Durante's Pasta is an artisanal pasta shop that opened in West Haven, Connecticut in 1985. It was founded by husband and wife Italian immigrants Amedeo and Carmelina Durante, who had come from Ruviano: a small village outside of Caserta, Italy. Amedeo came to the United States in 1967 and made a living by working in various Italian import stores. He dreamed of one day opening his own importing market. In 1977, he opened Durante's Market on Elizabeth Street in Derby. In addition to selling imports, it was also a gourmet market, a coffee shop, and they also made pasta. Over time, the demand for the Durantes' pasta grew. In 1985, Amedeo and Carmelina (along with their sons Lorenzo and Angelo) opened Durante's Pasta in West Haven. After nearly 40 years in the business, Durante's are renowned for their quality handmade pasta products. Today the business is run by youngest son Angelo.
I've been purchasing Durante's Pasta for several years now. Since the first time I tried it, I knew that I would never need to buy another brand of pasta. You can tell that they put a lot of love into their product and it's as close as you'll get to pasta that's made in Italy. Although Durante's distribute their products to grocery stores and restaurants all over the Greater New Haven area, you need to go to their own retail store to get the best selection. Fortunately, they are located just a few blocks away from my day job in the middle of a residential neighborhood. They have excellent penne, rotini, ziti, linguine, fettuccine, pappardelle, orecchiette, gnocchi, ravioli, and pretty much any other kind of pasta that you can think of. In addition to their pastas, their retail shop also carries their own jarred sauces, gourmet gift baskets, and all sorts of imported Italian goods. Some of my favorite dishes to make with their pasta include Penne ala Vodka, Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage, and Cheese Cart Orecchiette Mac and Cheese. I'll continue to use Durante's Pasta for years to come! read more