La Ginestra Pasta Factory
Producers of fresh frozen pasta since 1999, guardians of the artisanal tradition of the Bormida Valley
Our pasta factory takes its name from a family wheat field, surrounded by broom bushes. It’s a memory we’re attached to, and it seemed right to start from there: from a place that for us means family, work, and attachment to our roots.
We have been producing fresh frozen pasta since 1999 In the Bormida Valley, between Liguria and Piedmont. A region where stuffed pasta is not just a traditional dish but a shared memory.
It’s here that we chose to establish our family-run business, respectful of people and the environment. And it’s here that we’ve chosen to produce our pasta, combining tradition with innovation and always keeping one fixed idea in mind: try to do things as best as possible.
Our commitment to the production of frozen pasta
Before founding our pasta factory, the three of us—Luciano, Claudio, and Verena—worked for years in the kitchen, the real, fast-paced kind. Luciano spent years as a chef in large kitchen teams. Together, the three of us opened a small pub-restaurant and then a hotel-restaurant. We catered lunches, dinners and banquets on a daily basis.
In short, we’ve been working together in the kitchen for over forty years, and it’s thanks to this shared experience that we decided to found La Ginestra and specialize in the production of frozen pasta for restaurants and food service.
We know well, in fact, what is useful in a restaurant kitchen and how pasta should behave, from cooking to serving. This is why our products have very specific characteristics:
- a thin but tough pastry, capable of cooking quickly while maintaining its firmness
- generous but well-balanced fillings, to integrate well with the pastry
- recipes inspired by tradition but innovative in ingredients and format
Our customers are restaurants, delicatessens, wholesalers that we listen to and try to satisfy every request. We know how important it is for them to have a product that stands out and We don’t shy away from requests for custom production.
There is another part of our work that cannot be seen with the naked eye, but which makes the difference. These are the meticulous, accurate, constant internal and external controls at every stage of our production. We constantly monitor cell temperatures, product pasteurization, and freezing efficiency, and each batch is traceable upstream and downstream.
E per garantire un prodotto di qualità poniamo la stessa attenzione alle materie prime, which we select according to the ‘prudent person’ principle. These are products that satisfy us in terms of both taste and quality. Furthermore, we prioritize Italian products because we believe they have a lower environmental impact.
The environment is another of our priorities. We are aware that the production of frozen fresh pasta requires energy, and for this reason, we have made a specific choice: our facility operates exclusively on certified green energy from renewable sources.
Why did we choose to produce frozen pasta?
When we chose to dedicate ourselves to the production of frozen fresh pasta, we did so with a clear objective: to offer a product with excellent taste, stable organoleptic properties, and long-term manageability, especially for those working in the catering and hospitality sector. The Deep-freezing immediately seemed like the most consistent path: a natural method that uses only cold to preserve the product, without the addition of preservatives.
Furthermore, with frozen pasta, dish preparation times are minimized and only the necessary quantity is used, thereby reducing food waste.
These are two additional reasons that prompted us to make this choice and that continue to guide our daily production today.
Our production choices
In our daily work, we strive to make consistent choices that combine responsibility and common sense.
We use only certified green energy, 100% of which comes from renewable sources. A portion of the hot water we use is produced directly on the roof of our factory, thanks to the solar panel system for hot water.
We also prefer natural solutions for our products. For example, to color our doughs, we do not use No chemical dyes, but only natural additives: spinach powder for green, beetroot for red, turmeric for yellow, squid ink for black.
Many of our fillings contain vegetables, and in our offerings, we take their seasonality into account as much as possible; additionally, in our plant-based products, we use only microbial rennet cheeses to provide an alternative for those following a vegetarian diet.
Working together, every day
Behind every raviolo we produce, there are hands, faces, and stories that have been part of our reality for a long time—in some cases, since the very beginning.
Many of our collaborators have been with us for over twenty years: there are those who knead the dough, those who cook, and those who prepare the fillings, those who package, those who inspect, and those who handle logistics. Everyone has their role, but there is always a willingness to lend a hand when needed and to exchange a few words over a coffee, even with those who stop by to visit, whether they are a supplier, a customer, or a simple visitor.
More than a company, we are an extended family, where everyone contributes to achieving the goal we set for ourselves from the start: striving to do things the best way possible.
Our strength: our people
United by the same vision but divided by well-defined tasks, the three partners cover every aspect of the company: there is one who lives “inside” production, one who guards the administrative soul, and one who takes our know-how “outside” the walls of the pasta factory.
In the kitchen, we have Alessio, Ares, and Abramo.
Alessio and Ares are responsible for all the fillings; they portion, cut, cook, and finally grind and mix all the ingredients that form the filling of our ravioli. Their harmony in the kitchen is our winning card.
Cornel, known to everyone as Coco, and Daniele, are our pasta makers.
The products emerge from the freezing tunnel and are received by Luca and Sambo.
If you call, one of us will answer: Verena, Valentina, Chiara, or Adriana.
