When I interviewed podcast host and pasta creator Dan Pashman about his new cookbook Anything's Pastable last month, he mentioned a particular recipe that instantly captivated me. Pasta pizza. It’s a pizza, with a pasta crust. This is some serious pizza innovation. Or pasta innovation, depending on who you ask.
Let me be clear, Pashman’s pasta pizza is not some baked pasta dish with pizza toppings thrown in. That’s already been done before. No, this is truly a pasta-crusted pizza. You can slice it up and eat it with your hands, no forks are required.
Pasta pizza quickly became my Roman Empire. I couldn't stop thinking about it — was it pasta in pizza form? Was it pizza made of pasta? Most importantly, what on earth would it taste like?
So when I heard that Blue Apron was offering a new “Pasta Pizza” meal kit inspired by the recipe from Anything’s Pastable, I knew I had to try it.What comes in the meal kit?
The meal kit came with all the necessary pasta pizza ingredients: pasta (obvi), tomato sauce, three kinds of cheese (parmesan, fontina, and Monterey jack), sopressa (fancy pepperoni), and this adorable egg in a single carton that I cannot get over. So cute!
It also included the ingredients for a delish side salad with butter lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon-y ranch dressing, and crispy fried onions. The fresh salad was the perfect tangy, crunchy accompaniment to my pasta pizza. But let's talk about that pizza.
How do you make pasta pizza?
I was a little nervous going in because I am not exactly a competent cook. I mean, using the stove and the oven in one recipe? That sounds complicated. But making the pasta pizza was surprisingly easy.
The pasta (aka the base) is fettuccine. After cooking the fettuccine pasta al dente and tossing it with the egg, I covered a sheet pan with a thin layer of olive oil and parmesan cheese. Then I spread the pasta out evenly on top (to form the thin “crust”) and baked it at 425°F for 22 to 24 minutes. Then, I topped it with the fontina and Monterey jack, tomato sauce, and sopressa. The pasta pizza was then baked for another 15 to 18 minutes. Finally, I sliced it up, topped it with the accompanying hot honey for a swicy finishing touch, and voila! Pasta pizza is served.
How did the pasta pizza taste?
Okay guys, I'm gonna be real, my outer crust definitely got a little too crispy. When I make pasta pizza again, I will spread out the toppings better to cover the whole “crust” all the way to the edges, to prevent burning. (The instructions do mention this so that one’s really on me.)
*Toasty* crust aside, the pasta pizza was truly a delight. It had a really nice chewy-crunchy balance but lacked the dryness that is usually associated with a chewy crust in regular pizza. In fact, pasta pizza avoids many common pizza pitfalls, like sogginess and doughiness. (This also means it makes excellent leftovers.)
Not to be dramatic, but eating a pizza with a noodle crust is kind of surreal. It tastes like pizza, you eat it like pizza, and yet, it’s made of pasta. It’s a lot for the human mind to process. Is pasta pizza better than regular pizza? That would be a very bold statement to make, especially considering the broad spectrum of pizza quality (I’m looking at you, Papa John’s). But it’s definitely a delicious addition to the pizza canon.
Overall, making the pasta pizza was super fun and I’m excited to try it again with different topping combos! IMO, every student should try this dish at least once, because it combines two foods that are so integral to the college experience. I also think pasta pizza would be perfect to make for a party because it’s just so unique and a great conversation starter.