How to Host a Trader Joe’s Pasta Tasting Night

Sometimes the best dinners are the simple ones. The other night I grabbed a handful of premade pastas and salad kits from Trader Joe’s and turned it into a pasta tasting night with my family. It was so easy to pull together and felt like such a fun change from a regular weeknight dinner.

Trader Joe’s makes it easy, most of their pastas cook in just a few minutes, and their salad kits are already chopped and ready to serve. For our night, I picked up a Caesar salad kit and an arugula salad kit, plus a few different pastas from the refrigerated section.

What You’ll Need

• 3–5 premade pastas from Trader Joe’s (choose different shapes or fillings for variety)
• Sauces (marinara, Alfredo, pesto, brown butter sage…whatever you like)
• Salad kits (Caesar and arugula were perfect)
• Garlic bread (optional, but highly recommended)
• Small bowls or ramekins for tasting portions

---

How to Host a Pasta Tasting Night

1. Choose your lineup. Pick a mix of pastas—ravioli, tortellini, gnocchi—so you have a variety.
2. Cook as directed. Trader Joe’s pastas cook fast, which makes this easy to time.
3. Serve tasting-style. Instead of one big plate, divide the pastas into small bowls so everyone can try each one.
4. Round it out. Add a couple of salad kits and garlic bread, and you’ve got a full meal.
5. Optional fun. If you want to make it more interactive, set out scorecards so everyone can rank their favorite pastas.

---

A Few Ways to Make it Fun

We kept it simple and just enjoyed trying everything together, but you could definitely turn this into a more interactive night. A few ideas:

• Family game night twist: give everyone a scorecard and crown a “winning pasta.”
• Girls’ night in: pair each pasta with a glass of wine or sparkling water for a fun tasting vibe.
• Team bonding: this could be such a fun (and easy) office or small group get-together. Everyone brings one Trader Joe’s pasta to cook and share.

This dinner came together in less than 30 minutes, cost way less than going out, and was such a fun way to try new things. Trader Joe’s always has new seasonal pastas, so it’s an easy idea to repeat throughout the year.

If you’re looking for something quick but memorable, grab a few pastas and salad kits next time you’re at Trader Joe’s and host your own pasta tasting night.  You might even find a new family favorite.

Which pasta would you choose?! Let me know!

This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend products I actually use and love!