The Italian chef who puts lasagna in a toothpaste tube

Young kitchen maverick Valerio Braschi of Rome's Ristorante 1978 is reinventing classic Italian dishes with the aim of confounding and astounding diners.

(CNN) — Perhaps because it's so darned delicious, there isn't generally much radical experimentation done with Italian food -- except for that disastrous incident when someone put pineapple on a pizza.

Which is why young Italian chef Valerio Braschi's bizarre fine dining creations -- including a toothpaste tube full of lasagna -- are causing such a stir in Rome.