According to Trader Joe’s, this pasta, organic lemon Torchiette (meaning “little torches”), was included in those nice gift worthy imported pasta assortment boxes during the Holidays, if you remember, they came in a trio of high end Italian pastas and made a nice gift. I think those were $10. Trader Joe’s got feedback that people especially loved one of the three pastas in the gift set which was this one, “Organic Lemon Torchietti”. So Trader Joe’s decided to come out with it as a stand alone item in a 1 pound box.
I liked this pasta a lot, and think these are well worth trying. This Torchietti is a really good, very high quality Italian pasta from a good manufacturer. I could see some fancy store easily charging three times what Trader Joe’s is selling it for ($3.49)
Trader Joe’s says this: “Shining brightly with Sicilian lemon flavor and a complementary yellow hue (thanks to the addition of organic turmeric), these short, wavy, organic durum wheat noodles are extruded through a bronze die, creating a ridged exterior that makes them an exceptional vehicle for an array of sauces. Try tossing them in an olive oil, pesto, or Organic Vodka Sauce. Or for a double dose of lemon, Limone Alfredo Sauce. In addition to this sauce-supporting superiority, Trader Joe’s Organic Lemon Torchietti are equally excellent in hot and cold preparations – let pasta salad season begin!”
Ingredients are : Organic Semolina Durum Wheat, Water, Organic Lemon Oil, turmeric (for color)
COOKING: 6-7 minutes in boiling salted water.
The pasta is very good, I tasted it plain, it had just the slightest hint of lemon, from the lemon oil used to make it. The shape and being bronze die cut means the pasta holds sauces very well.
TJ’s does suggest pairing this Torchietti with their LEMON ALFREDO SAUCE which is I’m sure is a good combo, and one I will try later. First, I used these Torchietti with that “LEMON PESTO” to come up with a lemon themed pasta dish. Adding to the pesto with extra lemon, olive oil, butter, Pecorino, and a few grilled lemon slices. The dish turned out very good.
(TIP: I took the pasta out early at around 4 minutes as I was going to continue cooking it in my sauce for another 2+ minutes with my sauce for al dente pasta)
By the way, I bought them 2 weeks ago, and they were $2.99, which Trader Joe’s website also says is the price. I go back yesterday and I see the sign now says $3.49?! Is this price increase due to Tariffs coming into effect?
These can work in a hot dish but they suggest these would be good for a pasta salad too. I agree. The unique twisted shape really is good for holding sauces. And I would not just think “lemon” with the pasta, I could easily see pairing this with any of your favorite sauces. The lemon flavor in the pasta is not strong at all.
The website says “Limited” for these, so if you want to try these, I would grab a box while you can.
“The traditional grilling cheese of Cyprus”. A great addition to a barbecue skewer. Browns rather than melts when grilled
NOTE: TJ’s sells this cheese as a “seasonal item” starting late Spring though end of Summer. That’s when when you will find it on the shelves (not available at other times).
This “Atalanta brand HALLOUMI cheese” I got at Trader Joe’s at some point last year was one of those items I tried just once and fell absolutely in love with instantly. However trying to find it a month or two later, I could not find it. It was MIA. I was afraid they discontinued it. Say it’s not so, Joe. I learned they carry this cheese seasonally.
It’s another of their “seasonal” items. They stock it starting in the Spring and have it for Summer (till mid-August maybe?). Trader Joe’s seems to peg this cheese for “grilling” outdoors. Think “Summer grilling. “
So just note that you will only see this part of the year. I wish they had it all year round. But here’s a useful Tip: the shelf life is quite long as it’s a cured, brined hard cheese. My package date was good for six months. So I might just stock up on a few packages, for that half+ of the year they don’t have it. You could probably even freeze it. Most cheese, especially harder ones, actually can be frozen (cheese needs to be slow defrosted in the fridge)
If you haven’t tried HALLOUMI before, you have got to check it out. It’s so good grilled. Just delicious.
Halloumi originates from the island of Cyprus. It’s a semi hard cheese brinded made with sheep’s milk with a unique quality: it browns rather than just melts. Therefore you can grill, broil, or pan fry it, until it gets golden brown & delicious. It gets a chewy, meaty texture that is so good!
TJ’s website says: “Atalanta® Halloumi” is made on the island of Cyprus using sheep’s milk. During production, the curds are heated to high temperatures, a process which gives it both its “squeaky” texture and ability to hold its shape when cooked or grilled. Atalanta® ‘s cheesemakers also include a bit of mint, which adds a slight refreshing counterbalance to Halloumi’s natural brininess.”
Some people are making “Halloumi Croutons” with it, which you could make by cutting the cheese into cubes, brown them in a little olive oil and remove for adding to salads or other dishes
The picture below is of a dish I made with the halloumi, tomatoes and a can of white beans. “Crispy halloumi, white beans and tomatoes” I had seen in the NYTimes. The dish is DELICIOUS and its a fairly healthy (vegetarian) dish that we all found to be an excellent; a keeper recipe that is now on monthly rotation for us. I got the recipe from the NY Times (may need registration)
Says “4 servings” (2 of us easily ate the whole thing!)
Olive oil, as needed
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon honey, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
Salt and black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, butter beans or navy beans, drained
1 (8-ounce) block halloumi, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ lemon
Crusty bread (optional), for serving
Preparation
Set broiler to high heat, with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven, 3 to 4 inches from the heat source.
In a large, ovenproof pan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with the tomatoes, garlic, parsley, honey and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat.
Arrange the halloumi slices on top of the tomato-bean mixture in the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven. Broil until the halloumi is golden and crispy on top, about 5 minutes, depending on the oven’s broiler strength.
Drizzle generously with olive oil, squeeze the lemon half over the pan and add a light drizzle of honey. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately, with bread if desired.
Her Halloumi Crouton Salad recipe looks great! (TIKTOK)
Here’s yet another addition to Trader Joe’s “Tinned Fish” selection.
Trader Joe’s Boneless Grilled Mackerel Fillets in Extra Virgin Olive Oil are wild-caught in the Mediterranean. The fish are filleted into big meaty long pieces and Grilled and even get a few grill marks you can see in the picture. These are canned for TJ’s in Tunisia. They have a nice, meaty texture and delicate flavor profile. They’re packed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, so I assume the oil is Tunisian.
Trader Joe’s says: “These Fillets are a great substitute for smoked salmon on a bagel with cream cheese. Or in an omelette. Or taste terrific simply served on buttered toast. At lunch or dinner, they’re a terrific topping on a salad and a fantastic filling in a sandwich—especially when lightly fried, first. And for the tinned fish purists out there, they’re also great when enjoyed over crackers or crostini with cracked pepper, hot sauce, or a squeeze of lemon juice.”
A big plus? A whopping 32g of Protein per can
In the picture below I used the Mackerel Fillets as the fish part for a kind of sushi hand roll (makizushi). I made some sushi rice. Assembled that with mackerel fillets on top of Trader Joe’s SEAWEED SNACKS for the nori (Unlike real nori these will tend to fall apart)
Topped them with julienned cucumber and peppers. Squeeze of lemon, YUZU mayonaisse…. they were really yummy! You can also make the same kind of thing with Spicy Tuna, which is what I typically make these with but the mackerel fillets worked there too.
Mackerel is a healthy fish and sustainable. I liked these fillets. I would buy it again
Pair this with the new ROASTED TOMATO LABNEH? Might be perfect match with this fish.
Trader Joe’s latest dip is called ROASTED TOMATO LABNEH DIP. Its thick and creamy, tangy, cheesy, and herby from dill and parsley.
It has roasted tomatoes on top. Labneh is made from very thick strained yogurt. Trader Joe’s dip incorporates ingredients like balsamic vinegar, herbs and garlic as well. You can use this as a spread or a dip. This would be great on top of chicken or fish. Try it with Pita chips or your favorite crackers. It worked great when I put this out as a dip along with veggie sticks (celery, carrot, yellow pepper….) T
“Try dunking Trader Joe’s Roasted Tomato Labneh Dip with pita chips, fresh Lavash, or really anything tasty and dunkable…. carrot sticks, pitted olives, French fries, you name it. Try spreading it on a sandwich, a Falafel wrap, or even just a slice of sourdough toast. Try dropping it by the spoonful over salads, hearty grain bowls, or tomato-based soups. Whatever you do, just be sure you try it! It’s a tart, cheesy, herby, phenomenally full-flavored eating experience, and it’s now available at your neighborhood Trader Joe’s.” – Trader Joe’s
I liked this quite a bit. The Labneh dip is good with most anything: vegetables, chicken, meat or fish like grilled salmon, as a dip, as a shmeer on a bagel or sandwich, with falafel, mixed with hummus, or chickpeas. Spread some on TJ’s Lavash. Labneh is especially good with eggs, Turkish style. Try putting an egg, fried or poached egg on top of a spread or bed of the labneh. It’s a little tangy/sour. I liked that taste, however my wife found it a little too tangy. After I finished half of it as-is, I decided to see how it would be mixed with a mashed avocado. It was very good mixed with the avocado. After doing that my wife loved the Avo-Labneh mixture, so you may want to try this hack too. Speaking of which, this would be great as the base of AVOCADO TOAST.
Trader Joe’s Roasted Tomato Labneh Dip $3.49 (8.5 oz) I would buy this again.
“They’re made for us by pretzel experts out of Wisconsin, who know just the right ratio of ingredients needed to get that rich, mahogany color, delightfully chewy consistency, and malty flavor in every bite. We find that their flavor profile and texture make them a real boon to burgers, and many other styles of sandwich, as well” – Trader Joe’s
I saw these Trader Joe’s PRETZEL BUNS in the bakery section about a week ago. They looked just perfect for a hamburger. I wondered if they would be any good for a burger. Here’s my honest review.
Wow, these are So Good. They were as good as I could have hoped for. My wife really like them too. These buns are just perfect for burgers as well as to make sandwiches with. As soon as I saw them I knew I had to try them with a burger. Somewhere between a pretzel and bun, but leaning way more to the bun side. Don’t worry they’re not pretzels. They’re buns with a hint of pretzels. They are soft but not too soft. They have just the right texture, soft but slightly chewy, especially on the dark exterior. They are just a little bit denser than a regular hamburger bun .
I lightly toasted them for my burgers.
PRETZEL BUNS are $2.99 (4 buns) I would buy these again.
LIMITED (AVAILABLE DURING SUMMER / grilling season)
“It’s made for us with a simple recipe of tart and tangy Organic Turkish Sour Cherries, organic sugar, pectin, and citric acid, so that every jar is a genuine jubilee of pure, sweet and sour cherry flavor….” – Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s new ORGANIC TART CHERRY FRUIT SPREAD reminded me a little bit of jams made with sour cherry that I’ve bought in Russian or Polish neighborhoods years ago.
Its sweet but a little bit tart at the same time. Quite delicious, though I confess I wish it weren’t smooth as here in a “fruit spread”. I kind of prefer a few bits of fruit aka jam or preserves.
I put in on so many things, toast, English Muffins, Crumpets, with good butter, on a toasted bagel with cream cheese, a peanut butter sandwich, on top of cottage cheese (yum!), other cheeses like Brie or Goat Cheese. This morning I spread some on pancakes and it really improved them.
It matches well with so many things. All I can say is my jar is almost empty now! I need another one. Pronto.
$4.29 (15 oz) I would buy it again (I do wish they gave you the standard 16 oz)
Organic tart cherries, organic cane sugar, water, pectin, citric acid.
Here are just a few of the New Items that Trader Joe’s has recently released, circa Spring 2025. Some of them I’ve already tried, some I hope to try in the near future.
Which of these sound good or most interesting to you? Which would you want to try first!? Me, I’m thinking that those two new cans of tinned fish could be very promising finds for those of us into #tinnedfish….
“A soft rustic sandwich bread with rolled oats, molasses, flax seeds and sunflower seeds”
WHY TRADER JOE’S MULTIGRAIN RUSTICO SANDWICH BREAD IS A MUST TRY
Trader Joe’s Multigrain RUSTICO BREAD – This is a very tasty bread you may have seen at Trader Joe’s at some point. Its a little soft with an oblong shape, kind of like a long skinny rye bread. The slices are roundish, again like a rye bread. The outside is coated with rolled oats and seeds.
I tried it and liked it. I found it good for making all kinds of sandwiches and seems especially good when toasted or grilled. RUSTICO BREAD is both a little “rustic” as well as seeming a bit on the healthier side from some of the ingredients such as whole wheat, rolled oats, molasses, flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds. While its soft it’s not too soft, this has a little hearty body to it.
Each slice has 4 grams of fiber. At 80 calories per slice, its a bit on the lower calorie side as some Trader Joe’s sliced breads come in at 120-150 calories per slice. The roundish slices are probably a tad smaller than regular square shaped sliced bread. While the bread is soft it still has a little rustic nature from the seeds and oats hence the “Rustico” name. And while it has seeds I would also say its not “too seedy” for those picky eaters who might object to seeds, like some kids I think might. This is a good compromise all around.
Both of us really liked this bread trying it out for the first time. We found TJ’s RUSTICO BREAD to be another good addition to all the many breads we would gladly pick up again at Trader Joe’s, which is a list which seems to keep getting longer and longer all the time, as they have so many good breads.
The RUSTICO BREAD makes excellent toast and sandwiches. For example, say Avocado Toast or a Tuna Melt. Heres what it looked like all grilled up for a Tuna Melt I made on RUSTICO Bread. It looks good and tasted even better.
This is a new Small Lot coffee that Trader Joe’s just introduced. Its an organic coffee from the mountains of Colombia.
“Well balanced with notes of dark chocolate and red fruits” 100% Arabica Whole Bean
This is a medium roast. I think its just a tad slightly lighter than my current Go To standard at Trader Joe’s, which is their excellent ORGANIC BOLIVIAN coffee, also Medium roast.
Trader Joe’s has this to say: “Replete with rich notes of dark chocolate and ripe, red fruit, yet silky and smooth-drinking, this Coffee straddles the lines of “serious” and “approachable” at the same time.”
I found it to be a good serviceable coffee, that was very smooth and a little fruity. It smelled good. I liked it and thought this is a good serviceable all around coffee. No, this will not replace my current fave, the Organic Bolivian coffee, but still I think this is something you could quite easily drink a few cups of. So in that sense I agree with Trader Joe’s line about it straddling the line between “serious and approachable at the same time.” This may not be the top favorite of all the TJ’s small lot coffee I ever tried (that would be the Ugandan “Mountains of the Moon” coffee as I’ve said a million times) but I think it would fall somewhere in the middle. Again, very serviceable and very drinkable.
So I would call it worth trying if you are one of those people who like to try out every Small Lot coffee from all over that world that Trader Joe’s comes out with. I know I do.
This is a “Limited Edition” $9.99 (12 oz bag)
Update: I mixed a little bit of one of my Trader Joe’s favorite (medium dark) coffees, the Organic Sumatran into this, and loved the blend.
TJ’s says: “The Canadian bakery that makes these sub-shaped Rolls for us uses a slow and gentle fermentation to achieve an airy crumb. The soft insides are complemented by a hearty exterior that can support all kinds of cold cuts and condiments—not to mention a healthy helping of meatballs, sauce, and melty cheese.”
I saw these and really wanted to try them as I thought these would be great for making a hero, specifically an Italian meatball hero. Right out of the bag, these are soft and seemed to me just the tiniest bit under-baked, to allow for some additional cooking or toasting. So take that into account.
Meatball Hero; I sliced the roll down the middle, and added my ingredients inside. After I finished adding the ingredients of my sandwich, in my case grilled meatballs, grilled yellow peppers, some homemade tomato sauce and two kinds of cheese, Fontina and Pecorino. I put them in the oven for 5 minutes or so until it got nice and golden brown and crusty.
My Italian meatball parm hero came out perfect on these Artisan Sandwich Rolls. Crusty on the outside and nice and soft on the interior to soak up all the goodness of my ingredients. The meatball hero was very tasty and along with a salad that was our dinner.
I can easily see these rolls being good for most any sandwich, especially those like any kind of “hero”, “sub”, “grinder” or whatever they call it in your neck of the woods. The 4 rolls work out to less than 90 cents per roll which will be hard to beat for price. Rolls where I am cost at least $1.50 or more.
“You’ll find these Sandwich Rolls to be equally delicious, whether you’re enjoying a cold Italian grinder, or a hot Philly cheesesteak. And when lightly toasted, they develop a wonderfully thin, crisp crust. They can also be pressed quite successfully in a panini grill if you’re craving a traditional Cubano…”
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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