About Olive OIl de Fino

When my boys were young, we often shared meals with their friends’ families, taking turns hosting dinner. When it was my turn, I always made one of our favorites—White Pasta.

It was simple, but unforgettable. I would sauté fresh garlic, onions, mushrooms, and Italian herbs in olive oil, then toss it with angel hair pasta. It quickly became a favorite—not just for my family, but for everyone who tasted it. Before long, friends were stopping by regularly to pick up pounds of pasta to take home.

I knew there had to be a better way to share it.

The challenge? I didn’t have a recipe.

I learned to cook at a very young age, standing beside my mother in the kitchen every day after school. One of my earliest memories is sitting on the counter at seven years old, watching her prepare a large pot of meat sauce. She was a phenomenal cook who never followed recipes—she cooked by instinct, tasting and adjusting as she went. I was lucky to learn the same way, and to this day, I still cook from the heart.

But I wanted others to be able to recreate White Pasta in their own homes—without needing me there to make it.

 

 

So one day, when my dear friend Ruth Ann asked for it again, I tried something new. Instead of making the pasta, I bottled the ingredients and wrote simple instructions for her to follow.

When she came to pick it up, I handed her the bottle and smiled, saying,
“It’s Italian in a bottle.”

 

 

— Kathleen, Bella Nonna