Aldi vs. Trader Joe's: Toasted Ravioli Comparison

This article will actually answer two related and equally important questions. Should one of the world’s best appetizers be purchased from Trader Joe's or Aldi, and should it be referred to as Toasted Ravioli or Fried Ravioli. 

That’s right. It’s the long awaited Breaded Ravioli Showdown. 

You might already be familiar with breaded ravioli. What started as “The Secret of St. Louis” has become a national favorite. Of note, St. Louis still holds down the toasted ravioli interest according to this map from Google Trends.

Even if you haven’t been to St. Louis, you may have still seen breaded ravioli in places like Walmart and Kroger, thanks to Louisa Foods. Even though they stock large-national grocery chains, Louisa Foods is a St. Louis based, family-owned business. It all ties back to St. Louis.

The more I look into breaded ravioli for this article, the more I think I should head to St. Louis for a day trip. So, I did what any reasonable person would do and headed to Amtrak to look into tickets. Turns out the cheapest train I could get to St. Louis is $180 and to get home is another $252. Then, when I'm there, I'm spending another $10-$15 depending on which restaurant I believe invented breaded ravioli. The trip was just a little out of my price range to get something that is available for $8 at my favorite local Italian restaurant. That said, if you have a favorite toasted ravioli from St. Louis, I would love to hear it, as St. Louis has officially been added to my list of places I have to visit.

That’s why when both Aldi and Trader Joe's started making their own breaded ravioli, we had to get to the bottom of which would satisfy your regional appetizer craving better. The all-in cost was significantly lower than my hypothetical St. Louis trip. Conveniently, Aldi named their breaded ravioli “Mama Cozzi’s Toasted Ravioli” and Trader Joe's named their breaded ravioli “Fried Ravioli.” It's like they wanted to cause contention in this age-old debate. That’s why we’ve determined there’s a prize for this winner, whichever breaded ravioli is better will also receive naming rights forever (at least on helpmepick.info). 

Coming in at the exact same price and ounces, Aldi and Trader Joe’s made the value portion of this article easy. They’re both a great value, and cheaper than the Louisa breaded ravioli that we referenced earlier. The nutrition facts of both raviolis are also extremely similar. The Aldi Toasted Ravioli has slightly more calories, but less sodium and saturated fats. Overall, we’ll call them similar enough to have no clear winner. 

We will reference the Louisa breaded ravioli a few times in this article. We think it serves as a good frame of reference, as it is available at most major supermarkets and comes from a true Italian restaurant on the hill. That said, you can still understand the winner of the breaded ravioli showdown without ever having tried Louisa breaded ravioli.

Aldi Toasted Ravioli Review

The Aldi Toasted Ravioli went for a more clear copy of the Louisa Ravioli. They used ricotta, mozzarella, imported Romano, and asiago cheeses. The exact same ones as Louisa. They also did a fantastic job at keeping the breaded portion a compliment to the overall flavor, instead of an overwhelming aspect. 

One simple yet manageable complaint we had about the Aldi Toasted Ravioli is that the air fryer instructions didn't really toast them at all - they were more like warm-breaded ravioli. This was easily resolved by a few extra minutes in the air fryer, but we didn’t encounter this issue with the Louisa or Trader Joe’s equivalents. 

An extremely important thing to note about the Aldi toasted ravioli is that this is a seasonal item for Aldi. Even if it becomes your absolute favorite food you have ever tried, you'll have to pick a different brand outside of the fall/winter months.

If you are already a fan of the Louisa brand and just want a more economical version, the Aldi Toasted Ravioli absolutely will become a new staple in your house.

Trader Joe’s Fried Ravioli Review

If you wanted to mix it up, Trader Joe’s Fried Ravioli does not disappoint. They start right away by flipping the cheese game in an unbelievable way. The Trader Joe’s Fried Ravioli still keeps the ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan, but it ditches the Romano in favor of mozzarella and mild Monterey Jack.

As if that wasn’t enough, Trader Joe's also doubled-down on their modifications, and created the most fried/bready option. We have a bit of a hot take here: Trader Joe’s wanted to make a breaded ravioli that was more filling, and could be considered a meal rather than just an appetizer. This would explain why they stepped up their breading and cheese game above the competition. 

Overall? Trader Joe’s Fried Ravioli is fantastic and you may especially prefer it if you’re looking to make a meal instead of an appetizer. 

Is Aldi’s or Trader Joe’s Toasted Ravioli Better?

Sorry Trader Joe’s and Fried Ravioli fans, but Aldi’s Toasted Ravioli squeaks out the win for us. We respect what Trader Joe’s tried to do, and we think that the world is big enough for both toasted raviolis. However, if you can only try one, Aldi's Toasted Ravioli is the way to go. It is more accurate to the toasted ravioli that you may find from your local Italian place or from Louisa, and we give major points to accuracy around here.

We enjoy toasted ravioli just how it comes, but we understand that may be a rare take. Many people enjoy their toasted ravioli with a side of pasta sauce, and we would encourage you to give that a try as well. One of our personal favorites around Help Me Pick is the Rao's Spicy Arrabbiata sauce.

If you liked this somewhat niche food review, you may also enjoy our review of another somewhat niche food: Cocoa Puffs Popcorn vs. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Popcorn.