When I went to Trader Joe's before 4th of July, I was really there for a different frozen item. I was actually there to pick up the now returning frozen Mac and Cheese Bites (review to be updated soon). But right next to it was an unexpected sight: Trader Joe's Shrimp Scampi Lasagna.
Taste
Priced at $5.99, it is on the higher end of things, but nothing that would break the bank either.
So into my cart, it went. Now, I know the packaging says 3.5 servings. If you are a normal person, this is maybe 2 servings at most.
Unlike some items, I think it is a bit debatable what makes something a lasagna. This qualifies under the most narrow of margins.
Every time I've made lasagna, I layer things until I've pretty much hit the top of the pan.
This seems to be about 2 layers. And when I say layers, I mean this is pretty flat when you plop it on a plate. You have about 3 layers of noodles and in between is an alfredo-like layer and then the scampi layer.
Now the scampi is a bit debatable too. The butter came right through on this as did all the other flavors of a scampi from the wine to the garlic. However, the shrimp seemed chopped finely and seemed to get lost in the breadcrumbs.
But in the end, it was a bit of an oil slick on the plate, and in the pan, it came in.
So while this tasted good, the execution could have been better. And to be clear, I made this in the oven and it did take the full 50 minutes.
I've complained previously that there aren't enough low-carb items out here. But here you also have the foundation of a low-carb dish. If they could have swapped out the pasta, which did not add much in my opinion, with say zucchini, this could have been much better.
Or better yet, make this into a rollatini so when you bite into it you feel like you are getting more layers than you actually are. Or at the very least add a few layers of veggies to balance the richness of this.
Overall
Would I buy this again? While I liked the taste of Trader Joe's Shrimp Scampi Lasagna, the execution of this had me not wanting to buy it again.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Product photos
The box of Trader Joe's Shrimp Scampi Lasagna:
Calories
Ingredients and instructions
Out of the package you get:
Out of the oven:
After being cooked you get:
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Trader Joe's Shrimp Scampi Lasagna
Product Name: Trader Joe's Shrimp Scampi Lasagna
Product Description: Trader Joe's Shrimp Scampi Lasagna is a frozen layered pasta with shrimp scampi in between
Price: $5.99
Summary
Trader Joe's Shrimp Scampi Lasagna is a food mashup between a lasagna alfredo and shrimp scampi.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Taste was good
Cons
- Becomes quite oily when lifted out of the pan
- Not enough layers and sits flat on a plate
- Not much in the shrimp department
I’m disappointed to hear it wasn’t up to par. I was excited to give it a try....but I’m scratching it off my list. So thanks for saving me the $ and calories.
Hey Penelope! No problem. I like the idea of the combination but I'd rather pay a bit more for something well executed.
An enhancement of a delicately-flavored, yet hearty lemon/caper sauce - with maybe some bits o' black olive - would go a long way to dressing this up a bit. With the calorie count shown, I'd probably want to cut it into thirds to make sure there was at least one serving, with a smattering of additional emmentaler on it, left for one lucky person's lunch the next day!
Virtual hugs,
Judie
Brenda, the name did not strike me as something I would buy, and your review confirms that. Thanks for always saving me money.
I had my doubts about this when I saw it in the freezer section the other week. The concept was interesting however historically they haven't been really successful with shrimp based products before. A lot of them have been shrimp deficient. Thanks for giving it a go and for the review. I doubt I'll buy this.
Hey Dag! I liked the concept too. If it had whole shrimp. Even tiny salad sized ones, but this was so finely chopped into the bread crumbs it got lost for me. Thanks as always for stopping by.
I thought this was just awful. The pasta was way too thick and gummy. It was only two layers. I didn’t like the red pepper in it, way out of place. The shrimp where practically non-existent. It was greasy and I found the fake garlic taste just very unpleasant. Never again.
Hey Lisa! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it too. I wish this were better too.
So much pasty starch.Tasted garlic & flour. No noticable shrimp.
DO NOT BUY THIS GAG WORTHY ENTREE.
Hey Hyl! Thanks for taking the time to share your honest thought on this.
Agree with the other comments. Really no shrimp to speak of other than very little ,very minced pieces of shrimp. I didn’t expect much for the price but disappointed it didn’t at least have small salad size shrimp. The pasta , I agree also, was very gummy and not at all appealing. Will not be buying that again.
Hey Joy! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I wish this item was better executed. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to stop by and share.
I thought it was great. My husband thought it was just too weird.
Hey Elizabeth! If you enjoyed it, I just want to let you know I believe this item is being discontinued. So you might want to stock up. Thanks for sharing your household's thoughts on this.