Trader Joe's Italian Tomato Pasta Sauce Trio Review: Jar Wars The Italian Sauce Edition

Trader Joe's Italian Tomato Pasta Sauce Trio is one of those limited time gift sets that pops out at you before you even notice what it is. The bright yellow packaging is impossible to miss and it mirrors the design used on their zero sugar sauces. Inside you get three half sized jars of sauce, each offering a different take on classic Italian flavors. For nine ninety nine, it feels like one of the more thoughtful seasonal pantry gifts Trader Joe's has released this year.

And the good news is that the sauces inside are not just cute. They are actually flavorful and distinct from one another.

Review

The trio includes three sauces in small format jars:

• Cherry tomato
• Vegetable
• Puttanesca

Each jar is roughly half the size of a standard pasta sauce jar, making this ideal for taste testing, gifting, or using when you want a small amount of sauce without committing to a full jar.

Cherry Tomato Sauce

This was the standout for me and the one I wish Trader Joe's would bottle in full size immediately. The Datterini cherry tomato sauce tastes rich and concentrated, almost like a sauce that has simmered on the stove all afternoon. It is intense, sweet in a natural tomato way, and deeply flavorful. It felt crafted rather than mass produced, and I would absolutely buy this again if it were sold individually. It had a good amount of olive oil in it which made it taste like a really rich sauce. It is also a bit rustic with decent sized chunks of tomato.

Vegetable Sauce

This was good, but very eggplant forward. If you go into it expecting a hidden vegetable type sauce, this is not that. This leans savory and hearty, reminiscent of eggplant parm without the cheese. The texture is smooth and the flavor leans warm and earthy. Fans of eggplant will enjoy it. If eggplant is not your thing, this jar may not be the one for you. This was the lightest tasting of the bunch.

Puttanesca Sauce

A long time ago, Trader Joe's sold a full-sized puttanesca sauce which has since been discontinued. This mini jar feels like its louder, brinier cousin. It is bold. It is olive forward. It is savory with a clear punch of olive oil. What I did not get much of was the anchovy and caper intensity that usually defines a puttanesca. The olive note dominates and takes over the entire flavor profile.

If you love olives, this will hit the right spot. If you are olive hesitant like me, this is probably the least exciting of the trio. Still well made, but not my personal favorite.

Overall

This was a pretty solid set with nothing gimmicky about it. I am hopeful they'll consider adding to their extensive line of sauces in the future and include these. For $10 for three half sized jars, this was a good deal either for yourself or to gift to someone else.

How to Use

• Toss each jar with a small batch of pasta
• Use for appetizer size servings or tasting boards
• Spread the cherry tomato sauce on homemade pizza
• Use the vegetable sauce as a shortcut eggplant parm
• Try the puttanesca with crusty bread or grilled shrimp
• Add all three to a holiday gift basket with dry pasta

FAQs

Below is a list of frequently asked questions about this product

Overall

Trader Joe's Italian Tomato Pasta Sauce Trio is a win in the seasonal aisle. The sauces taste authentic and well balanced, and the cherry tomato sauce deserves a permanent spot on shelves. The vegetable and puttanesca sauces are both solid, even if they lean toward specific flavor preferences.

For nine ninety nine, this is a thoughtful pantry gift, a fun tasting experience, and a great addition to any holiday food basket. If Trader Joe's ever chooses to sell these in full size jars, I will be first in line.