There’s a reason fresh pasta can turn a perfectly ordinary Tuesday into something worth celebrating.
The texture, the sauce clinging to every little curve, that first forkful that makes boxed noodles seem a little less exciting.
At this New Jersey shop, pasta isn’t a passing food trend.
It’s a family tradition that began in 1971, when two founders brought skills learned from an Italian pasta maker in Rome back to America.
Decades later, the business is still carrying that handmade tradition forward, with another generation involved in the work.
It’s a lovely reminder that good food doesn’t always need a complicated backstory.
Sometimes it just needs people who know their dough. And yes, suddenly that jar of sauce waiting at home seems much more interesting.
A Recipe Carried Home From Rome
Every great food story needs a beginning, and this one starts in Rome, Italy. The founders of Severino Pasta learned the craft from an artisanal pasta maker there.
They came back to America with treasured recipes and a strong wish to share them.
In 1971, the business opened in a rented garage on French Avenue in Haddon Township. Back then it went by the name Severino Ravioli Co.
Small start. Big ideas.
Fresh pasta was a pretty new idea for many shoppers in the area at the time, so getting people to try it took real effort and patience. Lots of families were used to the dry boxed kind from the grocery store, and fresh noodles seemed a little unusual.
Little by little, people caught on. Word spread, and the shop kept growing until that garage simply could not hold it anymore.
I love that the whole thing began in such a humble spot.
Knowing this history makes every bite taste a bit more meaningful. When you visit, you are not just buying dinner.
You are tasting a recipe that traveled across an ocean and settled down in South Jersey for good.
From Tiny Garage to Haddon Avenue
Growth has a funny way of forcing big decisions. The original garage eventually got way too cramped, so the business moved to a more visible home on Haddon Avenue in Westmont, a neighborhood inside Haddon Township.
That move changed a lot. Along the way, the company also expanded into wholesale, mostly because demand left them little choice.
Today Severino Pasta supplies restaurants, stocks shelves at Whole Foods markets across the country, and even provides products for meal delivery services.
Pretty impressive for a garage operation, right?
Even with all that reach, the retail store still feels personal. The pasta itself is now produced at the company’s Cherry Hill facility, since the business outgrew making everything inside the shop.
It is still homemade in spirit and method, just with a bit more elbow room.
For visitors, this location is the best way to meet the brand face to face. Parking is easy to find, and the building is simple to spot along the avenue.
If you only know the name from a supermarket freezer, seeing the actual shop is a real treat worth the short trip.
Semolina Makes All the Difference
Ever wonder why some pasta has that perfect bite while other kinds turn mushy? A lot of it comes down to flour.
The pasta here is made with 100 percent semolina flour, which is prized for its great texture, color, and quality.
Semolina comes from durum wheat. It gives noodles a lovely golden shade and a firm, springy chew that holds up well in sauce.
Honestly, once you taste the difference, going back to bland noodles feels a little sad.
Fresh, homemade pasta has been the core idea from day one. In the early years, every single piece was prepared completely by hand.
The family still uses traditional methods today, and some of the original equipment remains part of the process.
That mix of old tools and careful hands is a big reason the flavor stays rich and steady. Here is a quick tip for home cooks.
Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried, often in just a few minutes, so keep an eye on the pot and taste early.
Long Noodles, Short Cuts, and Hand Pulled Shapes
My first look at the pasta case was a lot like being a kid in a toy store. There are so many shapes that choosing just one feels almost impossible.
The fresh cut lineup includes capellini, spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, and pappardelle. Thin capellini works nicely with light sauces, while wide pappardelle loves hearty, chunky ones.
Shop staff can even cut pasta to the size you prefer, which is a handy perk.
Then come the short cuts. Rigatoni and radiatori are great for catching thick sauces in their ridges and tubes.
There is also a playful shape called Apastasauras, which sounds exactly as fun as it is.
Hand pulled pastas round things out with orecchiette, trofie, and fusilli. Orecchiette means little ears, and those tiny cups scoop up bits of sauce like small spoons.
Trofie, with its twisty form, pairs beautifully with pesto.
Dried pasta and seasonal cuts show up too. So if you plan to cook later in the week, grab a dried bag along with your fresh pick and your pantry will thank you.
Ravioli Worth the Whole Trip
Stuffed pasta might be the real star of the show. Ravioli has been part of the story since the days of the old Severino Ravioli Co., and it still gets plenty of love.
The selection goes well beyond basic cheese. Fillings include seafood, meat, and vegetable choices, so there is something for picky eaters and adventurous ones alike.
Tortellini, tortelloni, gnocchi, and stuffed rigatoni join the lineup as well.
Gnocchi deserves a special shout. These soft little dumplings are light and pillowy, and they soak up brown butter or tomato sauce like a dream.
Kids usually love them on sight.
Here is a smart move. Ravioli freezes really well, so buying an extra batch means a fast, cozy dinner is always waiting.
Drop them straight from the freezer into boiling water, and they are ready in minutes.
For holidays and birthdays, a big box of ravioli can feed a crowd without much fuss. Pair it with a pint of house sauce and some crusty bread.
Done, and everyone is happy.
A Cheese Counter That Goes On and On
Cheese lovers, brace yourselves. The store carries around 150 cheeses, and many of them are hand cut right there in the shop.
That is a lot of choices for one counter. You might find sharp aged wedges, soft creamy rounds, and salty grating cheeses perfect for showering over a plate of hot spaghetti.
Asking the staff for a suggestion is a great idea if you feel lost.
Next to all that cheese sits another impressive spread. More than 30 kinds of artisan olives fill the cases, from mild and buttery to bold and spicy.
Mixing a few types makes a snack board look instantly fancy.
Cured meats and lunch meats round out the deli side. Building a homemade antipasto platter here is easy and kind of fun, honestly.
A little advice for planning a party board. Pick one hard cheese, one soft cheese, and one wild card you have never tried.
Add olives, nuts, and bread from the shelves, and you have a spread that looks like it took hours.
Sandwiches That Sneak Up on You
Plenty of people walk in for pasta and never notice the sandwich counter. That would be a mistake.
Fresh sandwiches are made to order here, stacked with Italian meats and cheeses from the deli. The bread matters a lot, and a good sesame seeded roll can turn a simple lunch into something special.
Crunchy outside, soft inside. Just right.
South Jersey takes its hoagies seriously. So a shop that can hold its own in that crowd is worth a stop around lunchtime.
Prepared foods are also on hand, including items like chicken cutlets, meatballs, and salads you can carry home.
If you are on a day trip around the area, this makes an easy lunch break. Grab a sandwich, maybe a few olives, and something sweet for later.
One simple tip helps a lot. The shop can get busy, especially around holidays and weekends, so arriving earlier in the day often means a shorter wait.
Ordering ahead for big groups is also a good way to keep things smooth.
Sauce, Meatballs, and Sunday Dinner in a Bag
Some nights call for zero effort and big flavor. The house made sauces and pesto here are built for exactly that.
Marinara, pesto, and other homemade sauces line the cases, and pints of frozen sauce are handy for stocking up. The meatballs get a lot of attention too.
Pair them with spaghetti and you have a classic plate in no time.
Then there are the meal kits, which feel almost too easy. The Severino Sundays bundle comes with spaghetti, meatballs, and sauce, basically a family dinner packed and ready.
Other kits have included Cacio e Pepe and Chicken Parm Day packages.
Weekly specials change often, so checking what is new on each visit keeps things interesting. You might find a deal that sparks a whole dinner plan.
Imported hand picked tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil from Italy are on the shelves as well. For anyone who loves cooking from scratch, these are great building blocks.
Simple ingredients, done well, can make a weeknight feel like a celebration.
A Family Shop That Treats You Like Family
More than 50 years in, the shop is still run by the family, now in its second and third generations. That kind of staying power says a lot.
The goal has always been to build real relationships with customers, treating them like part of an extended family. You can feel it in the friendly service and the cozy, kitchen style mood of the store.
Flowers planted outside add a cheerful welcome.
Shelves are stocked with breads, nuts, coffees, and desserts, making it simple to gather a full meal in one stop. It is also a lovely place to pick up food gifts.
A basket of cheese, olives, and pasta beats another candle any day.
Catering is available for bigger gatherings, and there is even branded merchandise for true fans. Planning ahead helps, since hours vary.
The store is open Tuesday through Saturday, plus a shorter Sunday morning window, and closed on Mondays.
You will find Severino Pasta Retail Store at 110 Haddon Ave, Haddon Township, NJ 08108, United States, a must for pasta lovers exploring New Jersey.
