Angelo’s food is as heartfelt and generous as the man himself, rich with stories, tradition, and the unmistakable warmth of Italian hospitality.
Angelo’s food is as heartfelt and generous as the man himself, rich with stories, tradition, and the unmistakable warmth of Italian hospitality.
Originally from Fano, a coastal town in Italy’s Le Marche region, Angelo brought his love for food, especially pasta, with him when he moved to Aotearoa in 1992. He has been sharing that passion with New Zealanders ever since.
Food has always been a way of life for Angelo. He grew up rolling fresh pasta with his mother and aunty, learning by heart the rhythms and rituals of Italian cooking. “In Italy,” he says, “meals aren’t just about eating, they’re about connecting, celebrating, being together. That’s what I try to bring into everything I do.”
Over the years, Angelo has become a familiar name in New Zealand’s food scene. He co-founded the award-winning Pasta Mia in Lake Taupō, where his artisan pasta caught the attention of My Food Bag and chefs around the country. He has collaborated with well-known figures in the local food world, worked with top restaurants, and become a proud ambassador for Italian food and culture from food festivals and marathons to guest speaking for the Italian Embassy.
His latest project, Artisan Culture, is about more than just good food. It is about community. “To me, being an artisan means creating with passion and then sharing what you’ve made,” says Angelo. “That sharing is what connects us, and that connection is what builds community.”
Through Artisan Culture, Angelo runs pasta making workshops, collaborates on gluten free products with The Gluten Free Store, and supports causes close to his heart. One of his most memorable experiences was teaching a low budget cooking class at Merge Café, a community hub in Auckland that helps tackle homelessness. “We all cooked together, laughed, and shared stories,” he says. “It reminded me that food really does bring people together, no matter where you’re from.”
These days, when he is not rolling out pasta or leading a cooking class, you might spot Angelo foraging in a weekend market or running a marathon through the New Zealand countryside. Because for Angelo, food is life, and life, like pasta, is best when it is made with love and shared with others.
