Banza and The Sporkful's Dan Pashman Team Up to Launch Cascatelli Made From Chickpeas

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Banza, the rapidly growing maker of chickpea-based comfort foods, today announced a new pasta shape hitting shelves nationwide. Created in partnership with Dan Pashman, the James Beard and Webby Award-winning creator and host of The Sporkful podcast, Banza is releasing Banza Cascatelli by Sporkful, the very first better-for-you and gluten-free version of the novel pasta shape which was designed to maximize all the things people look for in a pasta, like sauce-holding crevices and a texture you can sink your teeth into. Banza Cascatelli offers consumers a taste of the new pasta shape regardless of dietary restrictions and preferences and will be available nationwide, exclusively at Whole Foods Market and online at EatBanza.com and Amazon.com.

Banza uses chickpeas to recreate beloved foods, like pasta, with more protein and fiber and fewer net carbs. The new Banza Cascatelli offers the same nutritional benefits as Banza's other pasta shapes, with 20 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per serving. With more consumers in the U.S. looking for better-for-you and plant-based options, Banza Cascatelli satisfies those who are seeking dietary options that make them feel great while aligning with their social values. Chickpeas are often consumed in plant-based diets due to their high protein and fiber content and low carbon footprint.

"Chickpeas, and more broadly beans, are one of the best foods for human health and the environment. Our mission is to inspire people to eat more of them," said Brian Rudolph, CEO and Co-Founder, Banza. "Expanding our pasta line to include exciting new shapes like Cascatelli is one way we can further our mission. We're proud to bring the latest version of Cascatelli to our fans and can't wait to see it in kitchens across the country."

Cascatelli, inspired by the Italian word for "waterfalls," is designed to maximize the three qualities by which Pashman believes all pasta shapes should be judged: "sauceability," how readily sauce adheres to the shape; "forkability," how easy it is to get the shape on your fork and keep it there; and "toothsinkability," how satisfying it is to sink your teeth into it. Pashman documented his three-year quest to invent Cascatelli in The Sporkful podcast's "Mission: ImPASTAble" series. The Sporkful is releasing a new episode of the podcast today, titled "Mission: ImPASTAble 8 | The Pursuit Of Viscoelasticity," giving listeners the inside scoop on the creation of Banza's new shape in tandem with its release.

"It was amazing to see the excitement around Cascatelli when it launched last year, and it made us eager to create a version made from ingredients that all pasta lovers could enjoy, regardless of dietary restrictions," said Dan Pashman, creator and host of The Sporkful. "I really wanted to make a gluten-free version of Cascatelli that would hold up to my high standards for taste and texture. After speaking with scientists who explained why chickpeas work so well for gluten-free pasta, I sampled many different brands and found Banza to be the best by far. I'm excited to partner with their team for this new era of Cascatelli."

The Banza Cascatelli launch coincides with the rollout of refreshed packaging for Banza Pasta, featuring recipe suggestions on the back of each box that pair with the pasta shape. Banza selected a new recipe from food and lifestyle creator Dan Pelosi (@GrossyPelosi), a longtime brand partner, for the back of the Banza Cascatelli box. Pelosi's Vegan Vodka "Sawce" is a dairy-free version of the decadent sauce that fans often pair with the original Cascatelli and share on social media. Banza will continue to work with Pelosi throughout the year to share new recipes and ideas for families to make pasta a nightly occasion.

Chickpea-based foods are continuing to show strong growth among U.S. households. Banza is driving the largest amount of growth in the chickpea pasta category with a nearly 80% share of sales, and in 2021, nearly eight million households purchased Banza products. With its chickpea-based product lineup of pasta, pizza, rice and mac & cheese that are higher in protein and fiber, Banza aims to challenge the $148B refined grains market as the demand for plant-based foods continues.

Banza Cascatelli will begin rolling out nationwide at Whole Foods Market as well as on EatBanza.com and Amazon.com this month. For more information on Banza and for Banza's store locator, visit eatbanza.com.

About Banza
Banza makes comfort foods out of chickpeas, including pasta, pizza, rice, and mac & cheese. Since 2014, Banza has been on a mission to inspire people to eat more chickpeas and other beans because of their positive impact on human and environmental health. Today, Banza's chickpea products are available in over 19,000 stores nationwide, and it is the fastest-growing pasta brand in the country. For more information about Banza, please visit www.eatbanza.com.

About Dan Pashman & The Sporkful
Dan Pashman is the creator and host of the James Beard and Webby Award winning podcast The Sporkful, which he says is not for foodies, it's for eaters. On The Sporkful, Dan uses humor and humanity to approach food from many angles, covering science, history, identity, culture, economics, and more. In 2021, Dan launched the new pasta shape Cascatelli, which Time Magazine named one of the Best Inventions of 2021. The story of Dan's three-year quest to create Cascatelli was told in The Sporkful podcast's "Mission: ImPASTAble" series, which the New York Times named one of the 10 Best Podcasts of 2021. Dan is also the creator and host of Cooking Channel's You're Eating It Wrong and a contributor to NPR. He has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, The Today Show, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Guy's Grocery Games, Radiolab, WTF with Marc Maron, Planet Money, Beat Bobby Flay, and more.

SOURCE Banza