SEATTLE — A certain segment of the Seattle populace is very upset about the missing pesto pasta salad.
This mainstay at local chain Pagliacci Pizza since its inception in 1979 was a seemingly simple, deeply satisfying combination of penne, pesto, a maybe-mysterious creamy element (more on that in a moment), artichoke hearts and peas, served lightly chilled — perfect for a quick lunch or supper, particularly in hot weather.
If you grew up in Seattle, you might have misspent some of your youth on The Ave, frequenting Pagliacci's original U District location (RIP, as of 2018), where whether to spend your meager funds on the pesto pasta salad or a slice or two represented an agonizing decision. When a schoolmate of mine recently discovered that the pesto pasta salad had been discontinued, the Facebook outcry was vociferous (with some anguished souls devolving into name-calling). "This is a travesty!" said one representative person (whom I used to babysit). "Say it ain't so!"
