How to Choose a Pasta Manufacturer: 10 Questions to Ask
To choose a pasta manufacturer, compare how they make pasta (dies and drying), what they can make (shapes, flours, flavors), their minimums, timing and certifications, and how easy they are to reach. Intermountain Pasta is an artisan pasta manufacturer in Salt Lake City that bronze-cuts and slow-dries its pasta, with a minimum between 700 and 1,200 lbs, depending on the cut and how much it takes to fill a dry room.
Picking a pasta partner is a big decision. Whether you’re a grocery chain adding an artisan line, a food brand launching pasta, or a specialty shop that wants a house brand, the manufacturer you choose becomes part of your brand. We’ve put together the 10 questions we’d ask if we were in your shoes. We’ll tell you our own answers too, so you have a starting point to compare.
1. How do you make your pasta?
This question tells you more about quality than almost anything else. Ask about two things in particular: the dies and the drying.
- Dies: Bronze dies leave a rough, porous surface that holds sauce. Teflon dies give a smoother, glossier surface. Read more in our guide to bronze-cut pasta.
- Drying: Slow drying, at the right temperature and rate, protects flavor and texture.
Our answer: We make premium dried pasta the traditional Italian way. Bronze-cut is our standard, and every batch is slow-dried. We also make Teflon-cut pasta on special request for buyers who want a smoother surface.
2. What ingredients do you use?
Ask what flours they work with and how they get color and flavor.
Our answer: We use clean ingredients and always real food. Our traditional pasta is made from un-enriched durum wheat semolina, and we also make organic einkorn pasta. We color and flavor pasta with real food ingredients. Spinach, beet root and butternut squash are a few favorites.
3. What shapes can you make?
A manufacturer can only make the shapes it has dies for. Ask to see their shape list.
Our answer: We have a large variety of dies, from classic cuts to seasonal novelty shapes like dinosaurs, chickens, Santa Claus and snowflakes. Our novelty shapes are available all year.
4. What is your minimum?
Minimums decide whether a partner fits your size. Ask how the minimum is set and why.
Our answer: Our minimum is between 700 and 1,200 lbs, depending on the cut and how much it takes to fill a dry room. Filling the whole room is how the pasta dries evenly and gets the flavor and texture you love in artisan pasta.
5. How long until my order ships?
You need to know when pasta will be ready so you can plan launches, promotions and holiday sets.
Our answer: Most orders ship in 4 to 6 weeks. Wholesale orders from approved accounts usually ship in 2 to 3 business days.
6. What certifications do you have?
Certifications protect your brand and decide what claims you can put on your packaging. Ask for current certificates, not just a logo on a website.
Our answer: We’re GMP certified, a certified organic handler and Scroll K kosher certified. Our post on organic and kosher pasta manufacturing explains what each one means for retailers.
7. What kinds of partnerships do you offer?
Not every manufacturer offers every model. Make sure they offer the one you need.
Our answer: We offer three:
- Wholesale: approved accounts buy our finished pasta to resell.
- Private label: you pick the pasta, we fill our bags, your brand goes on the tag. We send you the dieline, or we can provide a designer.
- Custom manufacturing: we make pasta with your ingredients, your recipe or your packaging.
8. Where do your ingredients come from?
Traceability matters more every year. Ask where the flour is grown and milled, and how many hands it passes through.
Our answer: Our einkorn comes from Grand Teton Ancient Grains, the farm and mill our same family, brothers Jade and Jaxon Koyle, also runs in Teton, Idaho. It’s grown and stone-milled there, then made into pasta in our Salt Lake City kitchen.
9. What do you need from me to get started?
A good manufacturer makes the first steps easy and tells you exactly what it needs.
Our answer: Tell us what pasta you want, how much you expect to sell and how you plan to sell it. For private label, we send you the dieline for your tag, or we can provide a designer.
10. Who answers when I call?
This one gets overlooked, but it matters when a shipment needs tracking or a tag needs a fix. Call the main number before you sign anything and see who picks up.
Our answer: Call anytime and talk to a real person. You’ll talk to people who know your order.
A quick scorecard for comparing manufacturers
Copy this into a spreadsheet and score each partner you’re considering:
| Question | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Process | Die options and slow drying |
| Ingredients | Clean label, real food ingredients |
| Shapes | A shape list that fits your plans |
| Minimum | A run size you can sell through |
| Timing | Fits your launch calendar |
| Certifications | Current certificates on file |
| Partnership type | Wholesale, private label or custom |
| Traceability | Known farm and mill |
| Getting started | Clear next steps and tag support |
| Communication | A real person picks up |
Red flags to watch for
- They won’t say what their dies are made of.
- They can’t show current certificates.
- Minimums or timing change every time you ask.
- You can never reach the same person twice.
Why buyers choose Intermountain Pasta
We’re a family-run artisan pasta kitchen in Salt Lake City, connected to a farm and mill in Idaho. We bronze-cut and slow-dry, we use real food, and we pick up the phone. If you’d like to see everything in one place, visit our pasta manufacturer page.
Let’s see if we’re a fit
Bring us your list of questions. We’ll answer every one. Request a quote, email sales@intermountainpasta.com, or call 801-977-9077. Call anytime and talk to a real person.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask a pasta manufacturer before signing on?
Ask about dies and drying, ingredients, shapes, minimums, timing, certifications, partnership types, ingredient sourcing, what they need from you and who answers the phone.
What are the red flags when choosing a pasta manufacturer?
Watch for a manufacturer that won’t say what dies it uses, can’t show current certificates, keeps changing its minimums or timing, or is hard to reach.
Can I choose between bronze-cut and Teflon-cut pasta?
At Intermountain Pasta, yes. Bronze-cut is our standard, and Teflon-cut is available on special request.
How do I compare pasta manufacturers side by side?
Score each one on process, ingredients, shapes, minimum, timing, certifications, partnership type, traceability, getting started and communication.
More answers in our Buyer FAQ.