Barilla is buying one of America’s fastest-growing mac and cheese brands

A fast-growing maker of nutrient-dense macaroni-and-cheese could soon be elbowing for more shelf space in grocery stores thanks to its acquisition by a pasta powerhouse. The iconic Italian pasta maker Barilla Group announced Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire Goodles, a relative newcomer to the pasta aisle, for an undisclosed amount. The deal will usher in a new era of growth for the Santa Cruz-based company that was founded in 2020 to offer a healthier alternative and new innovations to the boxed mac-and-cheese market that’s long been dominated by Kraft Heinz’s Kraft and Velveeta brands and General Mills-owned Annie’s Homegrown. The deal will help the mac-and-cheese maker to expand internationally without causing much of a stir internally, as Jen Zeszut, co-founder and CEO, will remain at the helm of the company and it will continue to operate independently as a standalone brand once the deal is finalized. In characteristic fashion for Goodles, which has become known for its cheeky marketing and brightly-colored packaging, it announced the deal in a press release that was sprinkled with exclamation points and the sorts of details not typical for such announcements. “I knew t…