This weekend, Sunday 25 October, marks World Pasta Day 2020. The day was brought into existence to celebrate and promote the eating of this staple Italian dish, as well as focussing on its cultural and culinary importance in the food industry.
To celebrate, FoodBev Media have gathered five of the top new pasta product innovations brought to the market within the past year.
Ancient Grains gluten-free vegetable pasta line
In October 2020, Quinoa Corporation-owned Ancient Harvest launched a new line of wheat-free vegetable pasta, containing just five ‘clean’ ingredients.
The Colorado-based company’s new gluten-free pasta features a blend of green lentils, kale, spinach and cauliflower, bound together with natural tapioca starch. Offering an ‘al dente-like bite’, the pasta line features penne, rotini and spaghetti variants.
Ancient Harvest’s vegetable pasta is the latest addition to the company’s pasta portfolio, joining existing variants such as organic corn, brown rice & quinoa pasta.
PepsiCo Cheetos Mac ‘n Cheese
The summer of 2020 saw PepsiCo’s Cheetos brand enter the pasta aisle with its latest ‘fan favourite’ combination launch in the US, Cheetos Mac ‘n Cheese.
Cheetos Mac ‘n Cheese is said to deliver the same bold and intense flavour experience of regular Cheetos and is available in three varieties: Bold & Cheesy, Flamin’ Hot and Cheesy Jalapeño. Made with authentic Cheetos seasoning, the corkscrew pasta noodles are also inspired by the brand mascot Chester Cheetah’s tail.
This release taps into the growing trend of at-home consumption amid Covid-19 – which was reflected in PepsiCo’s recent quarterly results – as it combines an “at-home staple” with its cheesy snack.
Tolerant legume-based pasta range for kids
US maker of organic legume-based pasta and rice alternatives, Tolerant, launched a new line of pasta designed for kids in August 2020.
Featuring single-ingredient pasta in ‘fun unique’ shapes, Tolerant Kids comes in three variants: Organic Kids Chickpea Alphaland, Organic Kids Red Lentil Galaxy, and Organic Kids Green Lentil Safari.
Made from organic lentils or chickpeas, the pasta is vegan, non-GMO, Kosher and free from gluten. According to Tolerant, its latest range is also free of major allergens and a source of plant-based protein and fibre.
Niloo Mirani, Tolerant’s director of marketing, said: “There’s nothing like our kids pasta line on the market. Our better-for-you pasta product just for kids is full of protein and fibre, free from major allergens and gluten-free, in fun shapes they’ll love.”
Napolina frozen pasta and sauces
Italian cooking brand Napolina launched a brand new and exclusive range of frozen pasta and sauces back in the April of 2020.
Each product in the range can be cooked straight from frozen including penne and spaghetti, and four varieties of filled pasta: spinach and ricotta tortellini, prosciutto cappelletti, five cheese tortellini and mushroom ravioli.
The range also features four sauces – amatriciana, tomato and mascarpone, tomato and basil, green pesto – which are separated into small, ‘convenient’ portions to help reduce food waste.
With its frozen range, Napolina aims to meet growing consumer demand for convenient home-cooking products with pasta dishes that are ready in a ‘matter of minutes’.
Barilla’s new red lentil spaghetti
Back in March, Barilla expanded its pasta portfolio with Red Lentil Spaghetti following a positive response to its one-ingredient legume pasta.
Made with one single ingredient, Red Lentil Spaghetti is said to have a nutty taste and an ‘al dente’ texture providing a good source of protein and fibre.
According to the Italian company, all its legume pasta products give health-conscious consumers a wholesome way to add variety to their meals, as well as those who follow dietary lifestyles like gluten-free or vegan.
With Barilla’s new launch, the one-ingredient legume range is now available in five varieties: Red Lentil Spaghetti, Chickpea Rotini, Chickpea Casarecce, Red Lentil Penne and Red Lentil Rotini.
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