How Joe Sasto Breaks the Rules of Pasta
The chef is always playing with nostalgia, and going for full flavor.
When Top Chef alum Joe Sasto does something like reimagining an everything bagel as a creamy, cauliflower-packed pasta dish, he says, “We’re creating new memories. We’re playing with old memories.”
He’s not just thumbing his nose at tradition; he’s focused on the emotions each plate evokes, “creating that full circle moment of nostalgia and new.”
In this week’s podcast conversation, Joe talks us through the cold-water method for cooking dried pasta that he’s been using ever since watching Alton Brown, and recommends an important bit of gear that you might not realize that you need when making fresh pasta for a dinner party. He shares the magazine he loves to buy as a gift for food-loving friends, and the preparation step he feels that too many cooks don’t slow down and take seriously enough.
Joe’s cookbook, Breaking the Rules (Bookshop here), is full of whimsical flavor combinations and attention to texture. He tops a cucumber and plum salad with chopped pistachios and wasabi peas; the book includes a flow chart of choose-your-own-adventure savory crumbles for scattering over various dishes.
I was immediately drawn to his riff on penne alla vodka, where flavorful mezcal does everything vodka can do and more.
You’ll find the full Pasta Alla Mezcal recipe below, and the recipe for Joe’s everything bagel-inspired pasta dish, too. Since there’s so much good stuff here, this newsletter might get cut short in your inbox; this link should let you view online.
But before you scroll down, I’d be so grateful if you’d hit follow on the podcast wherever you listen, so you can tune in tonight as you stir that sauce.
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Joe mentioned:
Marc Vetri: Mastering Pasta (Bookshop here)
Marc Vetri’s new book, The Pasta Book, out Nov 4. (Bookshop here)
From the ad break:
Lapo’s Melograno Mule at The Zero Proof: Use code DINNERPLAN20 for 20% off your order.
Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount.
Fat Gold olive oil: Use code DINNERPLAN for 15% off
Find Franklin Farms VeggiMornin’ Breakfast Links and Patties wherever you buy groceries.
At Poupon’s Table by wine importer Kermit Lynch (Bookshop here)
Maggie mentioned:
Slow-Roasted Salmon from Samin Nosrat’s Good Things (Bookshop here)
Hart’s clam toast (recipe on Bon Appétit)
A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
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This woman-owned California extra virgin olive oil company works with a network of local farmers to turn the state’s best, most interesting olives into olive oil that’s so flavorful, you’ll want to drink it. Fat Gold has been featured in The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, and the pages of Samin Nosrat’s new cookbook.
Pasta Alla Mezcal
Excerpted from Breaking the Rules: A Fresh Take on Italian Classics. Copyright © 2025 Joe Sasto. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.
If you like alla vodka, you’ll love alla mezcal. In the classic vodka version, the ethanol in the alcohol is used as an emulsifier in the sauce but doesn’t really add any flavor. Since more flavor is more better, I decided to try swapping out my favorite adult beverage, and the result was a smoky take on the Italian American classic.
This creamy marinara sauce is great tossed with any dried pasta for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that will leave you thinking, “Why didn’t anyone try this sooner?”
Serves 4 to 6
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced in ½-inch rings
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ cup mezcal
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dried pasta (I like penne or spaghetti)
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Fresh basil leaves, to garnish (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Use a spider or slotted spoon to remove the onions and garlic to a plate and set aside.
Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn’t burn, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, thyme, and parsley and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced slightly and the raw tomato flavor has cooked off, about 15 minutes.
Place the pasta in a large, wide pot with a lid and cover with cold water (you want a ratio of 4:1 water to dried pasta). Season with salt, cover with the lid, and bring to a boil, stirring often to avoid sticking. When the water boils, remove the lid and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, about 4½ minutes.
Back to the sauce: Add the mezcal to the tomato sauce and cook until the alcohol has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced slightly and smells amazing, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Use a spider or tongs to transfer the cooked pasta to the pan. Toss to combine and add starchy pasta cooking water as needed to make a smooth, creamy sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with Parmigiano and basil (if using).
Pasta With Whipped Cauliflower and Everything Bagel Crumble Rumble
Excerpted from Breaking the Rules. Copyright © 2025 Joe Sasto. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.
This is inspired by one of my favorite breakfasts: an everything bagel with cream cheese. Because I’m me, I decided to take those flavors and transform them into a pasta dish. I gotta say, I think I nailed it. The silky cauliflower puree provides the richness of the cream cheese and the spiced streusel evokes the flavor and slight crunch of the everything bagel. If you’re feeling fancy, some salmon or trout roe (think lox on a bagel sandwich) takes this dish to a whole new level.
Serves 4 to 6
Whipped Cauliflower:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small head cauliflower, quartered and thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 dried bay leaf
½ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crumble Rumble:
¼ cup Garlic Streusel (see below)
2 tablespoons Everything Bagel spice mix
To Finish:
1 pound dried pasta (I like penne or fusilli)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small lemon, zest grated
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
Optional: Salmon or trout roe, for topping.
Make the Whipped Cauliflower: Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring often, just until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, shallot, and bay leaf and cook, stirring often, until the shallot has softened and is fragrant, another 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour in ½ cup of water and cook, stirring often, until the cauliflower is tender and almost all the water has evaporated from the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook, stirring often, until the flavors have melded and the cream has reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Transfer the mixture to a powerful blender and blend until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the cauliflower puree in a large sauté pan and warm over low heat.
Make the Crumble Rumble: In a small bowl, mix together the Garlic Streusel and everything bagel spice mix.
To Finish: Place the pasta in a large, wide pot with a lid and cover with cold water (you want a ratio of 4:1 water to dried pasta). Season with salt, cover with the lid, and bring to a boil, stirring often to avoid sticking. When the water boils, remove the lid and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, about 4½ minutes.
Use a spider to remove the pasta from the boiling water and transfer to the cauliflower puree. Toss to combine and add starchy pasta cooking water as needed to make a smooth, creamy sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and finish with lemon zest.
Divide the pasta among serving bowls and garnish each with a good sprinkle of Crumble Rumble and chives.
Break the Rules: Top each serving with ½ to 1 ounce salmon or trout roe.
Garlic Streusel
Excerpted from Breaking the Rules. Copyright © 2025 Joe Sasto. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.
Crumble Rumble is the affectionate term I use to describe the crispy, crunchy, textural topping I put on just about everything. I start with my Garlic Streusel base, which provides great texture and a baseline crunch, then dress it up with extra flavor components to complement whatever dish I’m sprinkling it over.
Makes about 2 cups
2 cups panko
4 cloves Garlic Confit (see below)
1½ teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine the panko, Garlic Confit cloves, sugar, salt, butter, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the mixture is crumbly and looks like streusel, about 30 seconds.
Transfer to the prepared sheet pan and bake, rotating the pan and stirring halfway through, until evenly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Garlic Confit
Excerpted from Breaking the Rules. Copyright © 2025 Joe Sasto. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.
This is another staple I always keep in the fridge door and in the freezer. You don’t always want the spice and pungency of raw garlic in a recipe, especially since it blooms over time. Enter garlic confit. This umami-rich, sweet-and-savory version of garlic is the answer to your prayers. Much like swapping brown butter for regular butter, try using garlic confit in any recipe that calls for raw garlic to give it a slightly rounder, more complex flavor.
Makes about 25 cloves
2 large heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
Place the garlic cloves in a smalls aucepan. Add enough oil to cover them and turn the heat to medium. Bring the oil to a simmer, then reduce slightly to maintain a very gentle simmer (you want the garlic to soften and only barely start to turn golden). Cook, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, until the garlic is very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
Use immediately or cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
I’m so glad I caught this episode last week. I was able to be first in line for the ebook at my local library and can’t wait to dive in! I’ll try to be quick as there are now 30 people waiting!
The mezcal is genius!