"Costco rolled out a new prepared food item at the beginning of January 2026, and some members are not impressed. Its pesto pasta salad features Trottole pasta, arugula, mozzarella pearls, and slow-roasted tomatoes dressed with Kirkland Signature basil pesto. Its hefty price tag of $5.99 a pound is leading some Costco shoppers to think this new prepared food is a total ripoff for how bland the salad is."
"In a Reddit post to r/Costco in which a member asked if anyone had tried the new salad, one person responded, "didn't realize it was so expensive (I just looked at $21 for mine). It's fine but feels under seasoned." Another person agreed, saying, "It's so bland it's unappetizing...Waste of $20." One Redditor even complained, "It was so bland I convinced myself I had [COVID].""
Costco introduced a prepared pesto pasta salad in early January 2026 containing Trottole pasta, arugula, mozzarella pearls, and slow-roasted tomatoes dressed with Kirkland Signature basil pesto. The salad is priced at $5.99 per pound, which can push a container above $20. Many shoppers reported the salad felt underseasoned or bland on Reddit and Instagram, with mixed household reactions. Pasta salad typically gains flavor as it marinates, which made the blandness more surprising to some members. The report recommends making pesto pasta salad at home and notes Kirkland pesto is offered as a convenient shortcut; Costco sources the basil for its Kirkland pesto from Genoa, Italy.
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