Fantastic execution of a fun idea. Pop Pasta does pasta donuts right (not that anyone else was doing it wrong).
I must say, I was pretty skeptical about Pop Pasta. Sure, it’s a gimmick, but I don’t really have a problem with that. A lot of gimmicky things end up working out. But a pasta “donut” didn’t seem like one of them, mostly because it didn’t seem that anyone who would craft pasta into that shape would care to focus on the taste, instead relying only on the coolness factor. That assumption turned out to be wrong and I’m really happy about that!
The inspiration behind the creation is the Neapolitan “frittata di spaghetti” or spaghetti pie. Spaghetti pie generally consists of pasta leftovers mixed with eggs and cheese. It is then fried and formed into a pie shape and cut into slices. Pop Pasta instead makes these into the shape of a donut, making each a single serving and easy to eat. If you get past the oddness of having pasta in a donut shape, the convenience really can’t be beat!
The three that were featured at Smorgasburg when we went were the Pop Red Sauce, the Pop Carbonara, and the Pop Mac & Cheese.
Pop Red Sauce – spaghetti, parmesan, eggs, tomato puree, olive oil, and salt
Pop Carbonara – spaghetti, parmesan, eggs, bacon, black pepper, and salt
Pop Mac & Cheese – spaghetti, parmesan, eggs, cheddar, butter, flour, milk, black pepper, and salt
I really wanted to try to Pop Red Sauce as spaghetti pomodoro is my favorite pasta dish, but they were sold out. Not being a fans of carbonara, we went with the mac & cheese. Mac and cheese is often ruined when people turn it into a tasteless vat of fat. This one was actually really tasty. Though it’s undeniably heavy, as all of them would be, it’s still not TOO heavy. Plus, the parmesan flavor and the black pepper elevate the mac and cheese beyond many others. The donut is really densely packed, so it does make for a substantial snack. And it is so easy to eat on the go or to take home.
While it’s not gourmet top of the line pasta a la Scarpetta or Ai Fiori, it’s a fun, unique, and tasty snack. Go to Pop Pasta and get yourself a great pasta donut.
