Trader Joe's Podcast Just Dropped a Pasta Salad Hack Using Only Three of Its New Products and It's Summery Perfection
Summer soft launches every Memorial Day weekend, but if the steady stream of last-day-of-school snaps on your social feeds (whether you have kids or not) tells us anything, it's that real-deal summer is about to begin. And with summer comes backyard parties and picnics, which means that we're going to need a new pasta salad recipe asap. Thankfully, the most recent Trader Joe's podcast episode is here to help.
The episode covered a lot of ground—new products, returning favorites, the difference between glutinous and glutenous—but it was when Alex, TJ's product developer, arrived on the scene that we really perked up. Hosts Matt Sloan and Tara Miller gave Alex a three-ingredient challenge and boy did he deliver. He tossed together three new TJ's products to make one next-level pasta salad that we can't wait to try. We predict that this Trader Joe's Pesto Pasta Salad recipe will be the star of many summer suppers.
Related: 10 New Trader Joe's Finds for June
What's in Trader Joe's Pesto Pasta Salad?
Three new TJ's products (all arriving in stores between now and the end of June) come together in this simple, easy recipe.
1. Organic Pasta Quintet
As the name implies, there are five different pasta shapes in this mix. According to Miller and Sloan, there are shells, mini fusilli, "sort of macaroni," vesuvio (volcano-shaped) and radiatori, a wiggly pasta that looks like mini radiators.
"Because it's not boring, I imagine people at a gathering would be like, 'What is happening in this bowl? There [are] all kinds of weird pasta shapes here. You must have had five bags of pasta,'" Miller says. "But instead, it's all in one bag."
Different pasta shapes have different cooking times, but TJ's solved for that, of course. "My recollection through tasting panel work is that these different shapes were selected to cook in the same amount of time, equally well," says Sloan.
2. Lemon Pesto Sauce
Next up, the sauce, the new Lemon Pesto. "This is an awesome sauce," says Alex. "It's made with tons of lemon, lemon rind and almonds instead of pine nuts. So it's got a great balanced, slightly sweet, bitter, kind of nutty taste."
3. Mozzarella Pearls
Ok, you've got pasta and sauce, but every pasta (hot or cold) is improved by some cheese. In this recipe, Alex went for the new Mozzarella Pearls, which should be in your local TJ's now.
Alex calls the little balls of fresh mozzarella "the most perfect shape." "You get a great amount of mozzarella in every bite of whatever you make," he says. In addition to pasta salad, Alex also suggested skewering the cheese with cherry tomatoes and some fresh basil for cute little Caprese salad bites. Summer appetizers, sorted! (We'd suggest a side of Lemon Pesto for dipping.)
Related: The 22 Things You Should Always Buy At Trader Joe's
How To Make Trader Joe's Pesto Pasta Salad
Here's where things get a little tricky because Alex doesn't give a specific recipe, but he assures us it's easy. Here's what we'd suggest.
Cook the pasta. If you're making pasta salad for a crowd, you'll probably want to cook the whole bag. Alex suggested leaving a little bit of the pasta water clinging to the pasta to help loosen up the pesto, which is pretty thick. To make sure you're covered, scoop out some pasta water with a measuring cup or coffee mug before draining the pasta. That way if you need more you've got it.
Add the pesto. Spoon it in gradually so you can get the pasta-pesto ratio you prefer, thinning it with more pasta water or a little olive oil if it's still too thick. Toss the pesto with the pasta.
Cheese time! Alex drained the cheese and then added all of it to the pasta, but put in as much cheese as you like. (We'll likely follow Alex's lead and just dump it all in.)
Creative Twists on Trader Joe's Pasta Salad
Start with the basic recipe, then adjust it to fit your taste (or whatever's in your pantry or fridge). Alex added a little bit of fresh mint, but basil would also be great. Prefer Parm to mozz? Go for it—or go wild and put them both in! If you'd like a little spice, shake in some red pepper flakes or a stir in a little bit of Calabrian chile paste.
Not into pesto? Boil up the cute pasta and toss it with your favorite salad dressing. Creamy, mayo-based dressings or lighter vinaigrettes are classic pasta salad pairings, but that's just the beginning. You can mix things up with a Caesar Pasta Salad, for example, to keep the fun going all summer long.