Dan Pashman think using a few jarred marinara upgrade makes much more sense than fussing with making the sauce from simoleons .

Dan Liberti

Dan Pashmandoesn’t specify himself as a chef or a cook . He ’s not a “ gourmet . ” He ’s an eater , as are those who tune up into his James Beard Award - winning podcast The Sporkful . ( Or at least that ’s what the slogan says : “ It ’s not for foodies , it ’s for eater . ” )

Jarred Tomato Sauce Decision Tree mix-ins

Credit:Dan Liberti

But just because Pashman does n’t drop every 24-hour interval in a restaurant , Test Kitchen , or instruction classes at a culinary school day does n’t mean that his sidereal day do n’t sharpen aloton nutrient . When you hear to any episode from his 14 - class - strong podcast archive , you ’ll chop-chop realize he is contagiously passionate about the chronicle behind what we eat , connection devise through food for thought , and the big and small way we can optimise each feeding social occasion .

For this reason , the multi - hyphenate , multimedia diary keeper went on a three - year quest to invent a brand - new alimentary paste shape and bring it to market . In spring 2021 , Pashman chronicled the retentive and winding journeying he took to make it potential to bring out and sell cascatelli ( Italian for “ waterfall ” ) on the Sporkful podcast series “ delegacy : ImPASTAble . ” By the clip boxes of the short , ruffle - line , and sheer dome became usable , they quickly sold out — and was selected as one ofTIMEMagazine ’s top 100 conception of 2021 .

Sfoglini

box of cascatelli pasta next to bowl of prepared pasta dish

Credit:Sfoglini

Once fans had cascatelli in their kitchens , they promptly put it to good use and startle tagging Pashman in photos of theirnoodle and sauce combinations . That ’s when he realized that there was a lot of potentiality in expanding our collective horizons about what we think should be in apasta sauce … and what old - schooltime noodle “ rule ” are meant to be broken .

So Pashman call in reinforcements : a team of recipe developer , formula testers , food stylists , culinary historians , and someone he yell his “ pasta fairy godmother and spiritual adviser . ” ( That ’s Evan Kleiman , host of the radio show and podcast Good Food , by the way . )

Together , they create the raw cookbookAnything ’s Pastable :   81 Inventive Pasta Recipes for Saucy People , which showcases a wide macrocosm of “ pastabilities . ” With recipes like shell with Miso Butter and Scallions , Chili Crisp Tahini Pasta with Fried Shallots , and Smoked Cheddar and Chicken Manicotti “ Enchiladas , ” Pashman hop to inhale menage Cook to think alfresco of the pesto , vodka sauce , and ragù box .

anything’s pastable book cover

Credit:Sporkful

There are many creations throughout the pages of the book that “ I found myself continue to crave for months after , ” Pashman tellsBetter Homes & Gardens . “ I was testing these recipes a year and a year and a one-half ago , and to this mean solar day , I find myself still lust so many . My deary reckon on the temper and the weather condition . ”

Sporkful

Something that he ’s always craving , particularly in the thick of a book go while also gearing up to host his first public “ pasta pilgrim’s journey ” to Italy ? A semi - homemade crosscut , boast apantry stapleyou likely have laying around correctly now : jarred marinara sauce .

Jarred Tomato Sauce Decision Tree

Credit:HarperCollins Publishers

Yep , go forward and break the rule that suppose that from - scraping is always better and worth the exploit . Because as Pashman inquire in the book , “ Why make your own tomato sauce when there are so many gamey - quality jarred varieties available today ? ”

So we obviously had to find out which brands he stock up on . Carbone , Rao ’s , Victoria , and Rustichella d’Abruzzo all make his pasta - pro stamp of approval , although he state whatever sample sound to you is a great choice . ( Look for one that has some form of tomato number as the first ingredient , and peek at the full fixings leaning to confirm there ’s no add boodle . This is a sign the producer started with high - quality tomatoes and did n’t demand to doctor them up too much . )

Then all you need is a single ingredient to make it sample totally young — and totally yours .

HarperCollins Publishers

5 One-Ingredient Upgrades Transform Jarred Marinara

Pashman munificently gave us a brief duty tour through some of his pet sauce spiff - ups featured in his “ Jarred Marinara Sauce Decision Tree ” featured in his book .

If you ca n’t determine on just one way of life via the Jarred Tomato Sauce Decision Tree , Pashman says , why choose ? Host a “ Tomato Sauce Dipping Party , ” by making a few of the sauce , then place them in disjoined bowls alongside a big bowl of plaincooked alimentary paste .

“ Fork private pieces of alimentary paste and dip them in unlike sauces to try them all , ” Pashman intimate in the book . “ That ’s how my kids and I tested the options ! ”