The Trader Joe's Spicy Frozen Pasta Find Customers Say Is 'Absolutely Delicious'

If you've checked Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer recently, you might have noticed some enticing new additions available in February. One that's turned a lot of heads is Trader Joe's Spicy Alfredo Fusilloni Pasta, featuring a unique addition — gochujang. This fermented Korean ingredient has been gaining popularity, offering a sweet and spicy tang to many dishes. Fusilloni, which is basically giant-sized spiral pasta, isn't a common pairing with the Asian ingredient, but with "creamy gochujang sauce" promised on the packaging, the frozen pasta is billed as having both richness and spice.

The internet immediately fell in love with this new offering, and it's quickly becoming one of those must-buy Trader Joe's items for first-time shoppers. Reviewers and fans on social media sing its praises about everything from noodle size to the creaminess of the sauce. One Reddit user reported after trying it, "I just saw this at my local Trader Joe's today, picked it up, and was pleasantly surprised by the flavors! I added some leftover snap peas I had lying around, and it really meshed well with the sauce and pasta." Another said, "This was delicious. This might be my new go to TJ's pasta, especially since it's 850 calories for the bag." 

Fans are adding everything from shrimp to broccoli to this dish, and they love that the gochujang gives Alfredo sauce a little kick. But if Alfredo sauce and gochujang seem like an unnatural flavor combo, there are a few reasons why people dig this product — and a lot of it has to do with Trader Joe's attention to quality.

Beyond the fact that the current trend seems to be to put gochujang in everything, Trader Joe's Spicy Alfredo Fusilloni Pasta is created with the customer in mind. According to the Trader Joe's website, the pasta is made in Italy and cooked al dente before freezing, so it reheats well. The sauce is made with the traditional Alfredo ingredients, such as butter and parmesan cheese. That sauce is then frozen into small discs and packed in bags with the pasta. Once you heat up the pasta, you can easily toss the noodles to thoroughly coat them in the savory and slightly sweet sauce.

On top of that, the flavor notes of Alfredo sauce and gochujang are complementary. Although it's an Italian Korean fusion, the umami in the gochujang elevates the umami also present in the cheese. Plus, the fat in the dairy helps to mellow any serious heat from the peppers and gochujang, resulting in a mildly spicy sauce that has a mac and cheese feel to it. You end up with a meal that has a cozy, warming feeling that you can prep on the stove or in the microwave. Given that a whole bag costs just $4.79, it makes this a top frozen comfort food from Trader Joe's under five bucks.