Colapasta opened last year in Santa Monica, offering organic pasta at affordable prices by Stefano De Lorenzo, a Michelin-starred chef. Their casunziei, beet ravioli in brown butter, made the LA Times Best Dishes of 2019. I never made it there pre-pandemic, but when I heard they were offering a $24 family pasta kit, I knew it was time to visit.

Available for pick up only, the Traditional Family Pasta Dinner is sold on their online store, along with a lasagna tray, fresh pasta (only $2 for 8 ounces), gelato, wine and beer. Pick up windows are from 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm. I chose the earlier window, arriving shortly after 11am. There was a couple picking up in front of me, so I waited in my car until they left. Inside, there’s a table where you give your name. Orders are prepaid online so there’s no need to hassle with any credit cards and no signature needed.

The pasta kit consists of 1 lb of fresh rigatoni…

1 lb fresh spaghetti…

1 lb of tomato sauce and a 1 lb of bolognese.

Cooking was easy – the rigatoni only needed three minutes in boiling water, while the spaghetti just took one. Since my daughter doesn’t like meat, I made the spaghetti with only the tomato sauce and the rigatoni with the bolognese.

The food was delightful, the pasta having just the right amount of bite. My husband started talking about placing another order, and we hadn’t even finished our meal yet. The tomato sauce was a little bland, compared to the hearty bolognese, and would have benefited from a little commingling. It was perfect for my daughter, who probably could have eaten an entire half pound of spaghetti and tomato sauce on her own.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chowyumla/49806838703/in/dateposted-public/

I only made half of the kit, since two pounds of pasta seemed a little excessive for our family of three. It turned out just right, and we were able to squeeze another meal out of it. Bonus! Considering it normally costs us about double the price just to pick up a pasta meal for our family, this was quite a deal. We’ll definitely be back, hopefully dining in, but if the sheltering at home continues, Colapasta’s pasta dinner makes being stuck at home more enjoyable.

Location – 1241 Fifth Street, Santa Monica, CA 9040
Website – https://www.colapasta.com
Kid’s Menu – No
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes, their regular menu has GF items.