Barilla is more than just dry pasta served in a blue box. That’s the idea behind a string of restaurants launched by the global pasta maker, known more for its boxed pasta and ready-to-eat sauces found in dozens of grocery stores around the country. The company, founded in Italy 1877, is opening its first two fast-casual Italian eateries in Southern California this month.

Casa Barilla opens Monday, Nov. 6 at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. The second is slated to open at USC Village Nov. 18. The 2,600-square-foot South Coast Plaza restaurant is taking over part of the space once occupied by Rainforest Cafe, directly below Din Tai Fung near Sears. Barilla, which makes 2 million tons of product a year, opened its first restaurant in late 2013 in New York.