18 Best Dry Pastas At Trader Joe's, Ranked
We don't know about you, but few foods make us as happy as a big steaming bowl of pasta. Not only is pasta the perfect vessel for all types of sauces. but it is also affordable, filling, and delicious. And with over 350 unique types of it out there, one would be hard-pressed to run out of creative ways to prepare it. Although fresh pasta is delectable, it has a very short shelf-life, making dry varieties far more convenient to keep on hand.
When looking for a fabulous place to stock up your pantry on dry pasta, search no further than Trader Joe's. The selection available there is mind-boggling. We had to be deliberate in limiting our choices. Our options needed to be unique and manageable. After perusing every iteration, we settled on a cross-section of different shapes, types of flours, organic, and even a couple of vegetable-based noodles.
The following is a ranking of 18 distinct pasta selections available only from Trader Joe's, from worst to first. We assessed each on how well they cooked, aroma, texture, flavor, and how they held sauces. Read on to see which pasta you should add to your grocery list the next time you hit your local Trader Joe's.
18. Organic Spaghetti Squash Nests
The Organic Spaghetti Squash Nests landed at the bottom of our list. We wanted to like these gluten-free, vegan, plant-based noodles because we know how healthy spaghetti squash is. Unfortunately, we couldn't get behind these wanna-be spaghetti-fied noodles. The organic squash, which has been dried and turned into nests, is supposed to cook in a few minutes and be a suitable facsimile for spaghetti. No amount of magic could convince us of that.
These nests remained crunchy, stuck together like glue, and tasted overtly squashy. Even with sauce added, the strands wouldn't pull apart. The only potential way to use these would be adding them to soup for extra nutrition and texture, where the squash might eventually integrate into the broth. If you are gluten-free, plenty of other options exist that are far more satisfying than this mock spaghetti.
17. Hearts of Palm Pasta Linguine Shaped
Next to last on our ranking were the Hearts of Palm Pasta Linguine Shaped. This was another case of wanting to love something and simply being unable to get past the execution. Again, these are gluten-free, vegan, and plant-based, which intrigued us. We also typically love hearts of palm in salads and as part of an Asian stir-fry. As linguine, however, these were an epic fail.
Just because you shred a vegetable into the shape of pasta doesn't make it pasta, no matter how hard you try to convince us. These hearts of palm noodles remained super crunchy and squishy after cooking, which was unpalatable. They also had a distinct aroma that was not at all pleasant. Their flavor, though what you'd expect from hearts of palm, was not mild, even though this is what was advertised. The best place for this pseudo-pasta is as an ingredient in a ramen bowl.
16. Organic Yellow Lentil & Brown Rice Pasta Spaghetti
The Organic Yellow Lentil & Brown Rice Pasta Spaghetti is another of the gluten-free offerings that did not fare particularly well in our ranking. The noodles were executed well, with brown rice offering some structure to the lentils in these longer spaghetti strands. This pasta's downfall was its aroma, texture, and flavor, which were distinctly legume-forward.
At first sniff, all you can smell is the earth or, more precisely, dirt. This pasta has a grassy, mineral nose that carries over to the flavor, which is very bitter. The texture was grainy and had a definite starchy film that remained in your mouth after swallowing the pasta. Even though we love yellow lentils in soup, they have yet to impress us in pasta format.
15. Organic Red Lentil Sedanini
The next pasta on our list is the Organic Red Lentil Sedanini. Sedanini, or "little celeries," are just what they sound like — a type of tubular pasta that resembles celery sticks. This noodle is visually stunning, with a bright crimson hue that unfortunately faded in the cooking process, turning a dull tan. Its aroma is true to the ingredients, having a distinct lentil nose that is slightly vegetable-forward with a hint of minerality.
The texture of this pasta is starchy and grainy, which is typical of every lentil pasta we have ever eaten. In terms of flavor, it was modicum more palatable than other lentil pasta we have sampled, being slightly less legume-heavy and having a more classic pasta taste. Sadly, the earthiness of lentils does linger after swallowing the noodle.
14. Italian Artisan Pasta Organic Striped Farfalline
If we were judging pasta strictly on looks, the Italian Artisan Pasta Organic Striped Farfalline would easily win best in show. These little butterfly-like noodles are beautifully striated in alternating green and orange or red and yellow colors. The stripes are made from organic paprika, turmeric, spinach, and beetroot powders.
The pasta retains its lovely color even after cooking. What it doesn't keep is its al dente texture throughout. The edges become overcooked if you cook the noodles al dente in the center. When you cook the exterior wings of the pasta to an al dente texture, the center remains crunchy and undercooked. The flavor of this pasta is quite a spinach-forward, with hints of paprika shining through. It is really too bad that they are so challenging to cook consistently. For this reason, we ranked them near the bottom of our list.
13. Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Cascatelli
Cascatelli is a relatively new pasta shape, developed in 2021 by food journalist Dan Pashman. Pashman sought to produce the ideal pasta to stab with a fork, hold a sauce, and that would have maximum toothsinkability, or would be the perfect al dente when cooked. The result was a waterfall-shaped noodle, hence the name "cascatelli." And while the media may have been smitten with these nouveau noodles, we were not.
They were al dente, but perhaps too much so, verging on having the chewiness of a rubber ball even after we cooked them so long that the lasagna-like ridges on the exterior of the pasta fell off into the boiling water. They also had a distinctly sweet flavor, which we found odd since the ingredients were only Durum Semolina flour and water. We are guessing this iteration of cascatelli does not represent the shape but rather the execution.
12. Organic Pasta Quintet
Trader Joe's may think that variety is the spice of life, but we say that sometimes less is more. This pasta tries too hard to be clever, which is its downfall. The Organic Pasta Quintet included in this limited edition blend are fusilli, wheels, shells, cavatappi, and spirals. These are intended to all cook to a perfect al dente texture. The problem with having five different-shaped pasta is that they don't cook at the same pace.
By the time the rest of the noodles had cooked through, the wheels had stuck to the bottom of the saucepan, turning into a gooey mess. That said, the flavor of this pasta was en pointe, and we imagine they'd make a fun base for homemade macaroni and cheese that would impress the kiddos. Purely judging it as a successful pasta blend, these were underwhelming.
11. Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Gigli
Another pasta that had delightful curb appeal but fell short in the texture department was the Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Gigli. This noodle shape sometimes goes by the name of Campanelle or "little bells," which is what they look like. Dainty and delicate with little ruffles around the edges, these noodles promise an al dente texture but were tremendously difficult to gauge to get them perfectly toothsome.
Like the cascatelli, the ridges of the noodles fell off before they made it out of the boiling water onto our plate. The flavor of this pasta had a similarly sweet taste that we found unusual. That said, we didn't dislike them. This pasta would be serviceable with the appropriate sauce, like a carbonara or a ragu Bolognese. It just takes some finesse to cook thoroughly, with the understanding that you will lose some volume.
10. Organic Brown Rice Penne Pasta
As gluten-free pasta goes, you could do worse than the Organic Brown Rice Penne Pasta. These noodles took somewhat less time to cook than what was suggested on the packaging. Having worked with brown rice pasta before, we know not to overcook it as it tends to disintegrate. We were cautious to remove it from the boiling water at the first sign it was al dente.
The texture of this pasta is slightly sticky but has a nice bite. The flavor is that of brown rice, but it has a mild nutty aftertaste that is not displeasing. We happened to have some pesto on hand when we made this pasta and knew it would match perfectly, accentuating its inherent nuttiness. Try this pasta with a cilantro pesto garnished with seared chili-rubbed shrimp for a nice change of pace.
9. Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Ours was a house divided over the Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti. Although we all found it quite flavorful, some enjoyed it over the regular spaghetti, and others found the whole wheat flour a bit dense. This pasta takes slightly longer to cook than regular spaghetti, but it has a delightful al dente texture when done.
Its flavor is slightly sweet and nutty, with a rich whole wheat aroma. Try these noodles in a classic recipe for Spaghetti all'Amatriciana. The rich guanciale, acidity of the tomatoes and white wine, and nuttiness of freshly grated pecorino romano cheese will accentuate the earthy pasta beautifully without overwhelming it.
8. Organic Brown Rice & Quinoa Fusilli Pasta
Our top-ranked gluten-free pasta was the Organic Brown Rice & Quinoa Fusilli Pasta, which surprisingly fared better than several non-gluten-free varieties. Honestly, we were expecting to dislike this pasta. Quinoa pasta has historically tended to be too bitter for our palates. This one was far more balanced in flavor thanks to the addition of the brown rice flour.
Its texture, when cooked, is as close to full-gluten pasta as we have experienced. The aroma is quite nutty, similar to buckwheat flour. Its flavor carried through with this resemblance to buckwheat, slightly bitter with a hint of nuttiness. We remarked that it reminded us of an Eastern European Jewish comfort food known as kasha varnishkes, a porridge of buckwheat groats combined with caramelized onions and bowtie noodles. Try this pasta with a spicy Arrabiatta sauce to counterbalance its nuanced flavor.
7. Organic Spaghetti alla Chitarra Pasta
The Organic Spaghetti alla Chitarra Pasta ranked above the rest of this shaped noodle. Alla Chitarra refers to pasta made using a vessel with wires resembling guitar strings or "chitarra" that cut the noodles into their distinct slender shape. Though made using modern-day bronze die extruders, these noodles retain the unusual texture of the chitarra-style, which has an uneven outside. That irregularity makes this spaghetti particularly well suited to clinging to virtually any sauce, including heavier meat sauces, which typically favor being paired with tubular pasta.
This pasta doesn't have a particularly aggressive flavor or aroma, though when cooked to the perfect al dente, it is as near to perfection as spaghetti can come. The only reason it didn't rank higher was we found some uniquely flavored pasta that rendered this one ordinary by comparison.
6. Italian Rigatoni Made From 100% Hard Durum Semolina
As mundane as it may sound, a well-executed rigatoni is a thing of beauty that we are suckers for. Nothing makes this pasta overly unusual except that it is made with 100% Hard Durum Semolina flour, which is standard for proper Italian pasta. When cooked to a perfect al dente, this pasta lands in our happy place, our tummies.
The Hard Durum Semolina flour makes this pasta perhaps just a hint more toothsome than pasta made with domestically grown enriched soft wheat flour. It also tends to have a slightly more distinct earthy aroma. Its ribbed exterior and large hollow center cavity make this pasta ideal for rich, dense sauces. Baked rigatoni with tomatoes, beef, cheese, and fresh basil is a classic application for this noodle.
5. Organic Pasta Penne Rigate
Made with 100% organic Durum Semolina flour, this Penne Rigate is similarly exceptional while simultaneously being utterly simple. Like the rigatoni, the semolina flour confers a rich, earthy aroma and a slightly more toothsome texture to this pasta when cooked. Its flavor is mildly nutty but straightforward.
Where this pasta shines is its delightful texture, which makes it perfect for a classic creamy Penne Alla Vodka recipe. As the alcohol in the vodka reduces, it confers a slight sweetness to the sauce. When combined with freshly grated parmesan cheese, this melts wonderfully around the noodle, creating a luxurious mouthfeel. Try topping this with poached lobster for the ultimate gourmet spin on a staple.
4. Organic Trofie Pasta
We have a confession: Before seeing this pasta at Trader Joe's, we had never heard of this type of pasta before, nor had we ever seen it. Its unusual twisted stick-like shape was invented in the northwestern region of Italy known as Liguria. It is considered the gold standard for the quintessential Ligurian specialty, pesto.
The noodle, which is slightly tapered on either end, has a marvelous al dente texture and wonderful mild nutty flavor. And it was tremendously fun to eat. Something about these little matchsticks just appealed to our palates. We topped this pasta with cottage cheese and freshly grated parmesan for a creamy delight.
3. Organic Fusilli Corti Bucati Pasta
The Organic Fusilli Corti Bucati Pasta is not your ordinary spiral-shaped noodle. This fusilli is special. Corti means these noodles are short, and Bucati means "with a hole." These are smaller than average spiralized noodles with a hole in the center, which makes them extraordinarily fun to eat. They are so springy that we equated eating them to biting into curly ringlets of hair without the yuck factor.
This pasta was cooked to al dente perfection and had a marvelous flavor. We were so enamored that we tried it with several different types of sauce ranging from an Alfredo to a pesto to a simple marinara. It was perfect with all of them. It also shone with a dollop of imported French butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese, which coated the noodles, creating a luscious mouthfeel.
2. Pappardelle Pasta
Pappardelle is a broad, flat egg noodle that is typically handmade and dehydrated slowly using less intense heat. This production process yields a sturdy noodle perfect for substantial sauces like ragu Bolognese. They also have a rich texture that is very satiating.
This particular iteration of the classic is superior in quality. It was a toothsome al dente when cooked and had a marvelous cheese-like flavor from the eggs in the recipe. Try this Pappardelle in a classic pasta Puttanesca. The egg noodles will pair beautifully with the salty anchovies, capers, and olives. It would also be brilliant with any umami-rich mushroom sauce.
1. Spinach & Chive Linguine Pasta
Topping our list of best dry pasta at Trader Joe's was the Spinach & Chive Linguine. If we were a betting crowd, we probably would have put our money on this pasta winning. It was among the more intriguing and unique pasta varieties, with a subtle verdant color thanks to the real spinach and chives in the recipe.
This pasta was a perfect al dente when cooked. It also had a complex flavor that we reveled in. Although you could pair this pasta with a classic white wine clam sauce, that almost feels too fussy for these delicately flavored noodles. This would be the time for a simple lemon garlic parmesan sauce with a hint of acidity to juxtapose the flavors of the spinach and chives. Don't forget to throw in a few freshly shelled green peas for color and texture.