FSR March 2023

S P O N S O R E D B Y B A R I L L A

ally each October—Boyer leaned into the idea that dif ferent types of pasta can soak up a diverse range of flavors and ingredients. Nordstrom featured on its menu a suite of successful dishes using the Al Bronzo line, including a But ternut Squash and Pancetta Penne, Spaghetti & Meatballs, and an Asian inspired Sweet & Spicy Steak Noodle dish. Labor Saver The supply chain isn’t the only ongoing challenge in the industry. Slavin notes labor is an issue that never really went away—it may be discussed a bit less now, he says, as restau rants are making do with fewer team members. Part of the rea son that is even possible in the first place is owed to ven dor innovation: Slavin points to Barilla’s “No Boil” Lasa gne Chef sheets as something that has made pasta dishes that much easier on restaurant kitchens with fewer cooks. “It’s such a positive, useful upgrade on what was previously a notoriously temperamental process,” Slavin says.

Itameshi One of the hottest current pasta trends is Itameshi, which translates to “Italian food” in Japanese. Itameshi combines the famous umami flavors of Japanese with Italian cuts of pasta. An example of a popular Itameshi dish is Mentaiko Spaghetti, a simple umami-laden dish of Italian-style spa ghetti with the eponymous spicy cod roe topping.

Chef Latisha Rodgers, culi nary instructor and program operating manager with Levy Restaurants at Mercedes Benz Stadium, has found success with Barilla Frozen ® , a pre-cooked solution from the pasta company. “Using

Barilla Frozen for our mac-and cheese concepts makes us so much more efficient,” says Rodgers. “Then we spend the valuable prep hours we save on the scratch items, where it really counts.” Slavin, Harding, Rodgers and Boyer all use Barilla’s pas tas because of innovations like these. That, and the brand’s reputation for carrying qual ity, widely available products with long shelf lives and hold times. Barilla all but guarantees no matter what a chef is going through, they’ll always have an old faithful standby. “I’ve brought Barilla with me at every stage of my career,” Harding adds. “I know I can count on it to deliver a high

Broader Asian Influence

Japanese cuisine isn’t the only Asian influence in the pasta world: Filipino flavors are begin ning to trend in the U.S., too. Filipino staples like adobo and pancit play well in pasta-friendly comfort foods, but the cuisine brings no shortage of ingredi ents and flavors that work well on a pasta-driven canvas.

quality experience to the guest, every time.” BY CHARLIE POGACAR FOR MORE ON BARILLA’S PASTAS, VISIT BARILLAFS.COM .