Pasta makers in the Pacific Northwest
Pasta and macaroni makers proliferated in the early days of Washington and Oregon, and some are still going strong
NOTE: Only a few pasta makers are included in this post because otherwise, it would get very long!
Italians love their pasta. But so did the Chinese as far back as 3000 B.C. Some historians credit Marco Polo as introducing the gluten-laden starchy food to Italy after his travels through Asia, though that story is mostly regarded as a myth now. There’s evidence, though scant, on ancient bas-reliefs that the Etruscans may have been producing pasta as early at the 4th century B.C.
Wealthy Americans who partook of the Grand Tour in the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries sampled pasta on their sojourns on the Italian peninsula, but the concoctions they recreated stateside of their favorite dishes abroad showed very little similarity to the original dishes. It was only when Italians began immigrating en masse to the Americas and Australia did pasta gain a foothold, and there’s been no let up since then.
This article aims to briefly highlight a few early immigrant families who started making pasta and selling it in the Pacific Northwest under various brand names. After toiling for years, some managed to sell their companies to other family members or large corporations decades later, and fortunately, retire on the fruits of their labors.
Mission Macaroni was once such company. It was founded in 1932 by Guido P. Merlino, a pillar of the Italian community in Seattle, who was also involved with various family members in the Pacific Coast Macaroni Company, Golden Grain Macaroni, Merlino’s Macaroni, and Western Family Macaroni. Interestingly enough, in 1967, Golden Grain was involved in a Federal Trade Commission complaint and was prohibited of purchasing any macaroni manufacturing company for ten years. In 1900, Angelo Merlino, and later his sons, Ubaldo and Attilio, operated Angelo Merlino & Sons, which was the primary source of importing Italian food and products (including pasta) for Seattle’s growing Italian community for years. Major Italian Foods Company, run by Joseph Merlino, was also manufacturing macaroni in Seattle. Seems pasta is the Merlino extended family DNA!
In the early 1900s, Eagle Macaroni manufactured pasta foods at 25th and Pacific in Tacoma, and even had their own trucks with their logo on them for deliveries.
U. S. Macaroni, was started in Spokane, WA, in 1917 by immigrants, Vincent and Caroline DeFelice. Their sons, Arthur, Fileno, Joseph, and Albert, bought the company from their parents after WWII. In 1988, they sold it to Rich and Mary Clemson who renamed in Pasta USA, and it is still a going concern.
In the 1950s, Alfieri’s Fine Foods in West Seattle, was founded by Raffaello “Ralph” Alfieri. The restaurant atop Seattle’s famous Space Needle served their ravioli—ranging from 600-1000 a week—for decades. You could also find their pasta and sauces at Reser’s Foods, Safeway, the Four Seasons Hotel, bakeries like Borracchini’s and Gai’s, and Oberto Sausage.
Other smaller companies existed and were bought up. In Seattle, there was Ghighlione Macaroni Corporation and Favro Macaroni Company, and in Portland, Oregon Macaroni Company and Porter-Scarpelli Macaroni Company.
Last but not least, Duso’s, a favorite of Vancouverites for over 50 years. Originally started on the Lower Mainland’s hot spot market, Granville Island, Mauro Duso set up his shop and catered to local restaurants whose patrons fell in love with his pasta.
P.S.
And just for fun, try two colorful Italian-inspired Croissant-shaped Gnocchi from (formerly known as Crocchi) or Rainbow Bucatini from pasta maker Linda Miller Nicholson of Salty Seattle. Delicious with your own pasta sauce or one of Linda’s.
