It’s easy to make a case for pasta. Pasta, a fan favorite and shoo-in for menu success, is the ultimate comfort carrier. It is also a platform for global flavor mash-ups. We’ve been tracking this trend for a while now, propelled by a number of drivers, including the growing familiarity with Wafu Italian cuisine, a subgenre of Wafu cuisine that blends Italian and Japanese culinary influences. Another huge driver is the modern phenomenon called “third-culture cooking,” a culinary style that has emerged from the intersection of multiple cultures that involves chefs who have been exposed to a variety of cultural backgrounds, resulting in a unique blend of flavors, ingredients and techniques. It is more than a trend—third-culture cooking represents a modern industry phenomenon and takes the baton from fusion cuisine.

Zeroing in on pasta, it’s a natural carrier for this trend. In fact, Food & Wine magazine recently called out mash-up pasta dishes as “the hot new trend.” The article references the notion of pasta carrying a mash-up of global flavor combinations as “modern-day fusion” and “cross-cultural cavatelli collisions.” In essence: Italian pasta is being used as a base for innovative American dishes that feature non-traditional ingredients. Food & Wine highlights a number of intriguing dishes that reflect the opportunity in using pasta as a canvas for global flavor play. At Valentine in Phoenix, the Elote Pasta stars tagliarini pasta, crispy coal-roasted corn, dried chile de árbol flakes, local Asiago cheese and “Goatija” cheese. At Poltergeist in Los Angeles, Chinese-American fusion is celebrated in its Broccoli Beef Ravioli with short rib, dark soy, brown butter, broccolini and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The Huitlacoche Cacio e Pepe, made with spaghetti, Romano cheese, Szechuan long pepper and a 63-degree egg, cleverly combines an Italian classic with a Mexican sensibility at L.A.’s Amiga Amore.

In celebration of National Pasta Month in October, Barilla for Professionals spotlights dishes that feature modern global spins, developed by their chef ambassadors, each bringing their culinary expertise and personal narratives to inspiring pasta recipe development.

Jollof Spaghetti with Crispy Eggplant

Atlanta-based chef and F&B consultant Latisha (Tish) Rodgers created this Jollof Spaghetti With Crispy Eggplant, describing the flavors as “slow-roasted sweet, savory and spicy.” The mash-up pasta trend is right up Rodgers’ alley, who sees her role as chef in providing safe flavor adventures. Inspired by West African jollof rice, she moves those craveable flavors into a pasta dish. Her sauce boasts the rich, aromatic flavors that jollof is known for: garlic, ginger, cayenne, cumin, nutmeg and smoked paprika. She introduces San Marzano tomatoes and Calabrian chiles to help bridge the dish to an Italian sensibility. For the pasta, she chooses Barilla Spaghetti.

Mezze Rigatoni with Roasted Tomatillo, Tomato and Poblano Chile Sauce

Charles Kimball, Regional Chef of Chartwells in Salt Lake City, calls his Rigatoni with Roasted Tomatillo, Tomato and Poblano Chile Sauce “a playful Mexican-Italian dish.” “Pasta is a great canvas for global flavor exploration—so crucial to menu development today,” says Kimball. To build the dish, he roasts the tomatillos, poblanos, tomatoes and garlic, then blends them and adds oregano, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. He cooks Barilla Al Bronzo Mezzi Rigatoni, introducing some of the pasta water to the sauce. Kimball then adds asparagus, peas, snap peas, parsley, tarragon and cilantro. He sources Barilla because of its second-to-none quality.

Cured Chile Pepper Mentaiko Pasta

Ian Ramirez, owner of Mad Honey Culinary Studio, a culinary strategy consultancy, offers his take on Wafu Italian cuisine. His Cured Chile Pepper Mentaiko Pasta is a riff on a Japanese dish that brings two worlds together, marries the comforting familiarity and “al dente” texture of pasta with the richness of spiced cod roe. Mentaiko pasta serves up an ideal balance between adventure and comfort.  “Mentaiko pasta is the Japanese play on cacio e pepe,” says Ramirez. “For my iteration, I wanted to keep it umami-rich and introduce more Japanese flavors while still making sure the pasta was the star,” says Ramirez. He starts by spooning unagi sauce onto the plate, then adding a surprise element over top: a thin omelette, seasoned with furikake and toasted sesame seeds. Next, he lays down a nest of Barilla Spaghetti that he has tossed in a sauce of mentaiko eggs, Parmesan, half and half, melted butter, black pepper and soy sauce. To garnish, Ramirez adds a fried quail egg, shiso leaf and nori strips.

For global flavor play, pasta offers a solid foundation, promising both approachability and craveability. Globally themed pasta dishes find that sweet spot of new adventure cushioned in beloved familiarity.

For consistent and quality pasta every time, and over 40 versatile shapes/varieties, visit www.barillaforprofessionals.com to learn more.