The name cascatelli comes from the Italian word for “waterfalls.” Take one look at these rippling strands of pasta and you’ll see why.
All those ripples aren’t just there for beauty. This pasta was invented by Dan Pashman, the host and creator of the Sporkful podcast, who designed it with three key elements in mind.
The first, “sauceability” is a term introduced to the pasta lexicon by Pashman. It refers to a noodle’s ability to grab and hold onto sauce. The ruffles and ridges of each cascatelli noodle hug sauce tightly, creating a perfect dish of pasta where each bite is composed of the ideal ratio of sauce to noodle.
Pashman also craved a noodle with perfect forkability and toothsinkability. His ideal pasta is easy to eat with a fork. It can be stabbed and lifted without noodles slipping all around the plate. Toothsinkability refers to the satisfying texture of each bite.
Pashman partnered with Sfoglini Pasta to bring this new noodle into the world. Sfoglini Pasta is an artisanal pasta company founded in Brooklyn in 2012. Co-creators Steve Gonzalez and Scott Ketchum share a serious passion for pasta. Gonzales worked as a chef for over 14 years, creating the handmade pasta for beloved New York restaurants like Hearth, Roberta’s, and Frankies Sputino. At Sfoglini, he oversees all things culinary, ensuring their pastas match the standards of any high-end kitchen. Ketchum oversees the creative side of the brand, drawing on his 18 years of experience as a designer in New York and San Francisco. Today, Sfoglini produces over 25 types of pasta, including cascatelli, in their Hudson Valley factory. Each batch of cascatelli is extruded through a bronze die, which creates a slightly rough surface that helps even more sauce cling to these noodles.
To complement the unique texture of cascatelli, the Blue Apron team created a recipe Creamy Calabrian Shrimp & Cascatelli with Salsa Verde Zucchini. After reviewing the recipe, Dan Pashman approves:
Ever since I invented cascatelli, people have been asking me what they should cook with it. I think sauces that are thick and/or creamy are fantastic, because the shape holds those sauces so well between its ruffles. Preparations with big, stabbable chunks like cut up vegetables or shrimp are also great, because cascatelli is so hearty and forkable, so you can assemble great bites by stabbing the pasta along with those other chunky components. That’s why I’m thrilled that the chefs at Blue Apron came up with a preparation that is thick, creamy, and chunky—and full of spice and flavor too! It’s an ideal dish to highlight cascatelli’s sauceability, forkability, and toothsinkability.
For cascatelli and countless other delights delivered right to your door, order your next Blue Apron box now.