Trader Joe's Penne Pepperonata

"Imported Penne Pasta with a Red Pepper Cream Sauce" OOOOOO. I had tried this a month or two ago when we were cleaning out our fridge and subsequently had nothing to eat. Usually hunger makes for poor decision making, but this time I think we did well. 

For some reason, I thought the word "pepperonata" would mean there's some pepperoni in this. Turns out pepperonata is a made-up word while peperonata is an Italian mixture of sautéed bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic in olive oil. Or so the internet says, because you should totally believe everything you read on the internet (not). 

I can't remember if this is ACTUALLY a product of Italy though, but if it is, shouldn't they be marketing this under "Trader Giotto's?" 

Not too unhealthy. The fat content is reasonable, and the ingredients are pronounceable. Go TJ's. 

Dump, heat, and serve. The aroma was wonderful. It smelled like something that someone else spent hours cooking. Minimum effort for maximum yield. Definitely the cream and the red pepper. 

It had wonderful flavor. Just enough creaminess from the cream sauce and parmesan for a decadent mouthfeel but not at all overwhelming. Not overly salty. Pleasant sweetness from the bell pepper. Even the pasta was decently al dente. Didn't really taste like a frozen bag of pasta, which was definitely an added bonus. My only critique- I only wish there was meat in this dish. I picked this up without realizing it was vegetarian. Something about the aroma made me want meat. Or it could have been hunger. Either way, A and I both enjoyed this. Repurchase approved!

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Penne Pepperonata. Creamy, bell peppery, no-brainer delicious pasta. 7 out of 10.