As COVID-19 continues to work its way through Ohio, there is ongoing solace in comfort foods. When it comes to comfort, starchy foods are our go-to. Think about it: noodle-things, bread-things…they’re oddly calming. Now you can enjoy them together in a wondrous starch sandwich, which provides all the comfort you need, all in a portable package.
And who better to put pasta in a sandwich than Pastaria? After all, Pastaria is the North Market’s pasta mainstay, a reliable spot to score pasta of all shapes and sizes, and team it with a dizzying array of sauce options: tomato basil, roasted garlic, puttanesca…
Pastaria’s new pasta sandwich options – or Walking Pasta – made their debut over the weekend.
It’s hard to tell with photos, but the bread element is a hollowed out half of a crusty French loaf. The half-foot of bread is thoroughly cored, then (we watched) the inside is bathed in butter and filled with a little cheese, along with your combo of pasta and sauce, which arrives hot off a skillet in the back. Linguini or penne are probably the best bets for noodle type; you want something that works well in a sandwich. We went with the homespun house meat sauce, tomato-based with beef, sausage and sliced meatballs, to hold it together.
The functional features of the starch sandwich are where things get interesting. This is not a sandwich for the prissy white-shirt crew. It works best if you kind of work it like an ice cream cone: slurping out the center before gnawing away at the shell. Of course, you can approach it however you like, and a fork is an option. It’s a free country. Also, extensive research indicates that the sandwich also fits in the cupholder of your car, if you need to know that.
All in, thumbs-up: it’s a satisfying, comforting, novel treat for the times.
For more information, visit pastarianorthmarket.com.