In school, we learned about the color wheel and how to mix colors. We also learned about shades and tones of various colors. So when it comes to cooking certain rules of color just don't apply. For example, in Italian cooking, a Penne Vodka sauce starts off as red. When you add white cream to the sauce, it breaks all rules and turns a color that can only be described as being orange. Except some people also refer to that as being a pink sauce. However, there is a new pink sauce that is actually pink: Trader Joe's Creamy Pink Primavera Sauce.
Taste and review
In a rare moment of Trader Joe's following the rules or coloring in the lines if you will, you get a sauce that is legitimately pink. And I mean pink. Like 1980s neon pink. So pink you actually think there is food coloring in this. However, why use manufactured food coloring when you can use the natural stuff.
Enter the root veggie known as beets.
They stain pretty much anything they touch with their deep magenta hue.
Add this stuff to a cream sauce and you get a pink sauce that will have you thinking it isn't natural (to which it is as natural as you can get).
Now, color aside I'm not the biggest fan of beets. They need to be paired with something that can mellow them.
I do make beet ravioli. The goat cheese tames the assertive flavor. Add some pesto to those and it is a harmonious union of flavors.
I cracked open this jar and took a taste.
It was unlike any cream sauce I had tried previously.
It was less creamy and more acidic. The citrus and the tomato were the dominant notes. It was thick without being rustic. The cauliflower didn't come through and the chickpeas seem to only add thickness.
It was quite pleasant. I went through my cabinet to see which pasta would hold a sauce well. I opted for ziti.
After boiling and preparing the pasta, I coated my pasta in the sauce.
And just like that
BOOM.
All beet flavor.
Through some sort of magic, the acidity was gone and it became a single note sauce. All with just the addition of pasta.
When I took a tablespoon to try it without pasta, the beets seem undetectable, a win in my book.
With the addition of pasta (and a decent quantity of sauce to coat), that's all the pasta was reduced to.
And that's a shame, because, despite the glow in the dark coloring, it held promise. Now, despite it saying it is a pasta sauce, I'm going to see if I can make borscht out of it.
Beyond the notes that come out with pasta, its texture and initial taste held some promise in my book.
Overall
For $3.69 if you really, really, really, really like beets, then this is a good one to try.
Would I buy this again? Unless I can find something else to do with Trader Joe's Creamy Pink Primavera Pasta Sauce, this is a solid no from me.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Product photos
The jar of Trader Joe's Creamy Pink Primavera Pasta Sauce:
Calories
Ingredients
After being tossed with some pasta you get:
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.
Trader Joe's Creamy Pink Primavera Pasta Sauce
Product Name: Trader Joe's Creamy Pink Primavera Pasta Sauce
Product Description: Trader Joe's Creamy Pink Primavera Pasta Sauce is new and has quite a few of the popular buzzy foods in it.
Price: $3.69
Currency: USD
Availability: Discontinued
Summary
Trader Joe's Creamy Pink Primavera Pasta Sauce has many different elements that make it a unique sauce
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Texture is good
- A thick sauce that coats well
- Without pasta, it had great acidity and brightness
- If you love beets, you'll love this
Cons
- Became a single note flavor after being mixed with pasta.
EllenLV says
Your "no" is enough for me Brenda, I completely trust your opinion.
becomebetty says
Hey Ellen! Thanks so much for putting your trust in me. Unless you really love beets or acidity, I couldn't get past a couple of mouthfuls of pasta. Thanks again for taking the time to stop by!
Jd says
I bought it, added plain macaroni and it was a definite No. I returned it the next day. For me, it tasted like Apple with a bit of beet. Whoever developed this was smoking something..Now this got approval, is beyond me.
becomebetty says
Hey Jd! Your comment made me smile. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad to hear you used the generous refund policy. Thanks again for taking the time out of your day!
Beth says
I checked it out on my last trip to TJ's but thought it sounded a little too strange. The calorie count isn't too impressive either. Glad I followed my instincts.
becomebetty says
Hey Beth! This is perfectly fine to skip. It has all the popular foods in one jar, but they don't make a harmonious union together. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing!
jdcub says
Diplomatic way of putting it.. Much Dishharmony!
becomebetty says
Thanks jdcub! I was at a loss for words. Thanks so much for stopping by
Jessica says
Just tried this sauce out tonight and we didn’t like it either. The color is a major turn off as well as the taste! Bummer because the ingredients sounded good but definitely we’re not. 😦
becomebetty says
Hey Jessica! I wish you had a better experience. I was hoping to really like it too. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on this!
Mandible says
We put it on a mixture of zucchini noodles and soba and the flavors stayed true (so good)! Worth experimenting with, in my opinion.
becomebetty says
Hey Mandible! Thanks so much for sharing this! Glad you enjoyed this! Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to share your thoughts on this!
Shalane Moore says
I bought it earlier this week. I sautéed some onions and added TJ’s fresh peas that I steamed. Topped with some fresh parm cheese over some TJ’s farfalle. I enjoyed it more the next day after refrigerating left overs and letting the pink set in to the pasta!
becomebetty says
Hey Shalane! Thanks so much for sharing this! Glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to stop by and share!
Ann Nyberg says
My daughter just tried on their cauliflower gnocchi, one of the clerks said it needed a little something added to it so she added some habanero oil and said it was bomb.
becomebetty says
Hey Ann! Glad to hear your daughter liked it! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing!
Desiree says
I’ve only had it on spaghetti squash and I love it like that.
becomebetty says
Hey Desiree! Glad to hear what you had it with. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah Jones says
I LOVE this sauce! I eat it with roasted veggies and TJs lentil pasta. Give it another try. So healthy too, a great way to sneak in extra veggies.
becomebetty says
Hey Sarah! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'll let you have my share. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on this.