I tried 9 of Aldi's seasonal summer products, and I'd buy most of them again

I love eating pasta salad in the summer, so I was excited to see that Aldi carries rotini and caprese options for the season.

The caprese pasta salad intrigued me, so I opted for that version. The item is easy to miss, though — this year's pasta salads had pretty plain, basic packaging.

The flavors in this pasta salad were OK. I would've preferred if the mozzarella had been in pearls instead of tiny shreds. I also thought the noodles were very gummy.

The best-by date on the packaging was over a month after the day I ate it, and I think the noodles would likely get gummier with time. I'd skip this, as I can probably make a better caprese pasta dish from scratch.

I love smoky mango salsas. Although I hadn't had peach salsa before, I figured a smoky, sweet salsa like this would be perfect for summer.

I could already envision generous helpings of this salsa over tacos and with tortilla chips for dipping.

The flavor of the salsa wasn't as balanced as I'd hoped. The smoke flavor was strong, with only hints of spice and sweetness.

I liked the big peach chunks, but I wish the cilantro pieces were more finely chopped.

After tasting this salsa with chips, I thought it was better suited for serving with tacos, rice bowls, or salads. That being said, I'd still buy it again.

When I went shopping, I was specifically looking for the s'mores soufflé — which sounded like an amazing dessert.

I almost missed it because my local Aldi had nearly sold out of the soufflé. I took this as a sign that the dessert would be delicious.

The s'mores soufflé looked so good I wanted to eat it cold out of the container. Still, I followed the directions and heated it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

After microwaving, the toasted marshmallows on top of the dessert became super gooey and puffy. It looked good but didn't quite deliver the flavor I expected.

I didn't get the taste or texture of graham crackers, and, in my opinion, the chocolate center tasted like a brownie from a TV dinner. I'd skip this product and just make classic s'mores instead.

Aldi releases the Baker's Corner funnel-cake kit every summer. Though I always see it when it returns for the season, I've never bought it.

The kit, which featured an easy-to-pour pitcher and a bag of dry funnel-cake mix, looked cute.

I thought I'd mix the batter in the packaging it came in, but the directions said to prepare the mixture in a separate bowl and then pour it into the original container.

This process got pretty messy, as the container's opening wasn't very wide. Despite the mess, the finished batter was easy to pour into the hot oil from the pitcher.

I topped the finished fried pastry with powdered sugar, simmered strawberries, and whipped cream. It was delicious, light, and crisp without any sogginess. This will probably be a must-buy for me every summer.

I recently reintroduced meat into my diet and have been learning how to prep and cook different proteins.

When I came across the convenient chicken skewers, already prepped and marinated in a sweet chile-lime seasoning, I looked forward to enjoying a flavorful protein that required little effort.

I prepared the skewers on a grill pan indoors, but according to the directions, they can also be thrown on the barbecue or baked in the oven for a more hands-off cooking approach.

They were extremely quick and easy to make, and the chicken's flavor was subtle enough for it to be a versatile protein option. It was slightly sweet with a tanginess from the lime.

I look forward to eating these with grilled veggies, in tacos, or on top of salads all summer.

When I heard Aldi carried various Gouda products for the summer, I headed straight to the grocery store's cheese section to scope out my options.

There were a few summertime Goudas, including hot-honey, Sriracha, and spinach-and-artichoke options. I chose the spinach-and-artichoke flavor because I thought it was unique and would taste great with pretzels and crackers.

I paired thin Gouda slices with salty pretzels for a quick afternoon snack. In my mind, this was a delicious pairing.

Unfortunately, the Gouda tasted just OK, and the chunks of spinach weren't very tasty and seemed soggy to me. This wouldn't deter me from eating the cheese again, though.

I'd buy this again and use it in a homemade spinach-and-artichoke dip or for a spin on classic mac and cheese.

I love key-lime pie in the summer (or anytime), so when I saw these seasonal cookie thins at Aldi, I had to have them.

After opening the bag and smelling the cookies thins, I knew they'd be a hit. Plus, they come in a resealable bag, which is great for packing for the pool, park, or beach.

The flavor and texture of these cookie thins were incredible. They tasted like key-lime pie, with a very thin, crispy texture that almost melted in my mouth.

I could easily eat these cookie thins in one sitting, but they'd also make an extra-flavorful crust for a key-lime pie.

I plan on buying another bag, blitzing them in a food processor, and turning them into a pie crust.

My partner and I love wafer rolls, so we were both looking forward to the summertime flavors available at Aldi. My local store carried lemon-meringue and summer-berry flavors — we went with the latter.

The wafer rolls came in a sealed package inside a metal tin with a lid, the perfect size for throwing in a bag or the car on the way to summertime activities.

These wafer rolls looked and smelled amazing. Each roll had pink stripes along the sides and smelled like strawberries. However, the flavor wasn't quite as good as the scent.

I thought they had a somewhat artificial blueberry taste, and the crème filling wasn't as thick as I would've liked.

I don't know that I'd buy the summer-berry flavor again, but I'd be open to trying the lemon-meringue option.

The elote pasta salad came in a boxed kit that required cooking and prep. I thought Aldi's premade caprese pasta salad was gummy, so I was happy to put in a little more work for a pasta salad with what I hoped would be a better texture.

Plus, combining the flavors of elote and pasta sounded like a genius idea for summer cookouts.

I liked that this kit offered instructions for making both mayo-based pasta and an oil-and-vinegar version. I opted for the mayo-based option, which was pretty easy to make.

While the noodles were boiling, I combined hot water, the included seasoning packet, and mayo in a bowl. Once the noodles were cooked, I rinsed them in cool water, added the dressing, and put the finished dish in the fridge.

The final pasta tasted OK — I got the corn, chile, and lime flavors. Because of its thick mayo dressing, I think this pasta salad would be better with lots of mix-ins. I plan to buy another box and add roasted corn, cherry tomatoes, black beans, and cilantro or green onions.

I found a lot of new favorites at Aldi this summer. The funnel-cake kit was my favorite of the bunch — making and eating the dessert was so fun, and the product was really convenient.

Next time, I'd skip Aldi's caprese pasta salad, the s'mores soufflé, and the summer-berry wafer rolls. I'd buy a couple of products, like the smoky peach salsa and spinach-and-artichoke Gouda, to incorporate into meals as ingredients rather than eat on their own.

This taste test opened my eyes to Aldi's summertime options, and I can't wait to try more next year.