"Crab Pasta?": The Evolution from Idea to Product

At our usual meetings, we try to pitch

ideas about pasta flavors. There's a bit of malaise about this topic because none of us are chefs or food execs or particularly creative types. But we enjoy pasta & different cuisines, so we have to rely on that alone. That reliance prompted the idea by Breezy (Charles III) of a "crab pasta" with the flavoring reminiscent of a famous, unnamed Mid-Atlantic seafood spice combo. I thought it was genius. Living in Maryland all these years, I'd seen countless dishes get that Chesapeake twist: mac & cheese, sushi, Bloody Marys, etc. Pasta was the next logical progression. Dad (Charles Jr.) approached the chef consultant (Mark Swankler) about it, who has been skilled at taking our hairbrain ideas & generating actual products. I collaborated with our designer from Fiverr.com (Thanks Tayab!) to make a logo with reference to that famous, unnamed Mid-Atlantic seafood spice combo. The pasta & logos were made, with Tancredi & Mom (Sally) looking over production to help resolve any potential challenges. Dad, Mom, & Francesca were in Maryland for my eldest's birthday party, so we invited Aunt Barb (Dad's sister) & Uncle Doug for brunch & to try out the new pasta. They transplanted from the Pittsburgh area to Maryland as well, so they'd be good to get feedback from. It turned out to be a nice morning, with everyone catching up & Dad & Aunt Barb recounting childhood memories of Italian immigrant grandparents cooking up folksy, ethnic grub (e.g., chicken feet). I tried my hands at the pasta, which took only 5 mins to boil just beyond Al Dente. The "sauce" (these flavored pastas don't really need a sauce), was just garlic, Sicilian olive oil, cherry tomatoes, & lump crabmeat. It came out really well & we were all pretty pleased to see "Crab Pasta" go from idea to meal in a two week stretch. Having a lawyer in the family is a real asset. When we were coming up with a name for it, Tancredi astutely noted that copyright violations would prevent us from using the name of the main ingredient for the pasta brand. After some spitballing of names, we came up with "Chesapeake Bay Blend" for our newest flavor. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have! Mangia!