Fasta & Ravioli Co.’s Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: How long should I boil long pasta?
A: It depends on the thickness of the pasta and your preference on the “al dente-ness” of the pasta.  For all pasta, begin with a 6 quarts of water.  Bring the water to a rolling boil (add salt if desired). For thicker fresh pasta (fettuccini or linguine) add it to the boiling water, stir with a fork to seperate the pasta if necessary, and let cook for 3-4 minutes for al dente.  If the thick pasta is frozen, cook for 5-6 minutes.  For thin, fresh pasta (angel hair, pappardelle, spaghetti), boil the same amount of water but only cook for 1-2 minutes. If the thin pasta is frozen, cook for 3-4 minutes.

Q: How long should I boil ravioli?
A: Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil.  Submerge the frozen ravioli in the boiling water. Bring water back to a gentle boil, then cook for 5 minutes.  Avoid stirring aggressively as it can break apart the ravioli, causing the delicious fillings to boil out.

Q: How can I keep my pasta from sticking together?
A: It’s quite simple! There are two methods: 1. You can add oil to your boiling water. The oil should penetrate the pasta enough that once drained, it will stay separated.  The second method is: you can gently toss the oil with your pasta in a bowl after you drain it.

Q: In what quantites do you sell your pasta?
A: We have several different types of pasta, sold in different weights. All of our fettuccini is sold in ¼ lb. “coils,” so if you want a pound of fettuccini, you would receive four coils.  All of our long, extruded pasta, such as angel hair, linguine, linguette, and pappardelle, are sold in 12 ounce bundles.  All of our short pasta, such as penne, radiatori, and fussili, are sold in 12 ounce packages.  Our ravioli are sold primarily by the pound, with a few exceptions.  We have 3 varieties, New Orleans Voodoo, Crab, and 3-Cheese, which are available in half pound packages.

Q: What sauce pairs well with my ravioli?
A: Insert fasta pairing chart! COMMIG SOON!

Q: Do you make gluten-free pasta?
A: We do not have a gluten-free line...yet! We are currently working on recipes so that your gluten-free pasta will taste delicious!

Q: How long will fresh pasta stay in the refrigerator?
A: We recommend only keeping your fresh pasta in the refrigerator for 10 to 14 days. Any longer and it begins drying out.  If you buy your pasta more than a week in advance, you can freeze it for up to 6 months.  Freezing has very little, if any, effect on taste. The only difference is that you may have to cook it a minute or two longer.

Q: I’m having a party. How much pasta should I buy per person?
A: We say that generally, ¼ lb. of pasta is a serving.  Our ravioli is sold by the pound. One pound will feed 3-4 people, depending on their appetites.

Q: Do I need to thaw my ravioli before cooking?
A: No need to thaw! Just throw the frozen ravioli in boiling water, and you’re ready to go.  Fresh ravioli tends to stick to one another, so we freeze it for your convenience.

Q: Do you take orders?
A: Of course! If you have a special request, we are more than happy to accommodate it.  To place an order, call the shop or stop by.  

Q: Why should I buy fresh pasta instead of dried pasta from the grocery store?
A: The quality of ingredients in fresh pasta are far superior to dried pasta.  The texture, flavor, and variety of fresh pasta is glaringly better. Once you have fresh pasta, you’ll see what you’ve been missing out on!

Q: Do you have a menu?
A: We do not have a menu, however, we are happy to tell you what varieties we have if you stop in the shop or call us.  We do have egg, wheat, spinach, and roasted red pepper fettuccini available daily, as well as pappardelle.  Our ravioli freezer is usually stocked with all of our varieties of ravioli, such as 3-Cheese, Autoport Chicken and Spinach, Artichoke Asiago, Crab, Spinach, Roasted Garlic and Chicken, Truffle and Sweet Pea, Veal, Fancy Meat, New Orleans Voodoo, Sundried Tomato, Portabella Mushroom, and French Onion. We also have radiatori and fussili, tomato sauce, and vodka sauce.  Some of our sauces and ravioli, such as pesto, Butternut Squash, Tomato Basil, Pumpkin, and Pumpkin-Ginger-Cranberry Ravioli, are available only seasonally.

Q: Do you have specials?
A: We have a monthly ravioli special. You can find out what this month’s is on our Facebook page or in the shop.

Q: How many ravioli are in a pound?
A: The amount of ravioli per pound differs based upon the density of the filling.  As a general guideline, we say that 1 pound of ravioli can have anywhere from 32-36 ravioli.

Q: Do any local restaurants serve your pasta?
A: Yes! Our pasta is currently served at Otto’s Brewery, Spats Cafe and Speakeasy, Luna 2, Harrisons. We are in the process of getting our pasta in more local restaurants, so stay tuned!