The pros: Â Trader Joe's Arrabiata Sauce is a pretty good jarred sauce at a reasonable price.
The cons:Â You may want to add your own herbs to this.
The verdict: Â This pasta sauce won't make you angry, however, that is the literal Italian translation of Arrabiata. This is not just another red sauce. It is differentiates itself from other sauce by virtue of having chili peppers which gives this its classic kick. It might in fact make your belly happy. If you are a spice junkie then you might be underwhelmed with this sauce because this jar was mild. If you want to bring the heat, then you'll need to add some more chili flakes to this.
In the jar itself it looks distinct. It appears to have the most oil of all the jarred sauces because of the amount of olive oil here. In addition to tomatoes; garlic, peppers, and some unnamed spices add to the flavor here. The tomatoes aren't all smooth either. There are some good chunks of tomatoes that came out of this jar, although probably not enough to call it rustic. The chili pepper was enough to only announce that there was some heat present, but not enough to slow you down.
Traditionally, this Roman sauce is served with penne pasta, but I don't see why you couldn't use other shapes that hold sauce well. I find most sauces to be a disappointment, but not with this one. The only way I would consider altering this is with the addition of some fresh basil and a grate or two of fresh parmesan cheese. Otherwise, this sauce can be enjoyed from the jar as is.
If you read my review of Trader Joe's Penne Arrabbiata, then you know it's not perfect, but also not a terrible meal available in the frozen aisle of Trader Joe's. If I had to choose just Arrabiata product from Trader Joe's, it's the jarred sauce every time. For $3.29 for a 25 ounce jar, this is a pretty good jar of sauce to keep on hand where you want your warm pasta to warm you. This sauce was enough to coat a pound of Trader Joe's Penne Regate pasta. The last time I went out for Italian at some of our local restaurants, pasta dishes were $10+. You can have a hearty dinner for 4 people for under $5.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy a jar of Trader Joe's Arrabiata Sauce :
The jar:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
After being tossed with some pasta you get:
Would I buy this again? Yes, Trader Joe's Arrabiata Sauce is a good sauce to keep on hand and better than the bag of frozen pasta that is in the freezer aisle.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Run Wright says
I’ve tried this but I usually add other herbs to my cooking so you’re right in your assessment.
Catherine of VegCharlotte says
I recently tried this one and it is one of my favorites of all the jarred pasta sauces out there! It is very mild to be called arrabiata, but like you said that's easily fixed by adding crushed red pepper flakes.
becomebetty says
I dont have it posted but the tomato and basil is pretty good as an everyday sauce too
Rachael says
Tonight was my first try of it and wow! I normally use bertolli merlot mushroom. I really loved this sauce! I was going to add some things but wanted to try it normal first to see what i would want. I like the basil idea and a little cheese, so right in point! It’s so hard when I’m used to getting my bertolli on sale around $1.50/jar or less.
Bonnie C says
I am terribly sad because Trader Joe's had discontinued this product as of January, 2022!
I'm Italian and this has been a staple in my cupboard for years. I'm going to search for the above mentioned Bertolli Merlot Mushroom in the meantime. I hope some folks who know TJ's Arrabiata Sauce will post some similar sauces they've enjoyed. Thanks... ;(
becomebetty says
Hi Bonnie! I believe they actually discontinued the frozen pasta with the same name. But I'd love to sit and come up with a copycat one day. Thanks for sharing!