Lotsa Pasta, & Lots More

Local institution brings the world to Louisville

By Ann Curtis / Photography By Andrew Hyslop | February 16, 2018

In March 1982, when Vicki and John Hale told people they were going to open a homemade pasta shop, the most common response was “What is pasta?” That’s seems hard to believe now, but fortunately our food IQ has risen over the decades, in large part because Lotsa Pasta International Food Shop has been delivering global flavors to the local community for the past 36 years.

The Hales were the first to sell fresh locally homemade pasta, starting with a tiny storefront on Bardstown Road. They credit Ferd Grisanti, owner of locally famous Ferd Grisanti Restaurant who invited them into his kitchen as he made pasta for the restaurant.

“After work, during the spring and summer, many hours were spent driving to Vicki’s parents’ farm outside Middletown. We planted basil, up to 1,500 plants, carried five-gallon buckets of water out to keep them alive because there was no running water in the field,” said John. “From these crops we spent hours in the field, and then even more long hours at the shop making enough pesto (which freezes well) from the fresh-cut basil to last until the next year.”

Within a decade, the Hales expanded with a move to their current location on Lexington Road in St. Matthews, adding a deli, bakery and expanding the line of international products.

At the core of the business is the handmade pasta made daily, over 49 varieties, including noodles, stuffed ravioli, tortellini and sheets for lasagna and manicotti, available refrigerated or frozen.

In addition, Lotsa Pasta offers over 90 handmade specialties: calzones, sauces, lasagnas, pizzas, breads, spreads, salsas, cookies, Italian ices, tiramisu and brownies. All are made in house.

Customers can also tour the world by walking the aisles of oils, spices, olives, Asian ingredients, peppers, chutneys, salsas, rice, capers, tomatoes, coffee and couscous, to name but a few.

The deli offers 37 varieties of deli meats and 114 cheeses from France, Italy, England, Germany, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and across the United States, including two locally made by Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese.

Homemade soups and custom-made sandwiches can be easily paired with a selection of 20 olive varieties and 35 salad and deli side choices. Box lunches are available to eat in the restaurant or to go, and platters can be customized for events.

“While the original Italian and Mexican delicacies and products are still the centerpiece; the scope of countries represented has grown considerably,” said Vicki. “The sociable Saturday morning line of locals talking UofL or UK basketball was joined by the accents of their Spanish, Asian and European customers early on. The world was coming to Louisville and naturally finding its way to Lotsa Pasta.”

Cavallo Nero is Lotsa Pasta’s newest exclusive homemade pasta line: bronze-die extruded, slow dried, artisanal pasta, a process that provides longer shelf life and allows long-distance shipping orders. The air-dried pasta is still made in small batches, extruding the dough through bronze dies to give each pasta shape a coarse, sauce-cradling surface. All ingredients are plant based, without preservatives, saturated fat, artificial colors and flavors, eggs, dairy or animal products.

“We hold true to our mission of bringing our customers the finest foods the world has to offer,” said Vicki. “And it remains that if you can’t find something, just let us know, and we will do our absolute best to get it for you. Countless items in our shop have been requested by our customers over the years.”

John Hale, along with Vicki Hale, have been providing great homemade pasta and other international food products for 36 years.