The Colavita Pasta Company, or Industria Alimentare Colavita (IND.AL.CO. S.p.A.), was founded by the Colavita family in 1912 in the small hilltop town of Sant’Elia a Pianisi, about twenty miles to the east of Campobasso in the Molise region of Italy. Nestled away in lush, rolling landscapes and surrounded by wheat fi elds, the people of Molise have always held an unwavering respect for farming traditions. In this same spirit, the Colavita family drew upon the resources of their homeland to produce superb pasta using only 100% durum semolina, fresh mountain spring water and no salt or artifi cial ingredients. Their pasta soon became a favorite of the Molise region and generations later, this artisan product became available worldwide.
In 1979, the Colavita Pasta Company joined with another family-owned company, Colavita USA, and together they have shared the fruits of their respective crafts with American consumers for over twenty years. Today, the Colavita pasta facility, located not far from Sant’Elia in Ripalimosani, is one of the most modernized in all of Italy with state-of-the-art machinery and laboratories. It produces pasta with a capacity of over three thousand tons per month (in excess of six shipping containers per day) and offers a variety of over seventy-fi ve different cuts or shapes, including its renowned nests. Using only the finest durum wheat semolina, Colavita Pasta has become the pasta of choice for consumers and restaurant chefs alike.