I Tried And Ranked 10 Trader Joe's Frozen Pasta Meals

Frozen meals may not be everyone's first choice, but sometimes they are surprisingly good. There is no denying that a freezer full of frozen fare is super helpful in a pinch. Life is busy, and if you add a family to feed into the equation, frozen foods sound more and more appealing. Some frozen meals taste closer to home cooking than you may think, and even frozen pizzas have evolved from tasting like, well, frozen pizza.

Trader Joe's has a spectacular frozen food section — from proteins to fruits and veggies, right down to dessert. You could provide an entire feast with a smattering of TJ's frozen offerings. Its selection of frozen pasta dishes is particularly vast and filled with surprises. It spans different flavors and cultures, and offers so much variety that you could easily have a different one every night of the week.

Frozen pasta meals aren't earning any James Beard honors, but on days filled with work, after-school activities, and general life chaos, they sure do make life easier by taking a full-fledged, expertly prepared dinner off your plate. I grabbed 10 different Trader Joe's frozen pasta meals to review and called it dinner for my family (because I work smarter, not harder). It's fun to go off the rails and carb load every once in a while. I reviewed every single noodle to deliver a comprehensive list of Trader Joe's frozen pasta meals, ranked worst to best.

It was a super close race between Trader Joe's Japchae Korean Glass Noodles & Vegetable Stir Fry and its closest competitor. Ultimately, this one earned last place simply because it let me down so much. There's a healthy-ish restaurant I take out from regularly, and they have sweet potato noodles that have me in a chokehold. I think about them often and have been chasing that feeling ever since. I have yet to find them anywhere else in the wild, so I was particularly excited to spot the Japchae Korean Glass Noodles & Vegetable Stir Fry in the Trader Joe's freezer.

The noodles in the Trader Joe's frozen meal are okay at best, but the biggest issue is that they don't really get a consistent cook. Some of the glass noodles were fine, but others were dried out and tough like undercooked spaghetti. There are ample pieces of mixed veggies, but unfortunately they don't taste like anything special. I expected much more flavor and maybe even a little spice in this frozen noodle dish. It pains me to say it, but everything about Trader Joe's Japchae Korean Glass Noodles & Vegetable Stir Fry falls flat.

I'm just going to kick this off with a disclaimer that Trader Joe's 3 Cheese Spinach & Artichoke Pasta is an unfortunate disaster. That's coming from someone who is a complete sucker for a good spin dip. Give me that hot skillet of melty, cheesy, artichoke spinach deliciousness and a basket of warm chips to dip, and you have a piece of my heart.

Once Trader Joe's 3 Cheese Spinach & Artichoke pasta is cooked, it smells heavenly and looks good. However, it was just smoke and mirrors. The vibes are there, and it looks the part, but the consistency is simply too watery. The general flavor is spin dip adjacent, but it is lacking big time. The pasta has a gummy consistency, and even the three cheeses — mozzarella, Swiss, and Parmesan — can't rescue this dish from its low ranking.

The whole thing needs more salt to cut the richness of the creamy ingredients. Also, there's this weird little kick at the end that I didn't expect and felt out of place. You're not missing anything remarkable if you skip Trader Joe's 3 Cheese Spinach & Artichoke Pasta.

Trader Joe's 3 Cheese Pasta with Eggplant because it's packaged in a way I appreciate. The frozen pasta dish is split into two individual portions that can be cooked right in the container it comes in. Unfortunately, the rest of the dish goes downhill from there. The description on the packaging sounds delicious in theory but for some reason did not translate to the plate to live up to the hype.

Eggplant is one of those foods I can eat almost any way, any time. Fry it up all crispy or stew it until it's falling apart — I don't care, I'll always love it. Properly cooked eggplant has so much substance that sometimes it eats like a tender cut of meat. Sadly, this pasta didn't really deliver on the eggplant front. It was nice, but I wish Trader Joe's was more heavy handed.

The penne is meant to be al dente, but that didn't appear to be the case in this Trader Joe's frozen pasta meal. There's a touch of bechamel in the sauce, which does add creaminess. Its cheeses include mozzarella, provolone, and hard grating cheeses. The aspect that largely earned the 3 Cheese Pasta with Eggplant this spot in the ranking order is its unusual smokiness. I noticed it immediately and am not a fan.

This one must have felt my presence as I perused the frozen pasta meals because it singled me out and quickly got my attention. Since they say good things come in small packages, that was what I manifested when I took the dish out of the microwave. I'm no stranger to fiocchetti, and if a dish has pink sauce, I'm all in. Why? Because pink sauce is like the best of both pasta sauce worlds. The combination of red and cream sauce is a deliciously satisfying mashup in my eyes. Trader Joe's Cheese Filled Fiocchetti with Pink Sauce has all the makings of a major pasta champion.

But in reality, it needs some tweaking if it wants to take the gold. Nothing about the Cheese Filled Fiocchetti with Pink Sauce is bad. It's simply unremarkable. Frankly, the little pasta bundles filled with a three-cheese blend deserve better than the lackluster flavor it has. The pasta itself is too al dente, like the penne from the eggplant dish, and the cheese is fine, but there's not nearly enough. Pink sauces are usually packed with savory, rich flavor. Trader Joe's missed the mark on its pink sauce because it's painfully bland. Adding grated parmesan cheese helps tremendously, but on its own, it's a noodle snoozefest.

I won't keep you in suspense. The Joe's Diner Mac n' Cheese is top tier as far as frozen mac and cheese goes. It's made with elbow macaroni, the OG poster child for mac and cheese. Plus, this macaroni is smothered in a sea of multiple cheeses, including cheddar, Havarti, Gouda, and Swiss.

This frozen meal is everything a respectable mac and cheese should be on paper. It's creamy, cheesy, and absolutely satisfying. Joe's Diner Mac n' Cheese is already a frequent dinner for my kids — and if you think frozen mac and cheese can't garner excitement, you clearly haven't fed your family the one from Trader Joe's.

When it's done cooking, you'll see a melted cheesy top with golden brown spots. You also get another hallmark of homemade mac and cheese with slightly burnt edges where the cheese meets the container. Don't pretend you don't know exactly what I'm referring to. I love that part and will pick the little crispy cheese fragments off and eat them myself because it's a travesty to throw away such treasure. If my kids don't finish one, I am also happy to take one for the team and suffer through it. Joe's Diner Mac n' Cheese is delightful. It may be a shortcut, but it definitely doesn't taste like one.

The way I gasped when I saw Trader Joe's Outside-In Stuffed Gnocchi just casually hanging out in the freezer case. Take my money. This frozen pasta is interesting because it comes plain with no sauce or accompaniment. Everything is on the inside instead, and I am here for it. I did not realize that the serving suggestion was to add your favorite sauce, and I wasn't prepared when it was time to prepare my pasta feast. Admittedly, they don't look pretty when naked, but sometimes it really is what's on the inside that matters more.

While the sauce-free gnocchi is good enough on its own, I would definitely recommend cooking Trader Joe's Outside-In Stuffed Gnocchi in the tomato sauce of your choice. I still have thoughts swirling around my head about whipping up a little gnocchi al forno with these bundles of joy. Also, as I sank my teeth into a soft piece of stuffed gnocchi, I imagined what a different cooking method could do. I think this is the perfect Trader Joe's frozen item to cook in an air fryer. On my next round of Outside-In Gnocchi, I plan to toss them into the machine and serve them with marinara sauce for dipping pleasure.

When I read the word "umami" in a food description, I already want it. Sign me up for all of the umami. It isn't just one spice or ingredient that earns the classification – umami is a whole vibe that can enhance any meal. What makes the sauce in this particular Trader Joe's frozen pasta cuisine qualify as umami? Trader Joe's Garlicky Pasta uses a mixture of soy, oyster, and fish sauces to create layers of rich flavor. You can smell the garlic as soon as you rip the package open. Another good sign.

The pasta is simple, almost humble, yet carries a ton of comforting flavor. It's buttery, savory, and extremely versatile. It can easily be a side dish to enhance your meal. Or, you can pick your favorite protein to top Trader Joe's Garlicky Pasta, and voila — you have a full lunch or dinner. The quick and easy frozen pasta meal is bursting with fusion flavors. Trader Joe's created a great frozen meal with so many pastabilities that it's worth having on hand. (Also, my apologies to my fellow gym goers who probably had to smell the garlic coming out of my pores the next day.)

I knew I was going to like Trader Joe's Rigatoni alla Contadina from the moment I saw it in the freezer. In my opinion, there are people who love peas in their creamy pasta dishes, and then there's everyone else who doesn't know what they are missing. There's just something about the texture of peas melded with pasta and rich, luscious sauce. 

The Rigatoni alla Contadina packs more greenery than just the peas. The dish is filled with a significant amount of asparagus and broccoli, too. It's basically a salad, OK? Seriously, though, Trader Joe's Rigatoni alla Contadina frozen pasta meal is a fantastic balance of both veggies and noodles. If you don't love veggies, this just might help because the sauce is so divine that anything tastes good in it. The flavor is incredibly subtle. There's nothing overpowering about it, and the simplicity of the velvety sauce is such a good complement to the penne and veggies. If you like a saltier sauce, you can always toss in a handful of grated Parmesan, but I don't think you need it.

This is the frozen pasta dish from Trader Joe's that I thought was going to be my number one. I am extremely familiar with Trader Joe's Shrimp Noodle Rolls. It's pretty serious. I have been buying these for a while, and they are a tried-and-tested girl dinner. It's a menu item at the local dumpling and dim sum restaurant we frequent, and when I tell you that the noodles melt in your mouth, I am not exaggerating. I don't know what sorcery Trader Joe's has up its sleeve, but the Shrimp Noodle Rolls have a similar texture.

One small note regarding the cooking of these: It's not uncommon for them to stick to the pan, which is annoying, but they are so good that I let it slide. Inside the billowy, delicate rice noodles, Trader Joe's did not skimp on the filling. Each roll is stuffed with shrimp and mixed vegetables, and the whole combination is a seriously respectable frozen version of traditional dim sum. I highly recommend mixing some chili onion crisp into soy sauce for dipping. Trader Joe's Shrimp Noodle Rolls are a freezer staple I highly recommend stocking up on. If they are ever discontinued, please check on me, because I will not be ok.

Nobody is more shocked than I am that Trader Joe's Spicy Alfredo Fusilloni sits in first place. But when I looked closer at the packaging and saw that the spicy part draws on the flavors of Korean cuisine, my interest was piqued. The noodles are jumbo-sized, and their ridges are the perfect vehicles for the absolutely delicious savory sauce with just a hint of sweetness.

Speaking of the sauce, what looks like a regular, run-of-the-mill red sauce is anything but. It combines the rich creaminess of an Alfredo with the feisty kick of gochujang, and it works. Korean condiments are finding their way into plenty of dishes, and if you like the heat, it's a great time to search some out. If you're looking for an easy gateway gochujang experience, the Spicy Alfredo Fusilloni from Trader Joe's is a strong candidate for the job.

The spice is intense but not uncomfortable. It's the kind of heat that comes with a perfect little kick and hits your senses, then quickly retreats before it becomes too much. The whole dish is like a comforting warm hug that keeps you digging your fork back in. I don't know whether this particular Trader Joe's frozen pasta meal would have landed in my cart organically if I hadn't sought out frozen pasta dishes, but I am sure glad it's on my radar now. I see you, Spicy Alfredo Fusilloni, and I'll be back for more.

I purchased 10 different frozen pasta meals from Trader Joe's. They included a mix of flavors and styles. Not every dish on this list is strictly Italian-inspired, as the Trader Joe's lineup also nods to several different cuisines. All but one of the frozen pasta dishes had options to use the stove, oven, or microwave.

Normally, I would always opt for a stovetop cook to give a little boost of homemade energy. However, with 10 meals to sample, that would have taken hours, and I am an exhausted mother of two. So, in the interest of time, I microwaved most of them to keep the reviews moving along. There was only one dish that specifically required cooking on the stovetop.

To create the fairest ranking possible, I tasted each pasta while it was hot and fresh. The order of this list is based on flavor, quality, ingredients, appearance, and texture.