The kitchen at Tuscana Pasta Co. in Peekskill is hard at work each morning, baking all kinds of pasta to perfection.
"We offer a wide variety of products," said Mario Parente, owner of the shop. "We offer ravioli, tortellini, tortelloni, flat egg noodles, shaped pasta, gnocchi, manicotti, shells, pretty much a full spectrum of pastas from start to finish."
Parente first opened the shop in Mount Kisco during the early '90s before eventually moving to his current space in Peekskill.
"I wanted to get into the food industry, but I really didn't want to do late nights," he explained. "I already had a young son at that point, so it was more beneficial for me to do something that was basically a 9 to 5, but still being creative with food."
From there, he knew pasta was the only way to go.
"I always watched my grandma [and] my aunt make pasta," Parente said. "[I] loved to eat it and enjoyed the creativity aspect of it...It's the passion for food and the gathering, what it means to our culture as family."
With the help of about seven employees, Parente brings his Italian family's passion for pasta to Westchester County, continuing to expand his menu as the years go on.
"People are expecting more and exposed to more, a lot of new shapes, striping, colors, different a- add-ins, ingredients. So, it just becomes a more diverse product," Parented added.
Now after more than 30 years of growth, Parente sells his pasta to customers in and around the tri-state area. That includes country clubs, personal chefs and tennis clubs.
"It's like a canvas that the chefs can use to create whatever they want," Parente said.
As the years go on, the love and passion put into each new pasta is what keeps his customers coming back for more.
"Our reviews are all five-star reviews up to this point," Parente said. "They seem to be happy. They seem to say it's the best product that they've had, and we're blessed because there [are] big establishments very close to us, and they travel from local towns here rather than buy something that's right on top of them...They come from Newburgh. They come from Millbrook. They come from Garrison. They come from Cold Spring. So for me, that's a huge compliment."
Tuscana Pasta Co. is located at 1698 Main St. in Peekskill. You can buy its directly at its Peekskill location or at other independent retailers throughout the tri-state. The easiest way to find a location near you would be to contact Tuscana Pasta Co. directly at (914) 788-9887.
