Trader Joe's Cacio e Pepe Gnocchi

If you like pasta, you’ll probably like gnocchi. This Italian cuisine primarily consists of dumplings made of potato and wheat flour, served with various types of sauces.

I’ve picked up some different frozen gnocchi entrees, including gnocchi alla sorrentina and gnocchi al gorgonzola, from Trader Joe’s, which is a cousin to Aldi.

Most recently, I picked up cacio e peppe gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. The package describes this as gnocchi “in a rich, creamy sauce with Provolone & Romano cheeses & whole black peppercorns.” This is a product of Italy.

We bought this ourselves for review. I paid $3.49 for a 14.1-ounce bag at my local Trader Joe’s in 2024. That’s around 25 cents per ounce.

If you’re looking out for allergens, this contains milk, egg, and wheat.

The full ingredients list includes potato, wheat flour, water, milk, butter, egg, provolone cheese, Romano cheese, salt, sunflower oil, ground and whole black peppercorns, ground white pepper, ground pink pepper, ground green pepper, ground juniper berries, ground cloves, onion, sugar, and balsamic vinegar.

There are about three 1-cup servings per package. One serving has 210 calories, 8 grams of total fat (10% DV), 5 grams of saturated fat (25% DV), 480 mg of sodium (21% DV), 26 grams of total carbohydrates (9% DV), 2 grams of dietary fiber (7% DV), 4 grams of total sugars, no added sugars, and 6 grams of protein.

Trader Joe's Cacio e Peppe Gnocchi — Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

The bag has directions for heating this from frozen in either a microwave or on the stovetop.

To microwave, place the contents of the bag in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and heat at 50% power for 5-6 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

To heat on the stovetop, place the contents of the bag in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes over medium high heat. Remove the lid, lower the heat, and stir gently for 3-4 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

Trader Joe's Cacio e Peppe Gnocchi 3 — Ready to serve after heating on the stovetop.

I heated this on my stovetop. It has a mild sauce with bits of black pepper. I didn’t think the pepper was too spicy, but other family members didn’t care for it. The gnocchi seemed softer than what I’ve had before, but I may have cooked it for a couple of minutes too long to ensure it wasn’t frozen anymore, so that may be the culprit. This was fine but probably not a family favorite.

The Verdict:

Trader Joe’s Cacio e Peppe Gnocchi features gnocchi in a creamy, cheesy sauce with black peppercorns. It’s not the greatest gnocchi we’ve ever had, but it’s decent.