Wedding Shopping in Downtown Dexter: Carosello Pasta

Helping Newlyweds Prepare Incredible Italian Feasts

Flying your entire wedding party to Italy might not be a feasible thank-you gift, but giving them a taste of authentic Italian cuisine certainly is. Carosello Pasta is the place to do just that. It’s in the heart of Dexter’s charming downtown, less than a mile from our award-winning Michigan wedding venue and culinary event space.

Carosello specializes in small-batch, bronze-extruded pasta made from organic semolina and heirloom wheat. It’s the kind of specialty shop you’d normally find in a much bigger city. Its presence in Dexter makes absolute sense, though. In addition to selling their own artisan pasta, Carosello offers standout products from the Dexters of Italy: small communities filled with food-savvy families and generations of agricultural tradition. When you visit, you just might bump into Kieron Hales, executive chef and co-owner of our historic Midwestern event space. He grew up in England but knows how to spot a terrific Italian pasta.

Locally Owned, Globally Inspired

Mike Carosello, the shop’s co-owner, spent years in Italy after growing up in Missouri. A highlight of his experience was studying pasta making during culinary school in Florence. Local experts taught him to dry the dough gradually, which builds irresistible flavor. They also revealed how bronze dies can increase a noodle’s sauce-holding capacity. Equipped with this knowledge and freshly milled durum wheat, Mike launched Carosello Pasta in 2022 with his wife, Chelsea Lisiecki Carosello. The company’s signature fusilli is nice and chewy, slightly nutty, and delightfully curly to boot.

If you’re searching for a beyond-the-registry surprise for a couple of newlyweds, Carosello’s gift boxes are just the ticket. There are all kinds of boxes you can build, depending on their needs and tastes. Shopping for olive lovers? Fill a box with Maida black olives with garlic and hot pepper, Pianogrillo caponata of green olives, and Fratepietro Bella di Cerignola olives, all of which are imported from Italy. Tuck in an Olive Notes sticky note pad for a touch of whimsy. There are lots of Michigan-made products you can nestle in the box as well, including McClure’s pickles and bloody mary mix, which hail from Detroit.

How about a box for cooking an authentic Italian pasta dinner? Include staples such as bellflower-shaped gigli pasta, Terlato Kitchen small-batch pomodoro sauce, and Il Tratturello extra virgin olive oil from Molise, a hilly part of southern Italy known for its superb olives and wine. (Let us know if you’d like us to recommend some wines to go with these items!) Finish it off with a jar of capers, a container of pine nuts, and a set of Hearth & Carrow handprinted cotton napkins. Seeking gifts for a group? Carosello’s 4-packs organic semolina fusilli are bound to please nearly any pasta aficionado.

Psst: One of our sister businesses, Zingerman’s Mail Order, carries Carosello products. If you find yourself craving more Carosello fusilli – trust is, this is likely to happen – you can have it shipped to your doorstep! Considering a bona fide trip to Italy? Zingerman’s Food Tours leads incredible culinary adventures in Tuscany, Sicily, and beyond.

Browsing List

• For the newlyweds: a custom gift box for preparing an Italian feast
• For the parents of the bride or groom: a selection of gourmet olive oils
• For the wedding party: 4-packs of Carosello’s signature fusilli or gigli

Carosello Pasta

3126 Broad St., Dexter