The $3.49 Trader Joe’s Find I Always Have in My Freezer

It’s been exactly one year since Trader Joe’s released Spinach & Ricotta Raviolini, and I’ve been hooked on the heat-and-serve find ever since. I always keep a couple of packages stocked in my freezer, but they never remain there for long since I regularly add them to everything from soups to salads. 

While my Italian vocabulary is limited, I do know that the ini suffix usually indicates that something is small or cute. Because my kids and I are suckers for mini foods, these raviolini immediately caught my eye.

The three-serving packages have a tiny price to match ($3.49) and can be found tucked alongside the other fresh pastas, usually next to the dips and salsas. This means they’re refrigerated and cook in practically no time, making them a quick meal option.

Why I Love Trader Joe’s Spinach & Ricotta Raviolini

According to Trader Joe’s, each raviolini is 50% pasta and 50% filling. And I can tell you that ratio creates the perfect balance of the two: soft, egg-based pasta and creamy filling made with a blend of fresh spinach, garlicky béchamel sauce, and ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.

They’re packed with authentic Italian flavors—they are made in Italy after all—yet so versatile that I’ve discovered several ways to serve them.

How to Serve Trader Joe’s Spinach & Ricotta Raviolini

One of my favorite ways is inspired by the little bowls of tortellini en brodo that I loved as a child. Instead of tortellini, I add the raviolini to a medium-sized pot filled with my favorite beef broth, letting them simmer until tender.

Whether you cook them in broth to enjoy as a simple soup, or in water to be mixed with olive oil or marinara sauce—as I also often do—you’ll appreciate that the process takes only three to four minutes. And it’s easy to tell when they’re ready since they float to the top. Just don’t over-boil them or they’ll fall apart.

Among the other ways my family likes to eat the bite-sized pasta is as a substitute for the usual fusilli in pasta salads, topped on green salads in place of croutons, in ravioli skillet lasagna and other pasta casseroles, and even fried for a crunchy snack.

If you’ve never had fried ravioli, I’ll leave you with the method I learned from Giada De Laurentiis: Dredge them in buttermilk and breadcrumbs, then fry them until golden brown, and serve them with marinara sauce just like you would mozzarella sticks. I promise it’s a snack you won’t be able to resist.

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