By Katie Sweeney — Photographed by Jazz Martin
When looking back upon our childhoods, there are many of us who can recognize a certain moment that has helped to define the person we have become. It is the memory of this moment that drives our passions and guides us towards reaching our ambitions.
For Frank DePasquale, it was the sight of his mother, Angelina, hand-making pasta every Sunday morning while growing up in Italy, which ignited his passion for food. For 25 years, DePasquale Ventures has been a staple of the North End’s dining scene. From gelatarias to an array of exclusive restaurants, DePasquale has graced both locals and tourists alike with authentic Italian traditions that are unparalleled.
This summer, as a tribute to his mother and the Sundays of his youth spent watching her make pasta, DePasquale Ventures will be opening DePasquale’s Homemade Pasta Shoppe at 66A Cross Street. It is here that he will bring the traditions of those Sundays spent in Italy home to you.
At DePasquale’s you will find every ingredient you need to compose your own homemade pasta dishes. From freshly baked Italian breads, imported Italian cheeses, olive oils, vinegars, pastes and pates, to olives, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions, you can find whatever ingredient you may need for the Italian dish you plan to serve at home.
What makes DePasquale’s shop most unique is that it will specialize in offering a selection of freshly packaged house made pastas, rolled by hand and right before you in DePasquale’s storefront window. Over 50 varieties will be sold, including gnocchi, rottini, linguini, fussuli and tagliatelle, as well as 20 varieties of raviolis such as spinach and truffle, artichoke and goat cheese, and prosciutto and fresh ricotta.
Pastas will be available for wholesale and retail. “We will do anything to make the customer happy,” says DePasquale, “If you call us with special requests for specific types of raviolis or would like to have fresh lasagna sheets for your dinners at home we will be happy to make them for you.”
Marisa Iocco will supply her Italian gourmet line of products called Food With Love, which includes sauces such as tomato basil and arrabbiata sauce, and prepared foods such as spinach and 4-cheese risotto and wild mushroom lasagna. Marisa’s products are made with 100% all-natural ingredients, making them healthy as well as delicious.
Joe Locilento, former owner of Tutto Italiano on Fleet Street, has signed on as general manager of DePasquale’s Homemade Pasta Shoppe. Here he will oversee the pasta production as well as make and serve his own freshly made mozzarella. Recipes for homemade Italian pasta dishes are also available at the shop for you to try at home.
It has been DePasquale’s ambition to help ensure Boston’s North End as, “America’s greatest Italian community.” He has spent the last 25 years bringing the traditions of his youth from old world Italy to Boston in a new world style. To add to his many endeavors, DePasquale’s Homemade Pasta Shoppe will be a welcomed addition to the North End culinary scene and certainly will prove to be the only place you will need to shop to bring the traditions of Italy to your own home.
