al dente pasta - Meet Us

	In 1981, AL DENTE was just me, Monique Deschaine, and my somewhat stubborn determination to make "perfect" pasta. Back then, I used to stay up all night rolling out pasta dough at a friend's restaurant after the place had closed for the night—and pray that it would be dry by morning when the restaurant re-opened! It was exciting; it was exhausting. But I wanted to make that perfect pasta, and I wouldn't settle for anything less.
Here we are in 1985		A lot has changed since then. Today, I have many terrific people helping me. And now I sell AL DENTE PASTA^TM and MONIQUE'S SUMPTUOUS SAUCES^TM all over the country. But we still make perfect pasta!
We start with the best ingredients—100% durum semolina flour. There is only 3/4 of an egg per bag of pasta. Anyone who has ever made pasta knows that it is impossible to make perfect pasta without any egg at all. Then we hand-feed our dough through heavy steel rollers, sheeting it again and again to ensure a light, smooth texture. A slow-drying process dries the pasta uniformly so the AL DENTE pasta is tender but firm pasta that cooks to al dente perfection in just three minutes.
People are always wondering if our pasta recipe is an old family recipe or whether I grew up making pasta. There are lots of things that I get from my mother, but knowing how to make pasta is not one of them. This is not to say that she didn't "unknowingly" influence my life direction. For instance, I learned you should find your unique qualities and work with them, to be yourself. Don't complain you're the only person born in 1956 in Warren, Ohio, named Monique while everyone else is named Debbie, Patty, and Mary. Take advantage of the opportunity!
	Some people say that I'm good at taking an idea and running with it. Others say I am enthusiasm run amok. I can't help it. I just think that life is so cool and I love the idea that, through pasta, we may connect at some point with this crazy, wild adventure called "life."