There’s nothing quite like a bowl of pasta, perfectly al dente with creamy sauce and gooey, melty cheese. The issue with some pasta shapes, though, is that some are incapable of staying sauce-y. Enter Cascatelli: a new noodle shape that was constantly being sold out due to its internet popularity. Now, you can buy the elusive Cascatelli at your local Trader Joe’s, or even opt for Banza’s gluten-free chickpea version.
Cascatelli was created by Dan Pashman, creator and host of the food podcast Sporkful. Pashman set out to craft a pasta shape that could succeed in any sauce, be easily punctured by a fork, and is super satisfying to bite into. The result – a half-tube shape with ruffled edges – is similar to a hybrid of bucatini (a spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center) and mafaldine (a flat, wide, ribbon-shaped noodle).
In 2018, Pashman began collaborating with the artisans at Sfoglini Pasta Company in Brooklyn, NY to bring his idea to life, and after three years of research, Cascatelli by Sporkful debuted online in March 2021. The pasta was met with rave reviews and high demand, and the limited-edition Cascatelli gift box quickly sold out. While the pasta has since been restocked on the Sfoglini website, shipping can take anywhere from 2-3 weeks due to high demand.
On a recent episode of the Inside Trader Joe's podcast, category manager of grocery at the popular retailer Jasmine Mkrtchyan noted that the Trader Joe’s version of the viral noodle will soon be available at stores nationwide. The Organic Cascatelli, which has already been spotted in a few locations across the US and “eats really, really well” according to Mkrtchyan, will be joining "somewhere between 20 and 30" pasta varieties that customers can already find at TJ's.
If you have dietary restrictions and Trader Joe’s Cascatelli doesn’t fit the bill, look no further than Banza, a maker of chickpea-based comfort foods. The manufacturer announced on Feb. 15 that they are teaming up with Pushman and launching Banza Cascatelli by Sporkful, a gluten-free version of the new pasta shape.
Banza’s new Cascatelli product offers the same nutritional benefits as Banza’s other pasta shapes, with 20 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per serving.
It’s safe to say that all three versions of Cascatelli – the original, TJ’s, and Banza’s chickpea variety – fit the bill. When it comes to enjoying this viral noodle, well…the pasta-bilities are endless.