Last Updated on August 9, 2021
I recently discovered how great gnocchi can be. This pasta features tiny, doughy dumplings that can be made from a variety of ingredients such as wheat, potatoes, cornmeal, eggs, or cheese.
Aldi’s cousin, Trader Joe’s, sells plain gnocchi that you can cook and add your own sauce to. But if you really want convenience, Trader Joe’s also sells frozen gnocchi with sauce included. Earlier this year, I reviewed Trader Joe’s frozen Gnocchi al Gorgonzola that has a creamy cheese sauce, and most recently I tried the other frozen gnocchi option at TJ’s, which features a tomato-based sauce.
Trader Giotto’s Gnocchi all Sorrentina cost $2.99 for a 16-oz. bag at the time of publication. With the bag containing three 1-cup servings, that comes out to about $1 per serving, although 1 cup is small and you might feel more satisfied eating half of this bag rather than one third of it, so adjust the price per serving as necessary.
The bag describes this as gnocchi with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. It’s imported from Italy.
Ingredients are: gnocchi (water, durum wheat semolina, dehydrated potatoes, salt), tomato juice, water, tomato, mozzarella cheese (pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes, microbial rennet), sunflower seed oil, onion, basil, wheat starch, salt, sugar, garlic, white pepper, and chili pepper.
If you’re looking out for allergens, this contains wheat and milk.
Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
One bag has about three 1-cup servings. One serving has 220 calories, 3 grams of total fat (4% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 460 mg of sodium (20% DV), 39 grams of carbohydrates (14% DV), 3 grams of dietary fiber (11% DV), 10 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of added sugars (1% DV), and 8 grams of protein.
The bag has instructions for heating this gnocchi on the stove top or in the microwave.
To heat on the stove, place 2 tablespoons of water in a skillet on medium heat. Pour in the frozen gnocchi and sauce. Stir gently until gnocchi and sauce melt together and warm through, about 7 minutes.
The frozen gnocchi and sauce after it was just poured into the skillet.
To heat in the microwave, place frozen gnocchi and sauce in a microwave-safe dish. Heat on high for 4 minutes; stir gently and continue to microwave until gnocchi and sauce melt together and warm through, about 3 minutes longer.
I was able to easily heat this on the stove top for an easy lunch on a busy school and work day at home. It heats quickly, so you’ll want to stay close by and keep an eye on it, stirring often.
My daughter and I shared this, and it’s definitely a more satisfying meal if you divide the contents of the bag between just two people, rather than trying to get three servings out of it as the bag suggests. Gnocchi is more filling than traditional pasta, but I would serve this to three people only if I had some substantial side dishes to go with it, such as a salad.
As far as taste goes, this is great if you like pasta. The gnocchi is tender and puffy, and the sauce has plenty of tomato flavor with hints of mozzarella cheese.
The Verdict:
Trader Giotto’s Gnocchi all Sorrentina is a frozen pre-made gnocchi meal featuring puffy pasta and tomato sauce with cheese. It heats easily and in a matter of minutes on the stove top or in the microwave, making it great for a quick lunch on a busy day.
