it properly soon for dinner.
I nabbed a jar of this fun fall-themed pasta sauce for $3.99 and think it’s a must-try.
This sauce gave me a good feeling right from the beginning.
The taste:Pleasantly lightly sweet with cheesy undertones.
The flavor was delightfully unexpected and unique.
The Trader Joe’s site suggests using this in lasagnas, which sounds like a great idea.
It’s so good you might be tempted to eat it straight out of the jar.
The look:This sauce was very obviously made from chopped olives combined with an oily base.
The taste:So satisfying.
My boyfriend confidently told me this was one of, if not the best, he had tried.
I imagine this sauce would taste good in cold pasta salad recipes and even sandwiches.
Rosatella Pasta Sauce
Holy moly,this oneis amazing!
The taste:Mamma mia, this one wassooofreaking good!
It reminded me of vodka sauce, just without the high acidity.
The tomatoes, meanwhile, gave it a zippy edge.
I look forward to picking this one up again.
I’m already recommending it to family and friends.
Honestly, I can’t stop thinking about it.
Even so, there was one sauce that I liked even better.
Considering these things, Trader Joe’s $1.99Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauceexcels in all three criteria.
It’s wonderfully delicious, has a grade-A texture, and isn’t overly sweet or salty.
The look:Dark red with a few oily orange pools on the surface.
The taste:Wow!
This one was extremely tasty.
