On Tuesday, Goodles: Noodles, Gooder launched a brand-new boxed mac & cheese product on its website, featuring a proprietary noodle recipe that’s packed with nutrients and protein but tastes like the noodles many people grew up eating.
The company intends for it to be available at grocery stores in the first half of next year, although they are still finalizing things with retailers, says Deb Luster, Chief Impact Officer at Goodles.
Zeszut laughs when asked how her partnership with Gadot came about, and says she thinks about it every day.
“She tells this incredible story that she grew up in Israel and had an aunt and uncle that lived in the U.S.
Zeszut and Gadot also connected over a passion for nutrition, and as busy working mothers seeking an easy, nutritious meal that the whole family could enjoy.
Rather, the pasta in Goodles has been reengineered to include 15 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber and 21 nutrients derived from plants like chickpeas, kale, pumpkin, and maitake mushroom in every serving.
Goodles has four varieties available: Cheddy Mac, a creamy, classic mac & cheese; Shella Good, with aged white cheddar and shells; Twist My Parm, a spiral noodle with Asiago and Parmesan; and Mover & Shaker, a cacio e pepe-inspired mac.
The cheese tastes of the real cheese it’s made out of, and the two bind together to create a pasta that’s probably more delicious than what you remember eating as a kid, without any unnecessary additives or dyes.
Even with the help of a highly skilled research and development team, “This took us over 1,000 versions to get right,” says Zeszut.
“Getting this just right was extraordinarily difficult and apparently why no one has done it before, because it’s hard.
As soon as the company receives the green light from the city, it plans to open its doors and offer samples of its product in-house.
And it’s all the things that Santa Cruz is, so this is the perfect place to have our headquarters for the Goodle brand,” says Zeszut.
“My wishes are coming true to get to do this work in Santa Cruz, with an extraordinary team around me in such a fun place,” says Zeszut.
Lily has reported on Santa Cruz County’s food scene for the past ten years, and attempts to widen the lens of “what’s good to eat” beyond the many excellent local brick-and-mortar establishments to include trends and industry news, from craft beer, food trucks and pop ups, and to the agriculture industry and labor market.