The popularity of pasta crosses all age groups and foodservice operations, but it’s easy to fall into a noodle rut. Try one of these five crowd-pleasers to revitalize your pasta repertoire and get out of that recipe rut.
Whole Grain Spaghetti with Winter Herb Pesto and Roasted Delicata Squash
Two types of squash—delicata and butternut—along with cashews and pumpkin seeds play starring roles in this pasta dish. It’s completely plant-based, down to the cashew ricotta. Chef Bob Bankert created it to be a winter version of a classic summer dish. Click to see recipe.
At 1 Kitchen in West Hollywood, Chef Chris Crary combines whole wheat penne with crunchy walnut pieces, spicy Italian sausage and carrots for a contrast in tastes, textures and colors. This rustic pasta dish is finished with a crisp topping of lemony panko bread crumbs mixed with finely chopped walnuts. Click to see recipe.
A pan of pasta makes a convenient meal to make ahead and serve a crowd. Jeff Hanak, VP of Culinary for Chili’s, created this zesty take on mac and cheese by adding pulled pork or short rib, queso and barbecue sauce to the mix. Double or triple the recipe for larger quantities. Click to see recipe.
Cava Mezze in Washington, D.C. is a neighborhood Greek restaurant where chef Dimitri Moshovitis sometimes gives his own spins to classic dishes. Lamb is a menu staple, and here it goes into a pasta meat sauce that’s spiced with coriander, fennel, cinnamon, cumin, rosemary and thyme. Click to see recipe.
Photo courtesy of California Table Grape Commission
Penne gets tossed with a quick sauce that delivers big flavor in this recipe from Abrusci’s Fire & Vine restaurant. It’s a whole pasta meal in a bowl, with a contrasting but complementary mix of chicken, broccoli, cheese and grapes. Click to see recipe.
With winter and the holiday season right around the corner, there’s a variety of ways to engage diners in the coming weeks. From Christmas and Hannukah to National Hot Chocolate Day, here are 6 Marketing ideas for the month of December.
