Pasta Sisters Brings Their Signature Pasta to Southern California Gelson's Locations

The beloved Italian family-run restaurant will sell its scratch-made pasta and sauces in the grocery aisle for the first time; select offerings also available at Claro's Italian Markets

Hi-res images available here

LOS ANGELES, March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pasta Sisters, the family-owned Italian restaurant brand known for high-quality, scratch-made pasta and generational family recipes, will begin selling its traditional pasta and sauces at Southern California Gelson's locations—with products available at a dozen stores today and rolling out across all locations in the coming weeks. Select pasta offerings are also available at another Southern California institution, Claro's Italian Markets.

"We're thrilled to bring our family recipes to the grocery aisle—and ultimately into the homes of more Angelenos," said Pasta Sisters CEO Francesco Sinatra. "Partnering with Gelson's and Claro's is a natural fit. We're all family-built businesses that share a commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and our customers."

Pasta Sisters products sold at Gelson's will include spaghetti, tagliatelle, tortellini, meat lasagna (housemade pasta sheets and bolognese sauce, besciamella, parmigiano cheese), and bolognese sauce (slow simmered for nine hours). At Claro's Italian Markets, customers will find tortellini and gnocchi (made using fresh potatoes rather than rehydrated potato powder). Suggested retail prices range from $9.95 to $14.95 for 12- to 16-ounce packages. Products will be available in the frozen section at both grocers.

Founded in 2015 by matriarch Paola Da Re and her son Francesco Sinatra, with Da Re's daughters Giorgia Sinatra and Francesca Lico soon joining, Pasta Sisters is rooted in family and authenticity. Da Re spent countless hours sourcing the finest ingredients from Italy and California to ensure the family's recipes, passed down through generations, could be prepared with the same warmth and integrity as in her own home.

That commitment is reflected throughout Pasta Sisters' production process:

• Hand-cut pasta is made fresh daily, beginning at 6 a.m., at Pasta Sisters' central Los Angeles kitchen using only "00" flour, eggs, and premium extra-virgin olive oil—with no fillers, preservatives, or additives.
• Flour is sourced from the Petra Molino Quaglia mill in Veneto, Italy, which uses 100% Italian wheat. The mill's specialized process and unique microclimate of its fields produce a light yet grainy flour that gives Pasta Sisters' pasta its golden color, ideal bite, and texture.
• The family's signature bolognese sauce is slow simmered for nine hours.
• Gnocchi is made with real potatoes, not rehydrated potato powder, and steamed fresh daily.
• When machines are used, Pasta Sisters relies on Italian Emiliomiti equipment, considered among the finest in pasta production.
• Pasta Sisters also owns the only tortellini-making machine in the United States approved by the Bologna Chamber of Commerce and the Learned Brotherhood of the Tortellino. This is a first-of-its-kind approval, as authentic tortellini is traditionally made entirely by hand.
• To preserve quality, Pasta Sisters flash-freezes their pasta shortly after production. Unlike conventional freezing, flash freezing rapidly lowers temperature, preventing large ice crystals from forming and preserving the pasta's texture, structure, and flavor. Once cooked, the pasta is indistinguishable from never-frozen fresh pasta.

The retail launch comes amid renewed global attention on Italian culinary traditions. In 2025 UNESCO formally recognized Italian cuisine as part of humanity's intangible cultural heritage, underscoring the importance of preserving traditional techniques and recipes.

"With this expansion, customers can bring home premium, restaurant-quality Italian pasta and make it their own," said Creative Director Giorgia Sinatra. "Italian cooking is rooted in shared recipes, care for ingredients, and gathering around the table—and it's also about creativity. We love the idea that families can pair our pasta with their own sauces, traditions, and recipes, blending the best of our kitchen with the best of theirs, right at home."

About Pasta Sisters
Pasta Sisters began with Paola Da Re, mother to Francesco, Francesca, and Giorgia, all of whom are involved in the day-to-day operations of the business and are often seen greeting guests. After moving to the United States in 2010 from the small northern Italian town of Padova, Da Re worked as a nanny for two Los Angeles families, often preparing fresh pasta, gnocchi, lasagna, and tiramisu using her family's generational recipes. The meals quickly became so beloved that she was encouraged to open her own restaurant.

In 2015, Pasta Sisters opened their first location—an intimate, deli-counter-style shop with just three tables in Los Angeles' Mid-City neighborhood. The restaurant was an immediate success, with guests lining up out the door for made-from-scratch pasta, house sauces rooted in Italian tradition, warm hospitality, and signature salted focaccia. In 2018, the family expanded with a second location in the historic Helms Bakery District in Culver City—a sun-soaked indoor-outdoor restaurant that, like the original shop, continues to draw fans of all ages from across the city for plates of fresh pasta made daily. In March 2025 the family opened their first location outside Los Angeles in nearby Costa Mesa, Calif.—a takeout- and delivery-only space that allows Pasta Sisters to reach a wider audience.

In 2024, Pasta Sisters was awarded the "Ospitalità Italiana – Marchio Q" certification by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West. This designation recognizes businesses that meet rigorous standards for Italian hospitality, including customer service, ambiance, use of authentic Italian products, and attention to cultural heritage.

Pasta Sisters retail products are now available at Gelson's locations in Santa Barbara, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, Silver Lake, Santa Monica, La Cañada, Manhattan Beach, Long Beach, Dana Point, Newport Beach, and San Diego. Products will soon be available at all Gelson's stores across Southern California; consumers can call their local store to inquire about availability.

For more information, visit www.pastasisters.com or follow @pasta_sisters on Instagram.

Media Contact:
Kelsey Beniasch
213-281-0878
[email protected]

SOURCE Pasta Sisters