I tried 13 of Trader Joe’s specialty raviolis and ranked them from worst to best

• I reviewed all of Trader Joe’s refrigerated ravioli that I could find and ranked them.
• The arugula-and-Parmigiano Reggiano and Bolognese flavors weren’t super memorable.
• The cacio-e-pepe ravioli may be one of the best pasta products Trader Joe’s has ever made. 

Trader Joe’s selection of refrigerated ravioli has always been one of my favorite things at the chain. 

In addition to being super easy to prepare, the stuffed pasta comes in a variety of flavors to suit every palate.

So I made it my mission to try all of the refrigerated ravioli I could find at Trader Joe’s and rank them from worst to best. Here’s how they stacked up:

Editor’s Note: Some flavors are seasonal or limited-edition and may not be available at all stores. 

The ravioli with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes had 2 strong flavors

I love sun-dried tomatoes. I also love goat cheese. However, I didn’t love this ravioli.

The filling wasn’t quite balanced. The goat cheese mostly dominated the overall flavor, while the sun-dried tomatoes were often too mellow to detect. And even though I like the tanginess of chèvre, it made this ravioli taste slightly sour. 

I also had a hard time getting behind the texture.

Warmed goat cheese is normally smooth and creamy, but this filling was unusually mealy and dry. The sun-dried-tomato bits added to this grittiness, which did not make for the best mouthfeel with the thin pasta.

I sampled this ravioli with olive oil but had a hard time figuring out what sauce to pair with it that wouldn’t enhance the tart flavors.

Several of my friends who swear by this ravioli recommend pairing it with cream sauces, so maybe that’s what I was missing. 

That said, compared to other options I tasted, this one didn’t impress.

Trader Joe’s porcini-mushroom-and-truffle ravioli was packed with a rich flavor that may not be for everyone

This ravioli is clearly made for mushroom lovers and mushroom lovers only.

If you’re a fan of mushrooms who doesn’t mind popping some breath mints after dinner, then you’ll likely consider this a dream come true.

The porcinis in the filling are pureed, sautéed, and well-seasoned with garlic, butter, and pepper. The truffle’s woody flavor really made this dish a decadent meal.

Every bite was an amazing fusion of rich, savory, and salty flavors.

The triangle-shaped pasta nicely held everything together and tasted tender and fresh. Plus the ricotta glued the filling and gave it a luxurious mouthfeel. 

Since this ravioli boasted such strong flavors, less is more when it came to toppings. I tried a few pieces with a creamy Alfredo sauce but thought it was overwhelmingly rich. All it really needs is some oil or butter, shredded cheese, and chopped fresh herbs.

All of this said, if you’re even slightly put off by mushrooms, you might want to pass on this option. The musky aroma was quite potent.

This combo of arugula and Parmigiano Reggiano made for the perfect no-frills, cheesy pasta

Arugula seemed like an unusual choice for a ravioli filling since I often associate it with salad, but it worked here.

It’s formed into a paste and mixed with ricotta and Parmesan cheese, so it mostly came through as a vaguely peppery taste rather than something distinctly leafy.

I never would’ve guessed there was actual arugula in this if I hadn’t seen the label.

Nevertheless, the overall combination of flavors was delightful. The arugula cut through the richness of the ricotta, and the Parmesan added a pleasant saltiness, all making for a nice, balanced taste.

The texture was uniform without being clumpy, which was a pleasant surprise since I expected some grit.

It tasted decent with a light drizzle of olive oil and a shake of lemon pepper, but you can easily upgrade it with a cream sauce and veggies.

Though it wasn’t quite memorable. It lacked anything super distinct to make it stand out. I’d buy it again for a simple, vegetarian meal, but it’s not my go-to choice.

If you want a taste of luxury for a reasonable price, try the lobster ravioli

The ravioli looked like tiny gifts waiting to be unwrapped, with eye-catching red stripes on the outsides of each yellow pocket.

As someone who enjoys a special dinner but has zero experience handling lobster, I considered this a win. 

But make sure to closely watch this ravioli while preparing it. A couple of pockets in my batch fell open, leaking some of the filling into the boiling water, so I may have overcooked it by a minute or two.

I felt like a chef at a five-star restaurant as I laid the pieces of ravioli on my plate.

The filling consists of pureed lobster meat mixed with ricotta, garlic, white wine, lemon, butter, and Old Bay seasoning. 

Together, these components tasted rich and elegant, giving way to a bright finish thanks to the acidic components. There weren’t any big chunks of shellfish, but it delivered enough lobster flavor to satisfy a seafood craving.

I kept things simple by coating the pockets with butter, pepper, and garlic, but you can dress them with a generous amount of lemon juice, melted butter, and chopped fresh herbs for a meal that’s comparable to something you’d order for three times the price.

The pumpkin ravioli satisfyingly combined an iconic seasonal flavor with nutmeg-spiced ricotta

Trader Joe’s pumpkin ravioli is a seasonal staple, so I had previously tried it for a fall-foods taste test. Overall, it was pretty solid.

Each pocket was stuffed with plenty of filling, and the pumpkin-flavored pasta was soft, yet sturdy. I’m also a big fan of its striking orange-and-yellow color.

This is the kind of dish you’ll either really love or really hate, depending on how much you like pumpkin. 

It was sweet overall, so you need to choose the right toppings, or else it might taste like pumpkin pie. Since the ricotta filling contains honey and nutmeg, it already has a dessert-like quality. 

I added goat cheese, which gave it a nice tang that offset the sweetness in the squash. If you’re feeling bold, I bet something with a bite, like Gorgonzola, would also work well. I recommend adding an herb, like sage or basil, to tie it together. 

Although I’m always down for a ravioli that I can just throw tomato sauce on, every once in a while, it’s nice to switch things up. 

This Bolognese ravioli captured the classic meal in a way both kids and adults would love

At the most basic level, this ravioli was essentially a grown-up version of Chef Boyardee, stuffed with the timeless combo of beef and tomato sauce.

But this meal tasted like it was homemade by someone’s grandma. The filling was full-bodied and flavorful thanks to a nice mirepoix and delicious herbs, like parsley and bay leaf. It was sweeter than I expected but didn’t taste like ketchup.

I’m not a huge fan of red meat, but the amalgam of Italian seasonings and tomatoes with the beef was pretty decent. When topped with a rich, garlicky marinara sauce and salty Parmesan, it made for a solid comfort meal. 

It wasn’t quite as exciting as some of the other options I tried, but if you’re looking for something reliably meaty and delicious, this ravioli would definitely hit the spot.

Plus, it cooks in just six minutes, which is great for a Bolognese dinner.

Trader Joe’s butternut-squash ravioli elevated the familiar fall flavor into a scrumptious meal

I have to tip my hat to Trader Joe’s for giving me a way to enjoy squash-filled pasta without peeling, cutting, and roasting for over 45 minutes. I love butternut squash in all of its forms, and this takes away the hassle.

This option was quite similar to the pumpkin ravioli in texture and taste, but it didn’t contain any honey or pie spices that made it taste like a dessert. 

Per the ingredients list, there’s actually not a lot going on inside the filling. Aside from the butternut squash and a few binders like bread crumbs, there’s really just salt, butter, and sugar. But don’t let this simplicity deter you.

Without any other distractions, I really got the full flavor of the butternut squash, which was a delightful balance of nutty and buttery. The filling was also surprisingly smooth, even without cheese.

It also deserves recognition for being a vegetarian option that doesn’t exclusively rely on ricotta. 

Plus, the relatively plain base makes it the perfect pasta to pair with a variety of flavors. You can balance the sweetness by serving it with a spicy sausage and a bitter green or go full autumn by mixing it with a brown-butter sauce and sage leaves.

Personally, I recommend going with the latter and counteracting the richness with some chili flakes. 

For a satisfying dinner, look no further than this chicken-and-4-cheese ravioli

This option boasts not two, not three, but four Italian cheeses — Romano, mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan — all packed into yummy pasta pockets. 

Each piece is also stuffed with chunks of chicken meat, so it was a substantial meal, even without any sides.

It absolutely hit the spot. It was chewy, scrumptious, and savory. I especially loved how each cheese brought something different to the table. There was saltiness from the Romano and Parmesan and creaminess from the mozzarella and ricotta.

After one bite, I was hooked.

As if that weren’t enough, the pockets were also infused with herbs. They reminded me of the rosemary bread served at some restaurants.

The chicken was a little dry, but I suppose that’s one of the drawbacks of not preparing the meat yourself. It really wouldn’t be an issue if you douse the meal in a hearty sauce, plus the cloak of herbs and cheese mostly covered up this flaw.

If you’re looking for an easy meal with protein, this is your answer. 

This cauliflower-and-cheese ravioli made eating the vegetable enjoyable 

This ravioli was delightful. The filling was simple, yet satisfying — a mix of well-seasoned, roasted cauliflower blended with mozzarella and ricotta.

It tasted like an upgraded version of classic cheese ravioli, with slightly more depth and nutty undertones that likely came from the roasted veggie. The cheese beautifully married the cauliflower, forming a texture that was a bit like polenta, but creamier.

The filling was so tasty that I could eat it with a spoon. I wouldn’t mind if Trader Joe’s sold it separately as its own dish.

The pieces could’ve used a bit more filling, but perhaps being a bit underfilled kept them from breaking.

The adorable half-moon-shaped pockets cooked up to a nice al-dente texture in less than three minutes without falling apart, so they’re perfect for a quick dinner.

This was a solid vegetarian ravioli with a flavor profile that was simple, yet scrumptious enough to appeal to a broad range of palates.

This organic caprese ravioli wonderfully combined familiar flavors

I’m obsessed with Trader Joe’s caprese ravioli. It’s proof that simplicity can sometimes make for the most sophisticated meals.

Rather than relying on the cheese to carry the dish, Trader Joe’s made the tomatoes the centerpiece.

The filling contains a delightful mixture of tomato and herbs blended with ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Even though it had three cheeses, it didn’t feel as rich or heavy as I expected.

As with a caprese salad, the herby basil and slightly salty cheese played off the tomato’s natural sweetness exceptionally well. These flavors would probably shine more with a balsamic glaze, but even eaten plain, this ravioli was fantastic.

It’s the kind of dish that’s perfect for nights when you’re craving a home-cooked meal that can be thrown together in mere minutes. 

Trader Joe’s lemon-and-ricotta ravioli was refreshing and light

It was impossible for me not to fall in love with this ravioli, from the bright lemon zest to the mellow, sweet ricotta. After trying it for the first time last year, it quickly became one of my favorite foods at Trader Joe’s.

The filling — made with ricotta, bread crumbs, and lemon zest — tasted delicate and refreshing, with just enough citrus flavor to be noticeable but not sour or overpowering.

It had a nice, lightweight feel that kept the pasta from seeming too heavy. 

The one true downside is that I’ve found this ravioli is typically only available during the spring and summer months. 

Every April, I pick up a few packages with the intention of freezing them, but they are so delicious that I end up eating them right away.

The sweet-corn, burrata, and basil ravioli was top-tier

If summer was a pasta flavor, it would be this ravioli. 

Between the bright-yellow stripe on the outside of each pocket, and the delicate sweet-corn, basil, and burrata filling, it was like it was handmade at a local farmers market.

Each ingredient tasted fresh and was perfectly balanced with the others. I particularly loved the creamy texture, thanks to the burrata. Plus, the Parmesan added a nice touch of salt that played up the corn flavor.

Overall, it kind of reminded me of creamed corn, but presented in a much more elegant format. 

These pockets are light enough to accompany other dishes, though I think they’re best topped with olive oil and cherry tomatoes alongside a peppery arugula salad and a glass of white wine.

WINNER: This cacio-e-pepe ravioli might be one of the best pasta products Trader Joe’s has ever created

If you’re a fan of cacio e pepe, I implore you to stop whatever you’re doing and buy this ravioli. This stuff is a game changer. 

It was so yummy that it didn’t require any sauce, maybe just a touch of olive oil or butter and additional cheese, at most. 

Cacio e pepe is traditionally made with spaghetti, but Trader Joe’s made a great case for eating it as ravioli. The tiny, rounded pouches offered an explosion of cheese and pepper with every bite. Plus, it cooked in less than six minutes. 

As with the classic dish, the combination of sharp black pepper and pecorino was absolutely to die for. But the added ricotta proved itself a welcome addition, adding a creaminess and subtle sweetness that softened the saltier notes.

Just when you think that’s enough to win you over, Trader Joe’s takes things a step further by infusing each ravioli pocket with black pepper. That extra kick of spice had me reaching for seconds before I even finished the first bowl.

Even with all of this, the ravioli still felt delicate and light. I devoured the entire batch in a single evening.

This story was originally published on March 14, 2022, and most recently updated on November 4, 2024.