The 7 Best Italian Products at Trader Joe’s, According to a Chef

Italian-style products are hugely popular, and there are a million items lining the shelves of your local grocery store that boast Italian lineage. But in a sea of too-sweet jarred pasta sauces and fake Parmesan cheese, it can take a lot of work to actually find the good and authentic stuff at the grocery store.

As an Italian American and professional chef, I have the experience to sniff out the real deal and avoid the fakes. Trader Joe’s is my favorite grocery store, and when it comes time to restock my pantry with the items I need to make my Nonna’s signature ragu or a weeknight panzanella, these are the seven Italian products I never leave Trader Joe’s without. 

1. Trader Giotto’s Double-Concentrated Tomato Paste

The regular tomato paste you get in the tiny cans has nothing on TJ’s tube of double-concentrated tomato paste. Tomato paste is made by cooking down tomatoes and evaporating out much of the water. This double-concentrated tomato paste is cooked down even further, condensing the flavor and yielding an even more intense tomato flavor. I always keep one or two tubes on hand for things like all-day pasta sauce; the Trader Joe’s brand is intensely tomato-y and slightly sweet without being overly sugary or having that unpleasant canned flavor. 

2. Trader Joe’s Burrata

At this point, most of the food I’m interested in eating is just a vessel for burrata. If you’re a fan of fresh mozzarella, you have to try Trader Joe’s burrata—an outer layer of fresh mozzarella stuffed with stracciatella, a.k.a mozzarella mixed with cream. Once you cut open the outer skin, you’re greeted with oozy, creamy, cheesy deliciousness. Trader Joe’s burrata has the perfect ratio of mozzarella skin to creamy stracciatella interior at a price that just can’t be beaten. Try it as the centerpiece to a summery panzanella or on top of pizza for a true showstopper.

3. Pecorino Romano

Pecorino is Parmesan’s funkier, saltier cousin. It’s a sheep’s milk cheese that’s slightly softer than Parmesan with a distinct tang and funk. Pecorino is super flavorful, and the Trader Joe’s variety sometimes comes pre-grated and is perfect for melting into pasta sauces or sprinkling on top of pizza. The texture is super velvety, and it packs a punch in the flavor department, similar to the much more expensive brands at your local cheesemonger. 

4. Trader Joe’s Organic Pasta (Spaghetti alla Chitarra, Trofie, Fusilli Corti Bucati)

The organic line of Trader Joe’s pasta is one of the best grocery store brands, Trader Joe’s or otherwise. Here, the pasta is bronze-die extruded, like many of the high-quality Italian brands you’ll find in specialty food stores. This is desirable because it leaves the surface of the pasta slightly rough and matte—the optimal finish for some serious sauce-clinging ability. The organic durum semolina combined with the bronze-die extrusion gives this pasta a fantastic texture, much better than most grocery store brands. Plus, the organic line features some more uncommon shapes like trofie and spaghetti alla chitarra that feel fun and unique compared to the more run-of-the-mill shapes available at most grocery stores. 

5. Trader Giotto’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Not all olive oil is created equal; there can be considerable differences in quality across different olive oil brands. It can sometimes be difficult to sniff out the good stuff from the not-so-good stuff without tasting it, but thankfully, there are a few clues on the bottle of Trader Joe’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil that let us know it's a great grocery store pick.

First off, it’s cold-pressed, which means the delicate flavors and lauded health benefits in the olives aren’t degraded by heat during the packing process. Secondly, Trader Joe’s says exactly which countries the olives come from. While this oil is a blend and not all of the olives come from Italy, that doesn’t mean the olives aren’t great quality, and sourcing transparency is a surefire marker of higher quality oils. This is the perfect cooking olive oil because the flavor is smooth but neutral. Some very high-quality oils have lots of very intense bitter and grassy flavors that are excellent for simply dipping with a nice piece of crusty bread to admire the nuances, but that’s not the type of oil you want to sauté veggies in. 

6. Trader Joe’s Organic Balsamic Vinegar

Technically, to be true aceto balsamico, vinegar must be made in the Italian city of Modena. In fact, Italians take the authenticity of their vinegar so seriously that there are legal protections in place that determine what can, and more importantly, can’t, be called true balsamic vinegar. All authentic balsamic vinegar produced in Modena has a stamped seal indicating that the bottle complies with the regulations set in place by the law. Trader Joe’s Organic Balsamic vinegar is the real deal because it has this seal.

What makes this vinegar so special is the texture; it’s thicker than most other grocery store balsamic vinegars, and that extra viscosity comes from the condensation of the sugars from the grapes. It’s perfect for salad dressings but shines bright with bread, good olive oil, or even over ice cream!

7. Cento Peeled Whole Tomatoes

Cento is not a Trader Joe’s brand and is available elsewhere, but it’s an Italian favorite that usually requires a second stop on grocery day to stock up. Having Cento tomatoes at Trader Joe’s is super convenient for anyone looking to stock their pantry with high-quality Italian items. Generally, Cento tomatoes are higher priced compared to other grocery store brands, but in this case, you’re paying for higher quality, and the extra buck is more than worth it for the superior tomatoes and unmatched taste. Grab a few cans for the best Sunday sauce without stopping at a specialty food store.