In 1942, Pasta Amore founder, Giuseppe Capellini, emigrated from Venice, Italy to St. Louis, MO. For five years, he worked mornings as a dishwasher and evenings as a cook at two different Italian restaurants, earning the money to open his own restaurant. In 1947, he opened his own restaurant in St. Louis in an area known as The Hill. His ambitions were high, and Giuseppe opened what would eventually become a landmark in the St. Louis dining scene. When it first opened, Pasta Amore had perhaps the most comprehensive Italian menu in St. Louis. Giuseppe introduced dishes from northern Italy such as fettuccini alfredo.
The second generation of Capellinis, Milo, Lorenzo, and Angela, joined the family business in 1968. In addition to adding some new dishes, they added varieties of pan pizza and mouth-watering desserts.
Nearly 20 years later, in 1999, the third generation, Luca and Antonio, took over the business. They became one of the first restaurants to have their own brick oven to create the finest pizza in St. Louis.