Pasta Pizza Could Be The Next Big Food Trend

If you listen to food podcasts, you know Dan Pashman as the creator of The Sporkful. It debuted in 2010, which makes it almost a granddaddy of the medium. The Sporkful has taken Dan on a journey to his first James Beard Award, his second James Beard Award, and now, the publication of a new cookbook.

Anything's Pastable: 81 Inventive Pasta Recipe For Saucy People, comes out on Tuesday, March 19 from William Morrow Cookbooks. Pashman was inspired to write it after the success of The Sporkful's 2021 "Mission Impastable" series, in which he goes on a journey to invent a whole new pasta shape, Cascatelli. The noodle became a big hit with consumers, resulting in an entire lineup of Sporkful-branded pastas by specialty food maker Sfoglini.

One of the most buzzed-about recipes in Anything's Pastable takes things in a slightly different direction: Pasta Pizza.

The recipe, Pashman explains, is inspired by Ali Slagel's I Dream of Dinner (So You Don't Have To), published in 2022. That cookbook contained a recipe for a baked pasta dish that's crafted on a sheet pan, which creates crispy pasta edges all around. Pashman wondered if a similar dish could be built in a slightly different shape and topped like pizza. Seven attempts later, Pasta Pizza was born.

It has since become the highlight of The Sporkful Instagram account. Pashman has a collaboration with home delivery company Blue Apron, which is cross-promoting the dish and his book—and he tells The Takeout that Pasta Pizza could become even bigger.

Pashman has filed paperwork to trademark the name Pasta Pizza, and he's hoping for deals that could make the dish even more widely available, both on restaurant menus and in home kitchens. "I feel this would be great in the frozen food section," Pashman says.

Beyond that, Pashman is exploring more ventures. He'll be hosting a tour of Italy with Culinary Backstreets later this year. Long term, he dreams of a Sporkful-inspired restaurant, even going so far as to rough out a Google Doc for it, although his requirements are specific.

"I would do a restaurant if someone else was fronting the money and not expecting me to be there every day," he says. "I'll put my name on it and help come up with ideas for the restaurant. I'm not going to be the guy in the kitchen because I don't have the time or desire."

Can we expect Sporkful cafes across America? "In the right circumstances, I'd be game," Pashman says.

Until then, Pashman shared his soon-to-be-signature recipe with us.

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound fettuccine
• 2 large eggs
• 16 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, shredded to make 4 cups
• 2 cups (16 ounces) jarred tomato sauce, warmed

Bring 4 quarts of water and the salt to a boil in a large pot. Place an oven rack in the lowest position and heat the oven to 425°F. Spread 3 tablespoons of the oil on a rimmed sheet pan, making sure to coat the entire surface, including the edges and corners.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for one minute less than the low end of the package instructions, stirring often, especially at first, to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl until smooth and consistent.

Drain the pasta, shaking off the excess water, then immediately return it to the pot and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the pasta to the bowl with the eggs and toss until evenly coated.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared sheet pan and spread it into an even layer, making sure it reaches the edges and corners and covers the entire surface of the pan with no big gaps. Transfer to the oven and bake until the edges of the pasta are light golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the pasta evenly with the mozzarella. Add the tomato sauce and use the back of a spoon to spread it over the cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the edges of the pasta are dark brown all around, 15 to 18 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for three minutes. Run an inverted thin metal spatula around the edges of the pan, loosening the pasta from the pan if necessary. With the spatula still inverted, scrape underneath the pizza to release it completely from the pan.

When the entire bottom surface has been released, tilt the pan over a large cutting board and use the spatula to lift and slide the pizza out of the pan and onto the cutting board. Slice into squares and serve.

You can top your pasta pizza with anything you'd put on any other pizza.

If using veggies that tend to release a lot of water when heated, such as mushrooms and onions, pre-cook or saute them, so they don't keep your pasta crust from crisping.

Avoid fresh mozzarella because it can emit too much moisture. And always put the cheese on first, before any sauce.

From the book ANYTHING'S PASTABLE By Dan Pashman. Copyright 2024 by Dan Pashman. Reprinted by permission of Harper Collins Publishers.