Ronzoni Permanently Discontinues Fan-Favorite Pasta
Due to the manufacturer no longer being able to produce the pasta in the same shape, Ronzoni is discontinuing Pastina, a fan-favorite star-shaped pasta.
After being a dinner table staple for decades, Ronzoni is discontinuing its popular star-shaped Pastina pasta. The company made the announcement in a post on social media. “After extensive efforts, we regretfully announce that Ronzoni Pastina is being discontinued,” the pasta brand wrote. “This wasn’t a decision that we wanted to make.”
A subsidiary of Post Holding, the decision comes as a long-time Ronzoni supplier can no longer manufacture the popular star-shaped food. “We searched extensively for an alternative solution but were unable to identify a viable option to make Pastina in the same beloved small shape, size, and standards you have come to expect” the company explained.
Pastina is the smallest pasta shape sold by Ronzoni. The petite, five-pointed stars are typically cooked in light soups. It is also made in single servings for a toddler’s first solid meal, the company website says. One 12-ounce box normally sells for $1.69, CNN Business reports. Unhappy with the news, food lovers expressed their disappointment in the comments section of the announcement.
“Ok, discontinue it. We can discontinue purchasing all your pasta,” one person wrote. “The fact that your supplier is not a bunch of Italian grandmas makes this even more depressing,” another person said. Some folks even started an online campaign to save the popular mini pasta, with a petition on Petitions.net. Aptly titled, “Ronzoni, Please do not discontinue Pastina!” the effort has earned more than 2,900 signatures.
People have also shared heartfelt messages along with their signatures, explaining why they love Pastina. “I’m signing because I have been eating Ronzoni Pastina for over 60 years,” one person said. The signatory also shared how their grandmother would make a version called when they were younger. From Cleveland to Staten Island, the petition is filled with stories of how the product defined several childhoods.
The love for Ronzoni Pastina isn’t surprising since the pasta company has been passionate about its product for decades. “We also believe that quality ingredients are just the beginning of eating well,” the company website says of its origins. “It’s about sharing experiences, passing down traditions, creating memories, and telling your own personal story through the dishes you create.”
As such, every box of the popular pasta is made with these stories in mind. Emanuele Ronzoni was just a teenager when he ventured into the macaroni trade in 1881, in New York. Just eleven years after arriving in the United States, he launched his own pasta company. He later brought a few partners to create the Atlantic Macaroni Company in Queens.
Emanuele Ronzoni was eventually succeeded by his son, as the 1960s marked periods of significant growth. The brand became available in most states along the eastern and western seaboard and Puerto Rico. In 2015, the company celebrated its 100th Anniversary with festivities in New York and Florida. From humble beginnings, Ronzoni has evolved and launched a plethora of new products to meet the ever-changing needs of pasta lovers.
For anyone who is really attached to the discontinued Ronzoni star shaped pasta, similar products can be purchased from competing brands like Barilla, Goya, and Good & Gather.
