Piada Italian Street Food is a premium fast casual known for its chef-curated pasta bowls, hand-rolled piadas, chopped salads and sides. Its pasta program is impressive, serving more than half a million pounds every year in its 50-plus locations, offering fan favorite pasta builds that feature housemade sauces, grilled proteins and fresh vegetables.

We spoke with Matt Harding, SVP of Culinary and Menu Innovation, about the success of Piada’s pasta program, and how he manages quality and consistency while delivering the flavor profiles today’s fast-casual consumer craves. “Between 50 to 60 percent of our total sales are pasta,” says Harding. “It’s something that our guests come to our restaurants specifically for. They know that they can get a hot, fresh bowl of pasta made just for them in minutes. Getting it right is critical—there’s a big association between pasta and both craveability and satiety so we have a big responsibility to be able to deliver on that.” A steady supplier partnership is tantamount to success. “One of the things that we truly do love about our partnership with Barilla is that they’ve been incredibly consistent year after year, season after season. It’s just the processes that they put in place. It’s a very, very, very consistent product,” says Harding. “That is everything to us as we cook the pasta daily in all 60 of our locations.”

Top Sellers

Photo Credit: Piada Italian Street Food

Piada’s Pasta Carbonara, featuring Barilla Spaghetti, is the fast casual’s top seller. Here, it’s topped with crispy Hot Chicken, a newer protein option that’s proving very popular.

While the “Create Your Own” option is a crowd-pleaser, Piada offers a variety of signature chef-driven pasta dishes. The top three are:

• Carbonara Pasta: A classic and creamy dish with bacon, spinach and a rich Parmesan cheese sauce.
• Basil Pesto Pasta: A flavorful option made with fresh basil, Parmesan and olive oil.
• Marinara Pasta: A simple and satisfying tomato sauce that lets the quality of the pasta shine through.

The Power of Protein Options

Photo Credit: Piada Italian Street Food

The popular Pasta Marinara serves as a great foundation for Piada’s Crispy Calamari, a protein that stands out as signature and helps drive home the Italian sensibility.

Customization still reigns supreme with diners today. At Piada, guests can choose from curated pasta bowls or “Create Your Own”—a very popular choice. “Although we love seeing guests choose their own adventure, I like to steer them toward builds that have curated flavor combinations so we can ensure a really great end result,” says Harding. “Personalizing the pasta with a protein topper has worked really well for us, and it’s where we get to be creative, too.”

Some of Piada’s most popular protein options include:

• Hot Fried Chicken: A spicy and flavorful option that is a big hit with Piada’s guests.
• Grass-Fed Meatballs: Made with 100 percent Australian beef, this is a hearty, homey and satisfying choice.
• Crispy Calamari: This unique offering is a favorite among those who have tried it, and according to Harding, some of the best calamari anywhere, sourced from Peruvian waters.
• Grilled Chilean Salmon: Coated with extra-virgin olive oil, grilled and then topped with a lemon pepper seasoning.

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