The Spicy Trader Joe's Pasta Sauce So Good, It Belongs In The Pan With Your Eggs

The next time you visit Trader Joe's, make sure to keep an eye out for a spicy pasta sauce that's so good you'll want to serve it with breakfast. The grocer's Calabrian chili spicy pasta sauce, which costs $4.99 for a jar just over 18 ounces, is well loved for its versatility and flavor. The sauce is made with crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, canola oil, sugar, Calabrian chili paste, amongst other texture- and flavor-enhancing ingredients like olive oil and white vinegar. If you're looking for a way to make breakfast more interesting, this blend of ingredients is sure to embolden your morning eggs. 

After all, eggs in tomato sauce are commonly enjoyed across cuisines. Whether preparing Italian eggs in purgatory in a skillet or North African and Middle Eastern shakshuka, both dishes make for a delicious start to the day. Tomato sauce is typically prepared on the stovetop first. Raw eggs are then dropped in overtop to cook in the sauce. TJ's Calabrian chili tomato sauce can serve as a shortcut to create a spicy, elevated version. You might even consider trying one of these 10 ways to upgrade your shakshuka when you make it with this spicy pasta sauce, like adding meat or beans.

Other breakfast dishes with tomato sauce might call for it to be heated while eggs are scrambled separately. Once finished and plated, you can spoon the TJ's sauce overtop to enjoy a tomato-smothered scramble. Combine this with herbs that take eggs from drab to delicious for a standalone dish, like chives or basil. Or, you might combine both at once, allowing the spicy tomato sauce to cook amongst any added oil and spices with the whisked eggs, resulting in a flavorful scramble from the start.

While Trader Joe's Calabrian chili spicy pasta sauce is generally well loved, there are many opinions worth considering before you buy. In terms of flavor, one food influencer on TikTok shared that it was actually quite spicy. Meanwhile, another content creator on Instagram posted, "A lot of Trader Joe's jarred pasta sauces are not my favorite, but this brand new Calabrian chili spicy pasta sauce was delicious!" She also commented that it tasted more sweet than it was spicy. Another comment on Reddit shared, "It's the kind of spice that when you finish eating it you're like damn that's hot." They also noted, "[it's] dense with flavor but a whole bowl of pasta gets the mouth nice and toasty!" 

Even if opinions are divided on relative spice levels, many appreciate how tasty it is in general. One user on Reddit wrote, "This sauce is so full of flavor!! Since we discovered it about a year ago we make pasta about once a week and use this sauce every time." Beyond our recommendation of pairing it with eggs, another Redditor suggested using it as a dipping sauce, like for mozzarella sticks. Another person has also used it as a pizza sauce.

While the quality and variety of use is surely there, some note issues with the product molding soon after being opened and stored in the fridge. Trader Joe's recommends consuming it within five days of opening. If you aren't eating it that quickly and don't want to waste it, one customer suggested freezing any leftover sauce to avoid premature molding and enjoy the product for longer. In general, it's best to keep an eye on its freshness once opened.