Molly Magnell for NPR
Carla Bartolucci grew up in an Italian-American household, eating fresh gnocchi and ravioli made by her mother, and lobster caught by her father. She met her husband Rodolfo while studying abroad in Italy; and by the early 1990’s, the two of them were running a small sandwich shop in Mystic, Connecticut.
They eventually partnered with the Italian company Bionaturae to sell whole wheat pastas, sauces and olive oil in the U.S. When that partnership ended in a lawsuit, Carla decided to launch her own brand of pasta, made from gluten-free grains and a prehistoric wheat called Einkorn. Jovial Foods has since grown into a multi-million dollar brand that includes organic tomatoes, olive oil, and snacks.
Very sadly, Carla passed away unexpectedly last month after a brief illness. We’re sharing this interview in celebration of her remarkable life and career.
This episode of How I Built This was produced by J.C. Howard and edited by Neva Grant. Research help from Daryth Gayles, and engineering help from Patrick Boyd. Additional support from Jeff Rogers, Casey Herman, Rachel Faulkner, James Delahoussaye, Julia Carney, Farrah Safari, Liz Metzger, Janet W. Lee, and Analise Ober. You can follow us on Twitter @HowIBuiltThis, on Instagram @HowIBuiltThisNPR and email us at hibt@npr.org.