Huntington resident KJ Carlstrom has one message to deliver to the world: “Life’s too short to not eat pasta.”
The 28-year-old just launched Pasta Project, a sweatshirt brand that gives 10% of all proceeds to eating disorder recovery programs. Carlstrom based the idea on her own experience: “When I was struggling with an eating disorder, I gave up many foods I loved, especially pasta,” she says.
“Our objective is to encourage people to once again find pleasure in eating the foods they love,” she adds, “whether it’s your mom’s homemade lasagna or your favorite rigatoni a la vodka from your neighborhood Italian spot.”
Pasta Project’s donations will benefit organizations that are dedicated to increasing access to eating disorder recovery resources. Pasta Project also aims to remind people not to be ashamed to eat what they love, and to do this by celebrating a food that many, many people love: pasta.
The brand dropped its first collection of crewneck sweatshirts, The Classics, in April: the Rigatoni and Fettuccine. They each come in two different colors: marinara (red) and Alfredo (white) and are embroidered with the opposite color. New collections will drop seasonally and feature different pasta shapes and dishes.
In addition to selling merchandise, A Pasta Project plans to hold events such as pasta-making classes and pasta happy hours this summer.
“It is our hope to create a community of pasta lovers, and let people know they’re not alone in their struggles with food,” Carlstrom says.
To learn more about A Pasta Project, visit apastaproject.com or follow them on Instagram @apastaproject.
