Meet Katie Brooks | Pasta Maker & Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Brooks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
In 2021, I quit my six figure job to start my own pasta company, dive head first into working for myself, & finally show my creativity in the kitchen. It all started 10 years ago, after graduating college and studying abroad in Italy. I decided to move across the country to San Diego, after a quick trip to visit my brother, I immediately knew it was where I wanted to be. This move led me to a great job, with lifelong friends and an amazing husband but there was still something missing in my career – passion for my work. My creativity lies in my hands and I’ve always enjoyed making things with them, whether it’s my high school prom dress or ravioli from scratch, making something out of nothing has always been what I’m most passionate about. I was never able to be creative in the way I wanted in my past careers – and in 2020 I was temporarily laid off due to the pandemic, resulting in me starting a fresh pasta delivery service in San Diego, and although I was brought back to work not long after, those weeks were the happiest I’d been. After another year of the corporate life, I decided to take a huge leap and quit my high paying job to start working for myself and making pasta full time! I currently teach pasta classes, make pasta for local deliveries, and even catered a small backyard wedding! In the end, leaving my job to chase my passion was the biggest and best risk I’ve ever taken!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started making pasta regularly with my husband about 6 years ago, using my family’s recipes passed down from my grandmother and her mother, but from there testing new pasta shapes and methods. This was just a hobby up until 2020 when I was temporarily laid off from my job and was given the opportunity to get a large amount of eggs from a restaurant that had to close. I decided to take the eggs as to not let them go to waste and offer pasta delivery throughout San Diego. I went back to work a few weeks later and tried to continue my pasta deliveries but ended up overworking myself and didn’t want to lose my love for pasta due to overdoing it. After a year of being in a job I wasn’t passionate about, I decided to take the leap and make my passion my work, and I haven’t looked back since!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

For food hit up Cori in Northpark for pasta, The Joint in OB for sushi, and Cantina Mayahuel in Normal Heights for tacos. Get a sandwich with freshly baked bread from Wayfarer in Bird Rock, and pastries(sweet and savory) from Azucar in OB.

For drinks, get beer & jazz hands at Fall in Northpark, Margaritas with Real Del Valle Tequila from Tamarindo in Del Mar, and Cocktails from Polite Provisions & Sycamore Den in Normal Heights.

Go to the OB Farmers Market on Wednesday for dinner at Chicken over Rice, the San Diego Zoo or Balboa Park for a day, No Surf beach in OB, and Encinitas to walk thru town & grab a drink at The Roxy to listen to live music.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family is definitely where I get my knowledge for cooking & pasta and I wouldn’t be where I am today without those amazing family recipes & traditions that I grew up with. My husband, Hunter is why I started making pasta regularly,
once I found pasta was the key to his heart. We started making pasta together weekly for fun and he’s the one who pushed me to start sharing my pasta via social media and the reason it became one of my favorite hobbies, learning new pasta shapes and testing new methods.

Instagram: @Buonapastasd