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Pizza chains bring back a Valentine's Day favorite

Pizza fans who are also hopeless romantics are in luck this Valentine's Day.

Several chains are selling heart-shaped pies this year.

Pizza Hut first sold the pies in 2017 β€” and will be bringing them back for Valentine's Day in 2025, the Texas-based restaurant chain's website said. Β 

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"Heart-shaped pizza is a medium 1-topping hand-tossed pizza that's, you guessed it, shaped like a heart," according to the Pizza Hut website.

The item, the website said, could be for almost any occasion, including "Valentine's, Galentine's or whatever-tine's."Β 

Buyers should know that the heart-shaped pizza does have an odd quirk beyond its shape: It's not sliced.Β 

"Pizza arrives uncut because we don't break hearts, we bake them," Pizza Hut stated.

The heart-shaped pizza will be available from Feb. 11 through Feb 17, the brand said.Β 

Pizza Hut is not the only pizza chain to add a romantic touch to its pies this February.

Papa Johns' heart-shaped pizza is baked with a thin crust and comes with one topping, the Kentucky-based chain said on its website.Β 

"Experience love at first bite this Valentine's Day," Papa Johns said.Β 

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The pizza, similar to the one sold by Pizza Hut, does not come sliced. Its price starts at $11.99.

The brand called it "the perfect choice" for Valentine's Day.Β 

The heart-shaped pizza at Papa Johns is available from Feb. 5 through Valentine's Day.Β 

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"To keep the shape of your heart-shaped pizza, cut from the top middle straight down to the point of the heart, then cut horizontally to make the slices as evenly-sized as possible," the website suggested.

California Pizza Kitchen is also selling heart-shaped pies as part of its "Sweetest Meal for Two" promotion.

The meal comes with one starter, two entrΓ©es (including four options of heart-shaped pies) and a dessert, according to the California Pizza Kitchen website.Β 

The promotion is valid from Feb. 10 through Feb. 15 while supplies last, the chain said.Β 

FDA recalls breadcrumbs sold nationwide

Breadcrumbs sold for months throughout the United States contain an undeclared allergen and are being recalled for safety reasons, the Food and Drug Administration announced on its website on Jan. 28.

La Fiesta Food Products, LLC, which is based in La Miranda, California, announced the recall on its website on Jan. 25. The FDA published it three days later, on the 28th.

The recalled products include 8-ounce packages of La Fiesta brand "Unseasoned Bread Crumbs (Pan Rayado)" and "Seasoned Bread Crumbs (Pan Rayado Sazonado)," said the release from La Fiesta Food Products.Β 

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"The products contain sesame as an undeclared allergen. Additionally, the labels do not include the allergen declaration in Spanish," said the release.Β 

"People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products," said La Fiesta Foods, who noted "No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue."

The unseasoned bread crumbs were sold at stores throughout the United States from April 10, 2024, through Jan. 22, 2025, said La Fiesta.Β 

The seasoned breadcrumbs were sold from Aug. 29, 2024, through Jan. 22, 2025.Β 

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"The recall was initiated after discovering that the product contained undeclared sesame. Further investigation revealed that the issue was caused by errors on the product labeling," said La Fiesta Foods.Β 

Those who have the recalled products "are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund," said the release.Β 

In 2023, the FDA added sesame as the ninth major food allergen in the United States, Fox News Digital previously reported.

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The previous eight foods identified as major allergens – milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans – account for 90% of food allergies, said the FDA's website.Β 

"In addition, the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (FASTER) Act of 2021, declared sesame as a major food allergen," said the FDA.Β 

"These nine foods, and any ingredient that contains protein derived from one or more of them, are designated as 'major food allergens.'"Β 

Chefs go viral for salt and pasta water debate: 'Wild, right?'

A viral video showing how nine Food Network chefs salt their pasta water has gotten people talking – and prompted questions about just how much salt a person should be using when making spaghetti.Β 

The video, posted on the Food Network's TikTok page on Dec. 28, features chefs from the network's different shows adding salt to a pot of water.Β 

"This is how much salt I add when I am salting pasta water," said chef Alex Guarnaschelli on camera while adding large handfuls of salt to the pot.Β 

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"Wild, right? You're not going to eat all of this. You just need to have [it] super salty, like seawater."Β 

Most of the other chefs added similarly sizable amounts of salt to their own pots of water.Β 

The video received over three million views to date – and sparked numerous reactions in the comments section.

"I would trust Alex Guarnaschelli with my life, so I'll trust her with my salt," said one commenter.

Others said the video changed their views on cooking.

"I thought I was putting TOO much β€” clearly not putting enough," said a TikTok user.Β 

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"Wait, so my pasta water should taste like the ocean but not actually be the ocean? Mind blown. Who else is rethinking their salt game right now?" said another.Β 

Fox News Digital reached out to Food Network for comment, as well as to several chefs who shared their two cents on how much salt to use – and if there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Salting pasta water has more than one purpose, said Mark Bolchoz, a South Carolina-based chef and restaurateur.Β 

"We salt pasta water not only for increased flavor throughout the dough itself, but also because salt reduces starch gelatinization, which improves the overall texture of the pasta," he said.Β 

In Bolchoz' view, "more salt is almost always better."Β 

"I like my pasta water to taste as salty as the ocean," he said.

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As with any dish, however, "it's important to taste as you go" to avoid going overboard with a salty flavor.Β 

"If the water is too salty, just be mindful of how much pasta water you incorporate into the final product," he said.Β 

Salting the pasta waterΒ "is very important," chef Joey SergentakisΒ told Fox News Digital. Sergentakis is the owner of three restaurants in New Jersey.Β 

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"It's your one chance to season the pasta itself while it's cooking," he said.Β 

Pasta absorbs water while it boils, so "if the water is seasoned, the pasta takes on some of that flavor."

"It’s like giving your dish a head start on tasting great," he said. Β 

If a person is a stickler for measuring, Sergentakis recommended adding 10 grams of salt per liter of cooking water.Β 

Unlike others, he is not necessarily a fan of the "salty as the sea" adage.Β 

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"If your water tastes like a mouthful of seawater, it’s probably too much," he said.Β 

"But if there’s barely any salt, the pasta will come out bland, no matter how great your sauce is."

He continued, "The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle β€” seasoned enough that the water tastes flavorful but not overpowering. A quick taste of the water before you add the pasta will tell you if it’s good to go."

Properly seasoning pasta water is a "small step, but it really makes a difference in the end," said Sergentakis.

"Properly salted pasta water is the secret to a balanced dish β€” and it’s way easier than trying to fix bland pasta later on," he said.

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