Nicolas Cage still regards this 'Square Tube Pasta' to be his favourite after trying it 25 years ago

You're unlikely to find Nicolas Cage's favorite pasta shape in your local supermarket. Cage, 58, was tell what his favorite pasta shape is in a Reddit Ask Me Anything to encourage his new movie, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

"About 25 years ago, I went to an Italian restaurant in San Francisco with Charlie Sheen because they had square tube pasta, also he was very interested in trying square tube pasta, which we did, and we loved it so much that we went back the next day to try it."

Cage didn't include the restaurant's name, and "square tube pasta" isn't exactly a common type of pasta. Hence, the cryptic response sparked a mini-investigation on Twitter and the online food community.

Eater SF launched a search, enlisting the help of San Francisco locals to find the restaurant's name and, by extension, the pasta that Cage visited over two decades ago. After filtering through responses from local food columnists, San Francisco natives, also Twitter users, the outlet asked a question in a Facebook group called San Francisco Remembered. A member of the group responded: "Tiramisu at Cafe Tiramisu. You're very welcome. He was there twice, and I saw him both times."

Pino Spinoso and Giuseppe Scoppetto, co-owners of the Italian restaurant, finally solved the mystery of what "square tube pasta" Cage was referring to. Spinoso told Eater SF, "The other one was called paccheri." "It was a pasta [dish] with oxtail ragu on top. They're about the size of a half-candle, and when you cook them, they flatten out a little. Almost like rigatoni, but wider and bigger."

Cage spoke with news this month about his latest projects and said he's putting out some of his "best work." Cage plays a arrangement of himself in the upcoming film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. In addition, he shared some tips he'd give to his younger self if he were starting in the film industry.