“Made with cream, Italian tomatoes and Grana Padano. Creamy, velvety and savory”
Product of Italy
Trader Joe’s introduced a new imported Italian pasta sauce called “ROSATELLA Pasta Sauce”. The sauce seems to be getting a lot of attention online. Sauces that mix cream or milk and tomato are known as “pink sauces” (rosa means pink), for example, Vodka Sauce.
“This ‘pink sauce’ really delivers on flavor….Our supplier in Italy sources all of their dairy from the Piedmont region—a region renowned for its milk and cheeses. They start with a cream & milk blend, to which they add a short list of ingredients, including tomato paste, onion & garlic purées, basil, oregano, and Grana Padano.“
I woke up today with an idea: what about using this sauce to make a pizza ?! Putting the idea out there….If anyone tries it, please let us know how it turned out.
This sauce is good! Creamy, nice and tomato-y and cheesy from a generous amount of authentic Grana Padano PDO cheese in the sauce. Online, people are calling it amazing, and frankly I agree. I found this new Rosatella sauce to be absolutely delicious.
When I opened the jar and took a taste, even at room temperature, I could taste that this sauce is real deal Italian. It has a nice balance of ingredients with the tomato, cream and cheese (PDO Grana Padano)
I thought a shaped pasta like rigatoni, penne, farfalle, or trofie might work best with a thick creamy sauce like this. I went with Rigatoni, as its a big and hearty shape that holds sauce well, and the rigatoni was a good choice. It went perfectly with the Rosatella sauce. Of course any pasta you pick should work fine too.
But about a week later I tried the rosatella sauce with Pappardelle and that was as good as it was on the rigaton, if not better. The flat noodle with this sauce was great. Super comfort food.
Rosatella sauce with Trader Joe’s Organic Pappardelle noodles
This sauce is quite thick out of the jar. Just to give you an idea of “how much to use”, for two portions of pasta I used about half the jar. Figure for four portions of pasta you will probably use a whole jar,. This sauce will easily stand up to a bit of your starchy pasta cooking water (all chef’s magic ingredient for pasta).
As always, I cook a pasta as per the classic (Italian) method, meaning you don’t just top naked cooked pasta with a spoon of sauce, the way many American’s tend to do (ugh!). The “correct” method is that you finish cooking the (undercooked) pasta with the sauce while tossing it and adding in some of that precious starchy pasta cooking water. I mean a few tablespoons at a time, just enough, not a cup as the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Save about cup of your pasta water when you drain it, just in case. I just put a heat proof cup under the colander when I dump out the water.
My pasta technique: I take out the pasta about a minute before it hits al dente, toss it in a pan, adding most of the sauce plus a few tablespoons of (reserved) pasta water- the water a few tablespoons at a time tossing constantly (tip: always reserve a cup of your starchy pasta cooking water). In the pan, you toss the pasta with the sauce, again and again, and let it finish cooking until it all blends up together. Maybe about 60-90 seconds, or until the pasta is done “to the tooth” al dente, not over cooked. A little extra sauce on top is good. Plate and serve and eat it asap. I topped it with a bit of fresh basil plus, a bit more grated cheese and a drizzle of EVOO. The pasta dish with rigatoni and the sauce was so yummy. (I tried the Rosatella sauce a second time a few days later using Pappardelle and that combination was as good, if not better!). My recommendations pasta wise would be a shaped pasta, or the flat pappardelle.
We both really enjoyed the finished pasta with this excellent Rosatella pink sauce. I thought this sauce is so good, you could think about using it way beyond just for pasta. I can see it with lots of food. Say serve some on grilled chicken breasts? Or grilled shrimp or fish or meats? Certainly as the base for a homemade pizza. Really this stuff is yummy. You can’t go wrong with this.
I tried it spicy too – zhushing it up with a little spoon of my beloved spicy TJ’s “BOMBA” hot sauce (fermented Calabrian chilis). Even better! I just loved the now spicy Rosatella sauce as well.
This is a great new addition to the pasta sauces at TJ’s. It’s getting a lot of notice and plaudits online.
Trust me this is worth checking out. The Rosatella is $3.99 for a 14.5 oz jar.
I would buy this again
TIP: I look at the recommended cooking time on the package. If it says for example 11 minutes, I drain it at about 9 1/2 minutes. It goes into a pan as I add my sauce and cook it the final approximately 90 seconds cooking, so total time, about the recommended 11 minutes as I finish it, tossing it with sauce and a little pasta water. The mixing adds starch as the pasta releases it and makes your sauce creamier, thicker and stickier to coat all the pasta. And Serve immediately! People should be sitting down ready to eat as soon as it hits the plate. BUON APPETITO!
BAINGAN BHARTA – Roasted Eggplant Curry – Northern Indian dish from the Punjab region.
NEW ITEM: Trader Joe’s recently added one more very good “Authentic Indian Recipe” entrée to the frozen Indian dishes they carry.
Baingan Bharta is a spiced roasted eggplant dish. Baingan mean eggplant. Bharta means charred grilled vegetables. I’ve had this many times in Indian restaurants. If I see it on the menu, I will order it.
Trader Joe’s frozen version of Baingan Bharta is quite good, almost like something you could get at a restaurant though maybe not quite as smokey. This does have a bit of the classic smokey taste this dish is well known for, and it is very nicely seasoned with lots of authentic spices and flavor.
This Indian entrée joins two other very good frozen entrée vegetarian dishes that Trader Joe’s carries which I’ve reviewed and buy regularly: (1) the excellent PALAK PANEER and (2) a very good CHANNA MASALA. I love having any of these in my freezer., for whenever the mood strikes for an easy and very tasty Indian meal.
Just FYI, the ones I mention are the ones that are “entrées” meaning just that dish – they don’t include basmati rice (as some dishes do). I prefer to make my own Basmati rice . Plus I like that that Trader Joe’s put this dish in an Eco Friendly (reclyable) paper base instead of plastic as some other dishes use.
HEATING: Use Microwave, Oven or Stovetop (even though they don’t say that). I made it on the stove and it worked fine just heating in a pan. You can leave it out on the counter for maybe a 1/2 hr, to defrost slightly then put the frozen puck in a non-stick pan, cover it and heat it on low heat till its defrosted and heated thru, stirring every five minutes. It may take 15 minutes in total.
This dish goes well of course with Basmati rice and some Naan or similar bread to scoop it up. I made a quick Raita with Greek yogurt and cucumbers on the side. Or buy the Tzaziki at TJ’s.
Naturally a nice chutney will go well too with this dish. One can not go wrong with TJ’s excellent Sri Lankan ORGANIC MANGO CHUTNEY
Cook up this entree up with Palak Paneer or a package of Channa Masala and some rice or naan and you have an Indian feast that will easily serve two for about $7-8.
$3.49 for 10 oz. I would buy this again.
Spice level – to me not very. Your mileage of course will vary. If you do find it too spicy, you can tone it down with a little plain yogurt.
“Our latest foray into the world of frozen entrées inspired by Indian cuisine combines the mild, slightly sweet flavor and creamy consistency of roasted eggplant with aromatic alliums like onion and garlic, savory seasonings like turmeric and fenugreek leaves, and a nice level of heat, courtesy of fresh green chili peppers. Hearty, flavorful, and satisfying, each bite of Trader Joe’s Baingan Bharta is layered with a pleasantly complex mix of tastes and textures. And though the eating experience may be complex, our take on this iconic Punjabi vegetarian dish (also known in some parts of the world as baigan chokha) is surprisingly simple to prepare: just heat, serve, and enjoy”
You can learn about this dish here which includes a recipe if you are feeling ambitious!
It’s wonderfully flavorful with just the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. Naturally it will go great with your Indian dinners such as your PALAK PANEER , or your Butter Chicken and Rice and some Naan and yogurt raita or tzatziki. However it will match well with many other types of food. Its great served on the side with grilled chicken or fish – or tofu for that matter. I even love it on top of cottage cheese! Great on a grilled cheese sandwich.
A jar is $3. I would buy this again. TIP: save yourself a trip and buy two jars!
“Made for us by a supplier in Sri Lanka, this magnificently Mango-forward Chutney is made with a thick, yet smooth and spreadable base of organic cane sugar and organic coconut sap vinegar, to which our supplier adds big, toothsome chunks of organic mango. They then flavor each batch with a suite of awesomely aromatic (and organic!) spices and seasonings that includes cinnamon, cardamom, chili powder, and garlic. Expertly balanced between its savory, sweet, and heat-based elements, the sky’s the limit with this vibrantly versatile Chutney. Try spooning a bit over pizza or pork chops, onto a freshly baked Organic Biscuit or toasted Tandoori Naan, or into a grilled cheese sandwich.“
Usually starting in Fall, Trader Joe’s will have a few kinds of squash. Acorn, Butternut….and I really like those. However some squash are a bit of work to prep, especially if you have to get the skin off. Generally I think, “too much work”. Which brings me to a favorite kind of squash, because its The. Easiest. Squash: Delicata! I’m so fond of it, if I see these at Trader Joe’s I will usually grab one and toss it in my basket.
A few years ago, TJ’s sold them for 99 cents each. They now cost $1.49. That is still pretty cheap, especially if you can score a big one.
So what I really love about the DELICATA sqush is you don’t have to peel them. Which makes them so much easier. Delicata which means “delicate” of course. They have thin (edible) skin. Compared to acorn or butternut squash, which can take 10-15 minutes of serious knife work, these are so much easier. They take 1-2 minutes to prep. For me, that’s a squash game changer.
I made delicata recently and took a few pictures to show how easy it is to make them. Sure you can roast them. They are great that way. But you don’t have to. Mostly I just toss them into a pan with olive oil and garlic. Which is a little easier than roasting in my opinion and almost as good.
The ones here I made them as the ingredient for a pasta dish. I just added the pasta right in the same pan to finish the dish with bit of alfredo sauce (but even just butter and grated cheese would be fine).
Here’s my prep – Rinsed them. Took a teaspoon and scraped out seeds. Sliced them up, a bit thin (1/4″ or so thick) as I was going to sauté them. If I was going to roast them in the oven I would have cut them a bit thicker.
In this case I just tossed them into a non stick pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and crushed garlic. Salt and pepper. Sauté them for maybe 15-20 minutes on medium stirring frequently so they don’t burn. Let them get nice and brown almost as if you had roasted them. This is easier for me as I don’t even have to turn on the oven.
They make a great side dish, or use the cooked squash as an ingredient, for example in a pasta dish. Add them to cooked penne or farfalle, either with just butter and cheese or something a little creamy like alfredo or cacio e pepe.
If you never tried them before, I hope this give you the idea to try Delicata Squash and then you may grow to love them as much as I do; here’s some links to cooking ideas using delicata squash…..
I think this is a new dessert, or at least we hadn’t seen it before. MINI CHOCOLATE MOUSSE. Individual tiny chocolate mousse cakes that are Imported from Belgium, where they know a little bit about chocolate!
So rich and yummy. Its a round mini cake consisting of chocolate mousse on top of a shortbread crust base, topped with a dark chocolate ganache. Three layers. These were very delicious and a dessert that will satisfy any discerning Chocoholic (raises his hand). Just heavenly.
Reading the label though, we were all a bit confused by it saying “1 serving per container” as well as “serving size 6 pieces”! What? They think this box is one serving? Now each one is small, only about 3 bites each. I could eat 2 easily. Maybe even 3…. Still I don’t think anyone should eat six. Odd Nutrition label. Still each serving of one piece says its (only) 110 calories. Not bad at all and they are very light as mousse is airy.
These were so good. I would buy them again. Look for these in the Frozen Dessert section.
“A crispy savory and sweet cracker to complement cheeses, dips, and toppings”
Wow, these little Trader Joe’s crackers are just delicious. First off, the texture is great, as they are very well baked and very crunchy, and have both sunflower and flax seeds.
The flavor of these is terrific, just the right amount of both sweet and savory. These are pretty small and delicate. They taste great on their own with nothing on them. You can eat them right out of the box.
However they will be even better if you put something on them. I tried them with cream cheese and loved the combo, then tried them with some Chevre and brie; they will match superbly with any cheese you put on them, or try them with charcuterie too like prosciutto.
These are one of those Trader Joe’s products that you could really impress guests with. Especially one of those cheese boards. Pretty natural sounding ingredients too. These are about $4 / box (5.3 oz)
Another knock it out of the ball park Trader Joe’s item. I would buy them again
“With a lighter sweeter flavor than other miso pastes, this tasty miso offers nutty, sweet umami to any dish” – TJ
This is very nice white miso paste which is not quite as thick or strong or salty as many Japanese miso’s pastes in tubs are. This one is lighter and not as thick so its a bit easier to use just as is out of the package.
The squeezable pouch make is very easy to squeeze out as little or as much as you need.
This light white miso adds really delicious flavor.
This is a light white miso and I really like this to cook fish or chicken or what have you, usually spread this on and then broil it so it gets a little bit of a char. I used it recently to make some broiled salmon and another time with some mahi mahi and it worked great with both of these fishes. But you could use it on chicken of course as well.
MISO COATED SALMON (or any fish) Coat the fish with a layer of this white miso, then let it marinate it for about 30 minutes or more. Broil (or bake) the fish as usual but keep a close eye on it as the miso will brown and you want it a little browned but not burnt of course. When your dish looks golden brown, remove and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
Optional: Mix up a bit more of the miso with a little honey and lemon juice to make a light glaze. During the last minute or so of cooking, take out the fish or chicken or tofu your are baking or broiling under the grill. Spread on the miso paste glaze, put it back in and let it cook for 30-60 seconds until the glaze looks perfectly browned. Option: You can also serve some of this miso glaze mix as a sauce alongside your protein.
In addition to fish I find the miso marinade works just as well using chicken and broiling it. It can also be used in soups, as well as in salad dressings, add to ramen or noodles, etc. A little miso added to some butter is great with veggies and other things. I bet it works well even with TOFU.
TJ’s White Miso comes in a handy squeeze pouch. I find this very convenient and easy to work with, to be able to squeeze out some quickly, and its much more convenient compared to the 1 lb tubs of miso I usually buy from a Japanese market. Frankly I usually find one of those tubs somewhere at the back of my fridge a long time after I bought it and maybe it expired six months back (but honestly Japanese miso is so salty it doesn’t really go bad, it can last a year easily)
Trader Joe’s Miso Paste is $2.99 (5.3 oz)
I would buy this again.
“Trader Joe’s White Miso Paste is made of fermented rice and soybeans, and like many fantastic, fermented foods, it has a complex flavor—a mix of savory, salty, and umami. Our supplier is a 5th generation miso maker in Japan. Their process involves a shorter-than-standard fermentation period to yield a delicate, umami flavor, making this a very versatile Miso. Most commonly used in savory preparations, White Miso adds depth to soups, sauces, and dressings. You can use it in marinades for meats, fish, and tofu, or as a dip”
Here’s a review of Trader Joe’s Wild Caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, which you will find with the fresh fish (Label states “previously frozen” (I believe they process and flash freeze the salmon as soon as it comes off the boats in Alaska.) Boxes of frozen fish arrive at Trader Joe’s; they put it out to slow defrost in the refrigerated case overnight daily (proper slow defrost)
I had asked my wife to pickup some salmon at Trader Joe’s for dinner recently. Instead of the Norwegian Atlantic salmon we usually get and I thought she would buy, she picked up some Wild Caught Alaskan Sockeye fillets. Yes, it cost a bit more. But we really liked the wild salmon and thought it’s worth the occasional splurge for this “upgrade”.
You can pan fry, broil, bake or BBQ it. I decided I would broil it in a Japanese style, with WHITE MISO. It was delicious done this way, which is a great way to make salmon, or any fish, if you never tried it. The miso gives it a lot of “umami”.
Normally as I mentioned, we tend to get Atlantic Salmon, farmed from Norway. Which I honestly think is also very good and of a very high quality. So lets discuss, Wild vs Farmed Salmon taste-wise: Most of us are probably now more familiar with eating Atlantic salmon farmed from Norway or elsewhere, compared to wild caught Sockeye salmon, which is more expensive.
Alaskan Sockeye Salmon is different from Atlantic salmon. First, while the two fish are related species, they are actually different fish. If you compare the two fish visually, the two salmon varieties look shockingly different (see pictures below). Second, is the simple fact that a wild Sockeye hunts food. It swam thousands of miles over its lifespan. Therefore it is more muscular with denser flesh. It has a more robust taste than farmed Atlantic salmon. A Sockeye’s body (and flesh) is DEEP RED with a dense texture. It has less fat. So doesn’t exhibit the white marbling (fat) which Atlantic salmon has. Sockeye is not just leaner, its thinner too. You want to cook wild salmon more carefully as it has no visible fat so is less forgiving about overcooking.
TJ’s wild caught Alaskan Sockeye cost $13.99/lb. That is $4 more per pound than the Norwegian farmed Atlantic Salmon at Trader Joe’s (currently $9.99/lb) However even $14/lb is probably a decent price for wild caught Alaskan Sockeye. I have a feeling say at Whole Foods similar wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon probably costs more like $20lb or more….
Our $16 package of salmon was a little over a pound of fish and was cut into two fillets. This was actually a whole side of one salmon filleted, with one thick piece (the head end, visible in the photo above). Under that was a thinner piece (the tail end) not as attractive of course. The tail piece is thin. Wild salmon is thinner than farmed, and leaner so you need to be more careful cooking it and it will take less time to cook.
RECIPE: BROILED SALMON WITH WHITE MISO: I coated the salmon on both sides, slathering on a coat of Trader Joe’s WHITE MISO PASTE and sprinkled it with fresh black pepper. Do not add salt as the miso has plenty. I let the fish marinate for about an hour at room temp. If you don’t have that much time, give it 20 minutes. To cook it I put both pieces in a cast iron pan skin side down. I dotted the top with a few dots of butter, then broiled the fish on just the top side for about 5 minutes, or just until the flesh flaked apart easily. I didn’t flip this wild salmon over to cook the skin as I would normally do to get the skin crispy. I was worried about overcooking it.
The fish was delicious cooked this way. We ate one piece (1/2 lb) and I saved the other so I managed to get another meal out of the one package. I cooked up both pieces and kept that tail piece of salmon for the next night where I used it for a Japanese style “donburi” rice bowl (a rice bowl topped with shredded salmon meat mixed with some white miso. Put the flaked up salmon on top of warm rice and sprinkle with FURIKAKE flakes. The salmon this way was also delicious and was a good way to use that tail end of the fish.
Personally I love the taste of wild salmon which has a more robust flavor than Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon (however I do enjoy that as well.)
I’m not someone who will only eat wild fish. If we all did that, there would be no fish left in the oceans. I like both kinds of salmon as each have certain qualities, the main difference being the fat content. The fat marbling seen in the farm raised salmon does keep the salmon nice and moist when cooked, making it easier to cook without overcooking it, If you enjoy salmon, try both kinds to compare them. Some people might even decide they prefer the milder flavor of farmed salmon with it’s richer, fattier flesh (remember in fish, fat is a good thing with its Omega-3’s).
I would buy this again.
Just FYI, Trader Joe’s also has frozen Wild Sockeye Salmon in the freezer section. I think it’s a dollar less per pound…. (you can do a slow defrost yourself, overnight in fridge. )
Here’s my “honest review” of Trader Joe’s “Palak Paneer,Spinach and Paneer Cheese Seasoned with a bit of curry and chili“.
It’s so good that Vegetarian or not, you should try this!
Trader Joe’s PALAK PANEER is good. Make that very very good. In fact I’d say this is one of my top 5 favorite frozen items Trader Joe’s has. This and at least one other Indian entrée, the equally tasty CHANNA MASALA. Both have a pretty authentic real McCoy Indian taste. Pretty much comparable to what you might get if you ordered takeout from an Indian restaurant.
Trader Joe’s really has some pretty decent frozen Indian dishes. I buy these frozen entrées constantly when shopping at Trader Joe’s (update: now along with the also good new eggplant entrée dish Baingan Bharta) I like to always have these dishes in our the freezer along with a package of Naan of course. If I have those in the freezer I know I can have a delicious really easy Indian meal ready quickly that tastes pretty much as if we ordered in from a restaurant and for a lot less!
PALAK PANEER is a surprisingly good vegetarian dish consisting of spinach cooked with spices and the Indian cheese called paneer.
Paneer is a fresh Indian cheese that is great to cook with as it is firm and doesn’t melt.
Some of the Indian dishes at TJ’s include a portion of rice. A few do not. This dish doesn’t have rice ; it’s an entree only and you get more of the spinach dish here. For me preferable. I just make my own rice. You can make some Basmati rice, which is not very hard, actually that is pretty easy and only about 15 minutes.
TJ’s Palak Paneer is cooked with a lovely combination of spices and a bit of chili giving it an authentic Indian flavor. My only complaint if any is I wish they put more more paneer in this, as I love that. But at least there is just enough so that you don’t feel like they cheated you (side note: one reader writes to say they did used to give you more paneer back when…!
The dish has a little kick from chile but just a tad. I find the spicy level just right, i mean its a little spicy, but just a little bit. It is NOT crazy spicy though of course this is a personal taste preference. If you want it spicier, that’s easy to do, just add something spicy like (Bomba or Peri-Peri)
We eat this whenever we are in the mood for some “real Indian” food because it just that. How can you tell something Indian at TJ’s is any good. Well I have seen Indian people buying the Palak at Trader Joe’s along with some other dishes.
Sometimes alongside this Palak Paneer, I like to make TJ’s CHANNA MASALA (spiced chickpeas). Also quite good, and the chick pea dish and this spinach dish make a good combo with Basmati rice.
If you serve up these with Naan or Paratha for bread and some rice you have a tasty balanced Indian dinner that almost tastes like you ordered it from a decent Indian restaurant, and for a lot less. Maybe 8 dollars for a feast that serves two well? If I’m not too lazy I will make some raita to go with these (just slice up cucumber and mix with garlic and Greek yogurt to make a cooling Raita to go with the above dishes). For a shortcut, you could just buy some the Tzatziki. That will match well too.
TIP: Though they don’t mention Stove-top as a cooking method I have made this that way. Take the frozen slab out on the package and put it in a pan with a tablespoon of water. Heat on low, covered, stirring every 5 minutes or so for about 15-20 minutes till nice and hot.
$3.99 (10 oz)
I would buy this again.
Again this entree does not include rice; some of TJ’s Indian entrees have rice and some don’t. You get more entree when they don’t include it, so I’d rather make my own Basmati rice and get twice as much of the éntree.
Trader Joe’s ORGANIC PAPPARDELLE PASTA NESTS. Imported from Italy
“Boils into toothsome bundles of sauce holding pasta”
INGREDIENTS: Organic Durum Semolina
I really like these little pappardelle “birds nests” noodles. When I want to impress people, I make these with a terrific sauce. The dish will always get a rave.
Looking at the rough texture on the exterior of the pasta, you can instantly see they are extruded on bronze dies, which top pasta maker’s use. Made for Trader Joe’s by an artisan Italian pasta company (“…one of the most highly-regarded pasta makers in Italy”) Trader Joe’s says the company also mill their “own local, organic, durum wheat semolina themselves”. Yes these are pricier than most of the pastas at Trader Joe’s however you can pretty much see these are “super premium”. I’m sure they would cost at least double what TJ’s sells them for at some high end market under a premium Italian brand name.
They cook up into a wonderful soft toothsome noodle which almost seem like an egg noodle, but they are just semolina. These noodles really take incredibly well to any sauce you can think of to serve with them. I especially like them with a hearty meaty sauce like a Ragu or Bolognese. They go great with TJ’s frozen “MUSHROOM MEDLEY”. They work for “spaghetti and meatballs” instead of the spaghetti, or with Cacio e Pepe, or Alfredo or a Carbonara sauce. Or add them to a soup.
For a really simple fast pasta in a pinch just toss the noodles with good butter and Parmigiano and black pepper for a simple yet sublime pasta.
When making these I usually allow about 2 nests per person/portion. “Boil gently for 12-13 minutes”. They used to be $3.49 but now sell for $3.99 for the huge bag (17.6 oz) TIP: I’ve even used these noodles making Chinese/Asian noodle dishes!
“They’re brought to us by one of the most highly-regarded pasta makers in Italy, who doesn’t just put in the hard work of crafting each batch of Pappardelle Pasta Nests into the tender, delectable noodles that they are — they also mill their very own local, organic, durum wheat semolina to do so.”
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