It may have been stormy outside at the time but it felt bright and distinctly Italian inside the new Pasta Santini in Carpinteria.
On a recent evening, a lively crowd of fans and friends gathered to celebrate chef Sergio Chierego’s new pasta-making venture, at 4185 Carpinteria Ave., Suite 5 — just beyond the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve.
The first thing that greeted me was the aroma — three pastas simmering in chafing dishes — followed by shelves of beautifully packaged Pasta Santini pasta, signature caps and shirts, and gleaming stainless-steel equipment.
After meeting Chierego, I sampled shortie pasta in Bolognese; penne in arrabbiata; and shells with lemon ricotta, arugula and trumpet mushrooms.
There was homemade focaccia and olive bread from Montecito baker Carolina Colombini, Santa Barbara wines, Pellegrino and DJ Danny Welch spinning upbeat tunes.
It was a party — but make no mistake, Chierego is cooking serious pasta.
“Our pasta respects and honors the best pasta makers in southern Italy,” he told Noozhawk.
The Pasta Santini opening featured, from left, shortie pasta in Bolognese; shells with lemon ricotta, arugula and trumpet mushrooms; and penne in arrabbiata. Credit: Judy Foreman / Noozhawk photo 
Chef Sergio Chierego, founder of Pasta Santini, brings traditional Southern Italian pasta-making techniques to the Central Coast with a focus on small-batch quality and Mediterranean-inspired nutrition. Credit: Judy Foreman / Noozhawk photo 
The Pasta Santini lineup includes rigatoni, left, and verti-cee. Credit: Judy Foreman / Noozhawk photo 
Carolina Colombini, owner of Colombini Bakery in Montecito, provided a delicious array of baked goods for the Pasta Santini opening. 
Homemade focaccia and olive bread Colombini Bakery in Montecito Credit: Judy Foreman / Noozhawk photo 
Instant upgrade for home-cooked pasta. Credit: Judy Foreman / Noozhawk photo
Bronze dies, slow low-temperature drying and 24-hour small-batch production define his process.
The name Santini nods to the Central Coast’s saint-inspired towns — Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Santa Maria — united under one banner.
The 37-year-old Chierego left Sardinia at 17 and has worked in nine countries. His résumé includes Casa Don Alfonso in St. Louis — named best new Italian restaurant in the United States by Fodor’s and Forbes — and the opening of the Ritz-Carlton NoMad in New York City under chef José Andrés.
Since 2024, he has worked in Montecito while quietly planning Pasta Santini.
Santa Barbara’s Mediterranean climate reminds Chierego of home.
“Not all pasta is the same,” he said.
His signature blend of semolina, spelt and whole wheat flours delivers flavor, fiber and protein, aligned with the local Mediterranean “blue zone” lifestyle.
The result? A deeply satisfying bite that elevates even a simple bowl finished with olive oil and Parmesan.
All the pastas are for sale in the home showroom in Carpinteria, but Chierego has bigger plans.
“Our pasta respects and honors the best pasta makers in southern Italy.”
Sergio Chierego
In just five weeks, Pasta Santini is already sold in more than a dozen local markets, among them Il Fustino, at 3401 State St., and the Cheese Shop, at 827 Santa Barbara St., in Santa Barbara; Pacific Health Foods, at 944 Linden Ave. in Carpinteria; El Rancho Market, 2886 Mission Drive in Santa Ynez; Ojai Valley Ranch Market, at 445 Ventura Ave. in Oak View; and Ventura Ranch Market, at 1532 E. Main St. in Ventura.
He hopes to be in 100 stores by year’s end with statewide distribution to follow.
As I left — full and happy — Chierego kissed me on both cheeks. Then one more “for good luck,” he said.
If this is Sardinian tradition, I’m all in.
More Judy Foreman
