Anything's Pastable

Starred review from December 1, 2023

James Beard Award--winning podcaster and author of Eat More Better, Pashman wants to shake up the way people think of pasta and how it's sauced. In retrospect, this really isn't surprising given Pashman invented cascatelli, a new pasta shape that Time named as one of the best inventions of 2021. Working with a team of recipe developers, Pashman has now assembled an ingenious collection of recipes that celebrate and elevate pasta dishes as well as a supporting cast of culinary characters like pestos and pangrattatos. As he puts clever spins on classic dishes (like his kimchi carbonara or keema Bolognese), Pashman writes with a zesty, addictive sense of wit, and his goal of educating readers in the ways of pasta extends to informative mini-essays on topics like how to buy dried pasta, as well as a rant on why spaghetti sucks. If Willy Wonka and Alton Brown collaborated on a pasta cookbook, the end result might be something like this--revolutionary in all the right ways. VERDICT An excellent guide to saucy noodles by the delightfully zany and brilliantly insightful Pashman.--John Charles

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2024
The Sporkful podcaster Pashman opens his chatty debut cookbook with the story of how he invented the pasta shape cascatelli in 2021. After putting it into production, he found it “tragic” that consumers served it largely with tomato sauce instead of exploring its “full potential.” The recipes that follow aim to encourage a spirit of adventure in pasta lovers. Classics like ciceri e tria (fried and boiled noodles with chickpeas) are outnumbered by “mash-ups” incorporating non-Italian ingredients from Ritz crackers to Thai curry paste. Recipes are organized into loose categories: “flavor bombs” include kimchi carbonara, while baked options include a noodle kugel with persimmon relish. Pashman doesn’t shy away from store-bought shortcuts, encouraging readers to use packaged gnocchi and tortellini and even offering a flow chart for how to improve on jarred tomato sauce depending on taste and how much time one has. The text is heavy on dad jokes and puns—and the occasional sales pitch (he notes, for example, that gluten-free cascatelli is also available). Pashman is opinionated and blustery, deeming fusilli a “garbage shape” and pronouncing that “spaghetti sucks.” Purists will balk, but more adventurous home cooks will be glad they tuned in.

February 15, 2024
Author, chef, pasta creator for the company Sfoglini Pasta, and podcast founder (Sporkful) Pashman gets creative in the kitchen, and he may just be readers' long-lost foodie soulmate. He shares his thoughts on how Diamond Crystal salt can make or break a recipe, on the life-changing effects of black pepper, and on the musts for buying and cooking dried pasta, which includes information on gluten-free pasta brands. From grated cheese considerations to a tomato sauce ""decision tree,"" every part of the pasta-making process is here. Pashman's recipes are detailed but easy to read and follow, most clocking in at under 45 minutes. There are also vegetarian options, make-ahead-friendly recipes, and dishes needing five or fewer ingredients. Hunger-inducing photos highlight the likes of cacio e uova (pasta with pecorino and eggs), spaghettoni alla tadka (featuring spices bloomed using a technique from Indian cooking), and shakshuka and shells. With just a handful of ingredients and some creativity, Pashman proves that anything truly is pastable.

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