With so many varieties and toppings, adding new pasta entrées to your menu is a great way to create signature items and build profitability.

With more than 400 different varieties available to mix and match with sauces, pasta is just about the most versatile item on any menu. And because it’s traditionally made with simply durum wheat and water, pasta is also one of the highest-profit food items you can serve, with typical markups of between six and 10 times its cost.

 

Everyone’s Other Favorite Food

After pizza, pasta enjoys a great level of consumer interest, as chilly temperatures prompt a desire for heartier fare and people are traditionally ready for a bit of culinary indulgence. “Pasta is everywhere now,” says Suzy Badaracco, president of Culinary Tides, a trends forecaster for the food industry. “The gluten-free trend has peaked, and now the whole bakery and bread category is on the rise. We’re finally seeing pictures and recipes for pasta returning to magazines and appearing on restaurant menus.”

 

Pleasing the Global Palate

Whether choosing tubes, strands, ribbons or unique shapes, pasta offers an opportunity to provide not only comfort, but a bit of culinary adventure, too. A simple plate of noodles, paired with a classically authentic ethnic sauce, can be a trip around the world for your customers. “Foods in the grain category are called ‘the interpreters,’ because they’re the least threatening on the plate,” Badaracco says. “Pasta and sauce are the easiest way to introduce a region’s food, and they really act as tour guides to the meal.”

 

Effortless Value

Every second counts in a busy kitchen, so using Marzetti’s super-speedy pasta will help you plate up those comfort-food meals in record time. It can go directly from the freezer into boiling water, and is ready to serve in under a minute. It looks fresh, tastes delicious, and gives you consistent results every time. Visit the website at marzettifoodservice.com to see all the ways Marzetti Frozen Pasta can meet your menu needs.