Ingredient Highlight: Cuttlefish Spaccatelli

In a city full of outstanding culinary artisans, Sfoglini is making a name for themselves with their exceptional and seasonal pastas. Chef Steve Gonzalez and design

aficionado Scott Ketchum have combined to create an outstanding product in their Cuttlefish Spaccatelli that we are proud to feature in our March basket.

The FareTrade got together with the guys at Sfoglini to provide some insight into the this New York based pasta shop.

Company Name:

Sfoglini

Founder/Creator:

Scott Ketchum & Steve Gonzalez

Location:

630 Flushing Avenue, 8th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11206

Company Launch (Year):

2012

What Inspired You To Start Your Company?

Sfoglini Pasta Shop was born from the vision of Chef Steve Gonzalez who has been a part of some of the most formidable pasta programs in New York City: Insieme, Hearth, Roberta’s, and Frankies Sputino, and former creative director Scott Ketchum who both talked for years about bringing a superior, locally produced pasta to NYC.

The original concept for Sfoglini was to open a pasta focused restaurant with a wholesale pasta business on the side, but when the funding for a restaurant

became too difficult to raise we decided to flip our plan and funded the wholesale business on our own.

Tell us about your products.

Sfoglini specializes in making freshly extruded pastas using traditional bronze dies that create a textured, porous surface that makes it easier for sauce to cling to rather than slip to the bottom of the bowl. The pasta is then air dried at low

temperatures to preserve nutrition and lock in more flavor.

Sfoglini’s traditional offerings include fifteen organic semolina, organic

whole-grain and organic whole-wheat pastas. In addition to our signature pastas, Sfoglini also produces a line of seasonal pastas made with fresh, local ingredients from NYC green markets and urban farms (Brooklyn Grange, Riverpark, Eagle Street Farms, New Amsterdam Market). Sfoglini also experiments with other unique ingredients and partners to make innovative, original pastas including a tomato leaf pasta collaboration with Riverpark and a beer pasta using milled grain from the Bronx Brewery.

What Does “Artisan” Mean To You?

Someone who is bringing the craft back to their business. It’s easy to turn your back on the way things were done in the past and move forward with cheaper, faster methods of producing your product, but that doesn’t always produce the best food in the end. Let’s enjoy fresh, organic and locally sourced foods while we can. Changing weather and our ever growing population are making harder to produce a quality product at an affordable price.

What Drew You To Food?

Scott - I needed a change from my career in design, but I didn’t want to give up design completely. Since living in NYC I’ve been fascinated by the artisanal food movement and the craft beer scene, so I made the decision a few years ago to match my design and management skills with someone looking to do something new in the culinary scene.

Steve - I originally went to culinary school because I had been working part-time jobs at restaurants in high-school and I thought a culinary career would provide a way to use my cooking skills as a way to travel and see the world. After culinary school in Colorado, I traveled and worked in Pennsylvania, New York,

San Francisco, Spain and Italy.

Where Does Your Food Inspiration Come From?

Fresh, locally produced goods. We should be eating things that are fresh and in season. When they’re done for the year you move on to the next fresh ingredient.

What Products Are You Working On Now?

Next in line for the season are Nettles. Our Nettle Radiators turned out quite nicely last year. After that we move onto Mint and Basil for the summer.

Do You Have a Favorite Product?

Of our pastas - Reginetti and Trumpet pastas are quite popular. Our favorite

pastas changes all the time.

Latest Ingredient Obsession?

Beets and Nettles.

What Did You Have For Dinner Last Night?

Scott - Chili

Steve - Pizza

What Person, Living Or Dead, Would You Most Like To Have Try Your Product?

Thomas Jefferson - Monticello featured grains, vegetables, fruits and a vineyard.

What’s The Best Piece Of Advice You’ve Gotten In Building Your Business? What

Advice Would You Give Other Artisans?

Don’t try to grow too fast. Find your audience and get a stable business and then you can grow it from there. We see other businesses start up all the time with funding from here and there, but they haven’t established their product yet and they end up burning through the money too quickly and closing.

What Other Local Food Artisans or Chefs Do You Admire?

Steve - Michael Tusk and American Cheese Makers.

Scott - I really enjoy working with, and eating at, Tom Colicchio’s Riverpark

Restaurant. Chefs Sisha Ortúzar and Brian Hunt provide some of the best dinning in NYC.

If You Had To Choose Your Last Meal, What Would It Be?

Scott - Pizza.

Steve - Steak.

Favorite Restaurant or Food Experience?

Scott - Riverpark.

Steve - Bunker and eating at dinner parties.

What’s Do You Enjoy Doing Outside of the Kitchen?

Scott - Tasting other great food and craft beer. Visiting galleries and museums.