Joe Sasto on Breaking Rules and Building a Pasta + CPG Empire

He hated pasta as a kid. Now he's the self-proclaimed Prince of Pasta, the Ruler of Rigatoni, the Sultan of Spaghetti, and one of the most exciting chef-turned-CPG-founders in the food industry.Joe Sasto is the founder of Tantos pasta chips, co-founder of Ripi Foods frozen pasta, author of “Breaking The Rules,” and a familiar face across Food Network, Top Chef, and Netflix competitions. But what makes Joe's story genuinely compelling isn't the resume: it's the mustache, the energy, the happy accident that turned a forgotten tray of dried pasta in a Beverly Hills walk-in into a snack brand heading to Targets nationwide.In this episode, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Joe for a conversation that covers the full arc, from growing up in the Midwest with a mom who served pasta with sauce on top (never married into the noodle), to landing on the pasta station at Quince because a cook was "unwillfully ejected,” to the moment he realized that cooking competitions aren't about ego, they're a sport. From building Tantos out of an accidental kitchen discovery, to getting Ripi Foods into Whole Foods nationwide with an exclusive Cacio e Pepe flavor, to teasing a potential pizza restaurant in New York, Joe is always moving, always building, always with a sauce splatter video ready to go on Instagram.This episode is packed with genuinely useful CPG insights, including a helpful retail tip about exclusives that could change how you approach your next buyer meeting. And plenty of pasta puns. Because that's just who Joe is.In this episode, we cover:Growing up hating pasta and how he ended up on the pasta station at QuinceCalifornia farming, Lazy Bear, and why he still thinks California has the world's best produceHow Top Chef changed everything and why he'd never go back (but also maybe would)The evolution from ego-driven competition cooking to approaching it like a sportThe happy accident: finding dried-out pasta in a Beverly Hills walk-in and inventing TantosMeeting co-founder Sean through Instagram DMs and building the brand togetherBreaking The Rules: years of cookbook doubt, writing it anyway, and the black garlic Caesar that everyone makesRipi Foods: fresh frozen pasta, Whole Foods nationwide, and an exclusive Target launchThe retail exclusives tip: why pitching exclusive SKUs to big box retailers gets you in the doorDream collaborations: Matty Matheson for Ripi, and the search for the perfect "pasta chip girl"Why surrounding yourself with smart, powerful women is the key to everythingTreadmill running, cop dramas, and THC beverages as the perfect wind-down comboWhat he's most proud of: the headspace shift and the people around him nowA potential pizza restaurant in New York City, details coming soonAdvice for founders: find a co-founder who fills your voids, not one who mirrors themFind Joe and his work:Instagram: @chef.joe.sastoCheck out Joe’s new YouTube channel: Make Mama ProudBreaking The Rules: available on Amazon or signed copy via link in bioRipi Foods: Whole Foods nationwide | www.ripifoods.comTantos: Amazon and grocery stores nationwide | www.tantossnacks.comSubscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter!