Have you seen the recent television advertisements for Pizza Hut? Pizza Hut takes over an Italian restaurant, serves its new pastas to the patrons, who love it, then reveal it’s actually pasta from Pizza Hut.

Well I’m just like everyone else, and occasionally I love to have pizza delivered, but if I can also get a pasta that’s a cut above your average pizza parlor pasta, I’m all for that, so I gave it a try.

I had hoped to have the same blind experiment with a friend who I invited by, but just like trying to plan the timing for a surprise party, the jig was up when she and the pasta arrived at the same time.

It was a warm day and while the driver did not have air conditioning in his car while delivering hot pastas and hot pizzas, he was pleasant, friendly and the pastas arrived 10 minutes before the suggested time.

Pizza Hut also delivers wings, breadsticks, cheese sticks, and a twist on the jalapeno popper called Quepapas, which are potato bites with cheese and a hint of jalapeno pepper. What they don’t deliver are salads, which was disappointing because I really need greenery if I carb out – which I did.

I tried the creamy chicken Alfredo first. I could taste right away they used not just one cheese, but a tasteful variety of cheeses. Like putting a top-shelf liquor in a drink instead of the well brands, it amped up the flavor enough to make a difference. On my second bite I noticed a hint of what seemed like fresh ground pepper, which created a pleasing overall flavor combination.

Next I tried the meaty marinara, thinking that while the Alfredo might be easier to improve upon, it may be harder to elevate the taste of such a classic pasta. I have to admit, though, perhaps because I was paying such close attention to every nuance of taste in each bite, I noticed a hint of sausage flavor in addition to the regular ground beef. “A rhapsody of flavor” was the phrase used by one of my dining companions because you could taste both the sweetness of the marinara with a little kick from the meat.

I will say that, in my experience (this one and the ones I’ve had of pasta at fine Italian restaurants), the ad is a bit of a stretch. Pizza Hut uses rotini pasta for both dishes and most notably, pasta at a fine restaurant would certainly be cooked al dente, which in Italian means “to the tooth.” In this way, pasta is cooked so there is more than a hint of resistance in each bite, firm not soft.

I do review, however, based on my personal experience that day (which can vary), and by what I believe most patrons expect based on the type of restaurant, be it pizza or fine dining, which in this case was claiming to be both. Well, it’s delivered pasta from a fast food delivery chain, so al dente would be very hard to attain – but the flavors were appetizing and a cut above.

What pushed me over the edge to try this experiment were Pizza Hut’s most recent ads at a French bakery serving chocolate-covered dessert sticks. I invited a locally trained pastry chef to help me with this one, since chocolate is my number one comfort food and, try as I might, may not have made the most objective decision (salmon is a comforting close second – I’m odd that way). The Hershey’s chocolate dunkers are baked dessert sticks (aka bread sticks) frosted with milk chocolate and sprinkles of white chocolate. It was agreed and my pastry chef friend noted, the chewy texture gave Pizza Hut away. They really were just bread sticks with chocolate on top and the taste incongruency was clear. I will say, as a chocolate lover, I did enjoy the toppings blend and the chocolate dipping sauce. It was the best delivered pizza parlor dessert I’ve ever had.

I know these warm days don’t lend themselves to hot pasta dishes, but if you’re in the mood for something different from pizza delivery, I recommend the new pastas from Pizza Hut. You can even order online and if your cloak and dagger skills are better than mine, you can hide the boxes and make a taste-testing game of it all!

— Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

PIZZA HUT DELIVERY

1200 Smallhouse Road, Suite C

• 791-9898

Delivery hours: 10:30 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Cuisine: Italian

Price range for pastas: $11.99 (feeds four)

Specialties: Pizza

Libation situation: None

Smoking: No