A new food trend is sweeping social media: honeycomb pasta cake. The dish, which involves arranging tubular pasta like rigatoni or penne in a cake tin with tomato sauce and cheese, has gone viral on Instagram and TikTok.
The trend was started by Miami-based food influencer Valentina Mussi, known as @sweetportfolio online. Her video garnered over 350,000 likes on Instagram, and the hashtag #pastacake has amassed more than 1.2 million views on TikTok and 3,000 on Instagram.
Thousands of users have created their own versions, adding mince, chicken, or vegetables, and using cheeses like cheddar or mozzarella. Some have combined it with other viral recipes like feta pasta, while others have kept it simple with tinned tomatoes.
However, not everyone is impressed. Some pasta purists have criticised the dish, with one TikTok comment saying, 'My Nonna called me and she wants me to tell you, she's mad at you.' Others have called it 'disgusting' but admitted they've seen worse.
Despite the criticism, the recipe's adaptability has made it popular, with users serving it in slices like a cake. It can be made with meat or meat-free, and the sauce can be homemade or from a jar.
