Carmella, Owner & Pasta Maker at Melina’s Fresh Pasta, grew up in a traditional Italian-American family in Syracuse, NY (Go Orange!). The first to be born in the United States, she longed for a connection to the country every other member of her family was from.  After years of watching her mother, Giuseppa, make homemade Italian food from what her father, Giuseppe,* grew in his garden, she wanted to share the Italian tradition of food made from scratch with care and served with love to family and friends. Upon arrival in North Carolina Carmella noted a lack of authentic Italian food in the area (and a lack of Italians!). So in 2010, she travelled to Bologna, Italy to supplement the Southern Italian cooking lessons of her mother and learn the Northern Italian tradition of fresh pasta making. 

*Yes, her parents have matching names. They go by Joe and Pina now but their names translate to Joseph and Josephine.