From dine-in to take-and-bake and more, Lucchesi’s serves up Italian food that Memphians love
Photography by Mirza BabicLucchesi’s owner Michael Robilio is handing out pretzels to kids and joking with a spice supplier. He greets a rotating door of faces new and old at his lively Memphis restaurant. This is just a regular Tuesday morning at Lucchesi’s Ravioli and Pasta Company. For 23 years, Michael has built up the Lucchesi’s community and served quality Italian food that Memphians love.
“Whatever you invest in the community, you get back more,” says Michael.
Lucchesi’s beginnings date back to 1990 when father-son duo Vince and Pat Lucchesi started baking and sharing their Italian grandmother’s recipes for a Memphis market. In 1999, Michael joined the team as a partial owner. Bringing over 20 years of grocery industry experience, Michael was eager to expand Lucchesi’s to include delicatessen selections and take-and-bake meals.
“I loved the deli,” Michael says. “That was the big thing my stores were always good at.” Michael says he found great mentors in his father and two uncles, owning and operating two grocery stores under their tutelage.
Now as Luchessi’s sole owner, Michael has maintained many of the Lucchesi-family original recipes while adding several signature favorites and a deli-like experience to his store. Sales have expanded to local Whole Foods and Cordelia Market, and Lucchesi’s offers shipping and catering options too.
Take-and-bake pizzas and daily fresh subs, soups, and salads fly off the shelves at Lucchesi’s. But front and center in the store’s lineup are fresh, house-made pastas, offered almost any way you like. Choose from ready-to-eat signature dishes, or grab a container of fresh linguine or ravioli to cook in your home kitchen. Choose their fresh pasta sheets to try your hand at making custom ravioli or cutting your own pasta shapes. You can even pair them with Lucchesi’s from-scratch sauces—from pesto or marinara to Bolognese or cacciatori wine.
Signature pasta favorites
Lucchesi’s stocks plenty of ready-to-eat entrées, served as individual portions or casserole style. These favorite recipes vary from traditional Italian to regional comforts. The wonderful ingredient they all share? Fabulous fresh pastas.
Lasagna
This classic dish is a Lucchesi’s staple. Fresh pasta sheets are made in-house every day. Meat sauce preparation is a full-day process, but it’s worth the fuss. After the sauce has simmered and the lasagna is assembled, this sauce is the star of the show. Fragrant and rich, meat sauce marries with high-quality ricotta and mozzarella for a savory and filling meal.
“Everything is made fresh,” Michael says. “I refuse to cut corners. I’m too old.”
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
You’ll agree no corners were cut in the making of this over-the-top-creamy alfredo sauce. Fresh fettuccine is the perfect vehicle for spooning up its every little bit. Chicken is baked daily and tossed in with a roasted garlic seasoning to complete the dish.
Chicken Tetrazzini
Mushroom lovers, rejoice! This mushroom sauce is light and flavorful. Finished with sherry wine, it’s fruity and savory and perfect for soaking up with those pieces of diced chicken. Traditional players, sautéed peas and mushrooms, add some earthy flavors and textures. Poured over fettuccine noodles, this meal is sure to please.
Chicken Rotel
This Southern favorite gets an upgrade with Lucchesi’s fresh angel hair pasta. It’s creamy and cheesy with a hint of spicy. It’s Velveeta in its highest form. Red peppers and onions flavor and boost the sauce. Add some chicken and you’ve got yourself a homestyle meal.
Ravioli
You haven’t tried ravioli until you’ve tried it at Lucchesi’s. Traditional meat or cheese ravioli hit the mark, but why stop there? Lucchesi’s offers seafood, spinach Gorgonzola, and bacon iterations. Benton’s Bacon Ravioli blends fluffy ricotta and cream cheese, dotted with delightful bacon bits throughout. Enjoy them buttered, or pair them with your favorite sauce.
Take-and-bake style
All of Lucchesi’s pastas can be enjoyed in-store or carried out in convenient, ready-to-heat containers. “People take our food home anyway. It works for us!” Michael says.
While the take-and-bake menu is partly for efficiency’s sake, it’s also a way for Lucchesi’s to make sure customers are taken care of from afar. Come in for a sandwich at lunch, carry out your fully prepped dinner fixings. Grab a casserole for the family, and another for your neighbor going through a tough time too.
A lifelong Memphian, Michael feels grateful to the Lucchesi family for creating the restaurant he now owns, and he’s glad to have grown its legacy. “We do the basics everyday, but we’ve also expanded and are always adding new options,” he says.
Come next year, Michael will scale back to two days a week at the restaurant as he nears retirement age. General manager Jamil Leake has 22 years of experience at Lucchesi’s. She is poised to preserve the same customer experience as she takes on additional responsibility.
Michael anticipates that the Lucchesi’s kitchen will continue to take care of Memphis customers and serve the community for many years to come. “We’ve built our culture into our store,” he says.
Lucchesi’s Ravioli and Pasta Company
540 South Mendenhall Road
lucchesis.com
Allie Arnell is a freelance food writer and snack chef to three. She enjoys creativity, connection, and exercise. When she’s not chasing PRs or toddlers, you can bet she’s making a mess in her Collierville kitchen. @allie.arnell
Mirza Babic weaves captivating narratives through visual and written forms of expression with a foundation in photography and content creation. Beyond the lens, Mirza’s versatility extends to music production. Mirza is dedicated to crafting compelling narratives and immersive experiences that leave a lasting impact. @mirzababicfoto