Trying to build sales, increase traffic, or add occasions from your guests is a never-ending process for pizza operators. It’s about staying relevant in a very established category, without straining operations or straying too far from what you do best and — perhaps most importantly — what’s profitable.

The fall season, and October in particular, is a great time for pizza operators to feature pasta, whether it’s already on the menu or as an innovation or LTO. October is National Pasta Month after all, and the broad appeal of pasta never goes out of style. In fact, according to Datassential, 60% of pizza operators already offer pasta on the menu and 86% of consumers love or like it! Trusted suppliers like Barilla have tools, resources and incentives to help you promote what you have, or get your operation started in pasta.

Click here to get a free 2024 pasta calendar and other resources

So the appeal of pasta is obvious, but what about operations? There’s good news there too. Your existing SKUs for pizza – sauce, veggies, cheese, and proteins – give you everything you need to innovate with pasta. Everything that goes on a pie belongs on pasta!

Innovation and improvements in pasta have also made it easier for operators to add pasta to the menu, even if you can’t boil water! Barilla Frozen® is the trusted, high-quality semolina pasta from Barilla, only it’s pre-cooked and ready to finish on a cook line or in a pizza oven.

“Barilla Frozen performs really well in the impinger or pizza oven,” says Barilla Executive R&D Chef Yury Krasilovsky. “It finishes to a perfect ‘al dente’ right in the sauce, and will hold that texture even in a 30-minute or longer delivery window.”

Barilla Lasagne Chef is oven-ready lasagne sheets sized for half-hotel pans. Prepped ahead and held, it flexes seamlessly for delivery, catering, or on-site dining.

“As an operator, I love Barilla Lasagne Chef because it’s an easy make-ahead in prep, even with less-skilled labor,” says Kevin Felice, Divisional Vice President at 40 North, Villa Restaurant Group. “And it might even taste better reheated, so I don’t worry about what I’m sending home if it’s takeout or a take-and-bake order.”

Ready to get started? Visit www.barillapastamonth.com for free resources, recipes and tips. You can even register for a free 2024 pasta calendar!

Pasta Ideas to Go

• Take a signature pizza concept and reinvent it as a pasta
• Lean into the fall season with seasonal veggies and comfort-food appeal
• Make it spicy with chili peppers or spicy proteins
• Offer your own spin on the #1 pasta dish in America, Mac & Cheese

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