Pastosa Ravioli-In the media

Pastosa Ravioli In The Media

V i d e o

Select from the video player above one of our featured Pastosa Ravioli Videos.

Video: Behind The Scenes at Pastosa Ravioli
©2009 Evans Films All Rights Reserved

Video: "Dave Evans Wants To Be A Chef" (Filmed at Pastosa Ravioli)
©2009 Evans Films All Rights Reserved

Video: "Forest Avenue Ravioli Shop Draws Huge Christmas Eve Crowd" (NY1 Online Video Opens In A New Window)

A r t i c l e s

Food Lovers' Guide to Brooklyn

Pastosa Ravioli, 7425 New Utrecht Avenue between 74th Street and 75th Street; (718) 236-9615; Subway: D, M to 71st Street; pastosa.com. The flagship of this ravioli empire is in Bensonhurst. Here, the windows of the red-painted corner store are filled with hanging cheeses and meats. Inside, the shelves are home to many types of large round ravioli (from earthy mushroom to broccoli rabe to pumpkin with a hint of nutmeg and the most popular, the creamy cheese-filled ones that are made with Polly-O brand ricotta, a company that the owner used to work for and always believed in) and medium-size square ravioli stuffed with meat, spinach, or cheese. The house-made pastas also include cheese-filled manicotti and stuffed shells; ricotta cavatelli; tortellini stuffed with spinach, cheese, or meat; and fresh cut pastas like linguine, fettuccini, ziti, and fusilli. Today, the store stocks imported cheese and cured meats like pepperoni, hot Italian dried sausage, and sweet sopressata. The Pastosa brand includes their own sauces (think vodka, Alfredo, marinara, pesto), house-made mozzarella cheese, an entire counter full of premade foods (like fried cheese ravioli, rice balls, and mozzarella sticks), and their own line of canned goods like tomatoes and roasted red peppers.

Pastosa Ravioli in Bon Appetit Magazine (PDF file)

Pastosa Ravioli in Brooklyn
B. Smith with Style

PASTOSA RAVIOLI is a favorite of food critic Arthur Schwartz, who took B. to visit Pastosas in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. Pastosa is known throughout the New York area for fresh ravioli and other pastas. Anthony Ajello started the company in 1967. The store became so successful in its small Brooklyn community that Anthony decided to expand to new neighborhoods. Over the past 25 years, the Ajello family have licensed the "Pastosa" name to eleven other locations in the NY city area and Long Island. Pastosa Ravioli stores make all of their ravioli and premium pasta fresh daily, using only the finest ingredients. The classic ravioli filling consists of ricotta cheese, parsley, grated Peccorino cheese, with some eggs, red pepper, black pepper, and salt. Pastosas offers 24 different flavors of ravioli, all made on the premises. B.and Arthur Schwartz watched a batch of spinach ravioli being made, while Anthony Ajello, son of the owner Michael Ajello, described the process. The dough consists of flour, water, eggs, and spinach powder for coloring, and the filling was ricotta, spinach, eggs, Romano cheese and fresh parsley.

Anthony loaded dough into both back and front of a ravioli machine. The machine pumps filling into each ravioli as it goes through, then puts the top layer of dough on, and seals the edge. It makes a very delicate edge, with beautifully thin dough, which cooks in just 8 minutes. The raviolis are packed in special boxes and supplied to restaurants, retail stores, and individuals. Cornmeal sprinkled on top prevents the dough from drying out. The ravioli will last in a refrigerator 4-5 days, in a freezer for up to a month. To cook frozen ravioli, simply add 4 or 5 minutes to the cooking time.

Pastosa Ravioli
7425 New Utrecht Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
(tel.) 718-236-9615

© 2009 B. Smith, At Home With B. Smith ® and B.Smith With Style ® are registered trademarks owned by Barbara Smith.

More media featuring Pastosa and Pastosa Products will be added frequently.