Trader Joe’s is a very popular American grocery store chain with its offices spread all over the country, with its retail centers at various city states. TJ’s is popular for their food line, which not only helps you with meal preps, but is also known to taste amazing, making it a popular choice for customers. One such food product, is their Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pasta Sauce.
Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce has a tomato base, and what makes it different from other sauces out there is its rich taste, perfect for all types of fall season dishes. It has flavors incorporated from various herbs and spices, as well as tomatoes, pumpkin, carrots, butternut squash, and cream. So not only is it very thick and creamy in texture, it has a balanced flavor of sweet and savory.
Stay with us to know more about all the ways you can use Trader Joe’s Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce, how to properly store it so that it lasts for a long time, and the health benefits of using this pasta sauce.
Suggestions for Using Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce From Trader Joe’s
This pasta sauce may be seasonal, but it is also versatile, meaning that it can be used in a variety of ways and in many recipes.
So the usage of this sauce is not just limited to pasta, despite its name. Here are 8 ways you can use this sauce in your recipes:
- Pour over pasta – the most traditional use of this sauce is that it can be used as a pasta sauce for all kinds of pasta dishes, be it spaghetti Bolognese, or marinara. You can even cook the vegetables in it or pour it over boiled pasta to make your dish.
- Layering sauce in lasagna – this pasta sauce can also substitute for your normal tomato sauce for layering in lasagna.
- Spreading on a pizza – pizza sauces are made up mainly of tomatoes and herbs, and since this sauce has a high tomato and herb content, along with spices, it can be used as a pizza sauce without compromising on the flavor. Use it as you would any other pizza sauce.
- Coating on chicken parmesan – chicken parmesan dishes mostly require that the chicken be coated in a red sauce before you bake it with parmesan cheese on top. We recommend that you use this pasta sauce instead of any other on top of your parmesan chicken as it is flavorful and will give your chicken some structure.
- Baking Portobello with sauce and mozzarella – hollow your Portobello as you would, and then pour the sauce over it. Coat the Portobello with some mozzarella cheese, and pop it into the oven for a quick dish.
- Making shakshouka – for breakfast options, you can use this sauce to make shakshouka, a traditional but delicious middle eastern dish.
- Ingredient for making soup – this sauce is a great addition to soups as it already contains complex flavoring which every soup needs. Just pour the sauce with tomato paste, garlic, onions, and other vegetables in a deep dish and cook over low to medium heat.
- Dipping sauce for nachos or chips – the sauce contains a lot of vegetables, spices, and herbs, therefore it can be used as a perfect ready-made dipping sauce for movie nights if you have no guacamole at home.
Storage and Handling of Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce From Trader Joe’s
After you purchase a jar of this pasta sauce from Trader Joe’s, you should also take special care to store it properly so that you can use it for a longer time without the sauce going bad.
Here are a few recommendations on how to store this pasta sauce:
- After each use, close the jar tightly to avoid spoilage caused by oxygen. If the jar is left a little loose, over the time air will pass through that tiny vent, inevitably spoiling your pasta sauce beyond use.
- Read the label correctly for storage instructions, and store the sauce in a refrigerator. Keeping it in a cool condition will make it last longer.
- Use the pasta sauce quickly within 7-10 days if you’ve already opened the jar, and look for any signs of spoilage before using if a long time has passed. A telltale sign would be black mold on top of the jar and a foul smell.
- You can also freeze the pasta sauce in small sized Tupperware or in an ice cube tray for convenient use.
Potential Health Benefits of Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce
This sauce contains a lot of healthy and natural ingredients, which naturally bring health benefits the consumer.
The sauce contains no trans fats, and it’s good for keto-dieters since it contains only 10g net carbs. The sauce also contains a low percentage of cholesterol (15mg) and calories (100kcal), for people who are trying to control their cholesterol and calorie intake.
The sauce may be vegetarian, but it’s not vegan since it contains a dairy item such as cream, so it’s not for people who prefer strictly plant based diets.
It’s important to mention here that the sauce has a high sodium content, so it’s not suitable for people with high blood pressure or heart diseases. Although they can still use the sauce, we recommend to not use a lot of it at once.
To check the current price and availability of Trader Joe’s Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pasta Sauce, click here to see the listing on Amazon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Add Pasta to the Sauce or Sauce to the Pasta?
It can work either way, you can add the sauce to the boiled pasta and stir it a little to distribute it evenly, or you can cook the pasta sauce on low heat in a pan and add your boiled pasta to it later.
We recommend the latter method since it helps distribute the sauce better.
Can I Cook Pasta in Sauce Instead of Water?
You can cook the pasta in the sauce as well. Just make sure to add a bit of water to the sauce first and letting it heat up before you put in the pasta otherwise all the water present in the sauce will evaporate while the pasta cooks and leave you with very little sauce.
Do I Need to Cook Pasta Sauce?
You can cook the pasta sauce if you wish, or you can use it as is. The sauce contains vegetables and herbs, so no ingredients that might need excessive cooking to be ready for eating.
Final Thoughts
Trader Joe’s Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce can not only be used to make pasta and lasagna, but also for dishes and recipes like chicken parmesan, soup, baked Portobello, and shakshouka.
You can also use this sauce as a pizza sauce since it is very thick in consistency and contains the right flavors for pizza, as well as use it straight out of the jar as a convenient, ready-made dip for when you have guests at home.
Now that you know all the ways you can make use of this pasta sauce, we hope that you make use of this information to make different recipes at home.