Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions that are most frequently asked by our patrons. If you have more questions, please .
Raw Materials
What cheeses does Via Elisa use in filled pastas?
What goes into our fresh pasta dough?
Making the pasta
Where are the ravioli made?
How are they made?
Does Via Elisa make striped, colored or flavored pasta? What about jumbo, heart-shaped or other specialty-shaped ravioli?
Does Via Elisa make fusilli, penne, linguine or rigatoni?
Storing and enjoying the ravioli
How long can the uncooked ravioli be stored in the refrigerator?
Can the ravioli be frozen?
What sauces should I serve with the ravioli?
Quality according to Via Elisa
How do I recognize good fresh pasta?
What is the difference between soft and fresh?
What is the difference between fresh pasta and dried, boxed pasta? Is one better than the other?
Via Elisa Fresh Pasta Innovation
What makes Via Elisa fresh pasta so exceptional?
The Story of Via Elisa
Who created Via Elisa and what is her story?
Via Elisa Services
What are the shop's hours?
Do you serve cooked pasta in your shop?
How do you accept orders?
How can I order Via Elisa Fresh Pasta outside the metro Atlanta area?
How much notice do you need for orders at peak holiday times?
The Raw Materials
What cheeses does Via Elisa use in filled pastas?
We fill our pastas with whole milk ricotta and authentic Parmigiano Reggiano aged a full 24 months. In certain fillings, we use mascarpone, a rich, thick and mellow fresh cheese that is used to add a velvety texture and create a decadent, sweet cream essence. Back to top.
What goes into our fresh pasta dough?
Only the essential ingredients of eggs and flour. We use 100% organic bread and pastry flours,100% organic semolina and free-range eggs. We use free range eggs from hens that are certified humanely treated. Their richness and brilliant color are incomparable. We do not add water, oil, cream or any preservatives or flavorings of any kind to our dough. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is added to discourage the natural process of oxidation and discoloration that can occur in dough. Back to top.
Making the pasta
The ravioli are made at our pastificio in Atlanta , Georgia by a close-knit team of professionally trained chefs and assistants.. Back to top.
We make the fillings and dough for our ravioli fresh from scratch every day. The pasta is made in limited production quantities daily according to traditional Italian methods. We handcraft pasta for top Atlanta-area restaurants and we form ravioli with a custom-made machine imported from Italy. Back to top.
Does Via Elisa make striped, colored or flavored pasta? What about jumbo, heart-shaped or other specialty-shaped ravioli?
At Via Elisa, we respect the wonderful simplicity of Italian pasta-making traditions. Rather than overburden our pasta with superfluous flavors or colors, we create simple, elegant pasta with outstanding, all-natural flavor and color that comes from organic flours and eggs from free-range hens. We only make traditional shapes because the beauty of fresh pasta is found in pure, top-quality ingredients. Simply, we do not make gimmicky shapes or use funky flavors, which often serve to mask poor-quality ingredients. Back to top.
Does Via Elisa make fusilli, penne, linguine or rigatoni?
These pasta shapes are made by extrusion, which requires dry, sturdy, resilient dough that can withstand the pressure of being forced into these shapes through bronze dies. Fresh pasta, being much softer and more delicate, should not be made into these shapes. There is no point in making dried pasta shapes out of fresh pasta dough. It makes sense to buy a good brand of imported Italian boxed pasta when making recipes that demand extruded shapes. Ours is a fresh pasta company and we do not work with dried pasta shapes. Doing so would be like a baker taking on the work of the cheese maker. Back to top.
Storing and enjoying the ravioli
How long can uncooked ravioli be stored in the refrigerator?
Uncooked ravioli can be stored in the refrigerator up to five days after its production date. The production date is marked on the package. Back to top.
It is possible to freeze them upon arrival. Spread the ravioli on a parchment-lined baking sheet or tray in a single layer. Make sure they do not overlap or touch each other. Freeze until they are hard then slip them in a plastic bag and seal, removing as much air as possible. If you cook the ravioli in a large pot of water, it is fine to cook them from their frozen state. Back to top.
What sauces should I serve with the ravioli?
We recommend avoiding complicated, heavy sauces. All of our pasta is delicious with a drizzle of butter or a light napping of broth and a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano Reggiano to allow their marvelous, simple flavors to shine. Back to top.
Quality according to Via Elisa
How do I recognize good fresh pasta?
Good fresh pasta boasts a deep golden, almost saffron-kissed hue from rich whole eggs. It should feel supple but never slick. The pasta is tender; it has body but it is not chewy. Quality fresh pasta is never gummy, pale or rubbery. Our ravioli taste of fresh eggs and are similar in shelf life and pure eating pleasure to a perfectly ripe peach or fine, artisan-crafted cheese. Back to top.
What is the difference between soft and fresh?
Fresh pasta is not necessarily fresh just because it is soft. Industrially produced filled pastas are pasteurized to maximize shelf life while retaining softness. The resulting product is rubbery with a plastic feel and unappetizing bounce. Other pastas contain preservatives or chemical additives in an attempt to maintain the dough's pliability. We do not treat at high temperatures, parboil or chemically preserve our pasta. Back to top.
What is the difference between fresh pasta and dried, boxed pasta? Is one better than the other?
One is not better than the other; they are just different. Fresh pasta is made of refined flour and eggs. The dough is much more delicate than that of dried pasta and it should be formed only in thin sheets. It should not be extruded into shapes. That is why authentic, fresh-cut pasta is always flat, never round. Fresh pasta’s light texture and ability to deeply absorb sauces make it the perfect choice for cream-based and butter-based sauces.
Dried, boxed pasta is made of semolina and water. This resilient dough is extruded, or forced, through dies into round-edged shapes. The extrusion process and firm dough create pasta that maintains firmness while cooking, which, in turn, makes it the ideal choice for very hearty, olive oil-based sauces. Back to top.
Via Elisa Fresh Pasta Innovation
What makes Via Elisa fresh pasta so exceptional?
We are very proud that our ravioli and filled pastas are truly authentic-from the ingredients and preparation of fillings and dough to the hand-crafting of the final product. We are purists and traditionalists-you could find all of our ravioli at family tables in Italy. We do not use chemical flavorings. Our pasta is the highest quality you will find outside of Italy or outside of the finest Italian restaurants in America. We believe in the beautiful simplicity of a few perfect ingredients. Back to top.
The Story of Via Elisa
Who created Via Elisa and what is her story?
After 15 years in Italy, CNN Field Producer Elisa Gambino couldn't find the fresh pasta she loved in her new hometown of Atlanta . So, she returned to Rome and studied pasta making with one of Italy's premier pasta makers. When she opened Via Elisa in Atlanta in 2002, she created a devoted following, with pastas made from organically grown flours, free-range eggs, imported Italian cheeses and whole milk ricotta. From her shop-a replica of a Roman store-Elisa prepares ravioli, tortelloni, cannelloni, gnocchi and cut pastas in small quantities, to ensure quality and freshness. Read more about the Via Elisa Story. Back to top.
Via Elisa Services
Our retail shop in Atlanta is open from noon until 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Back to top.
Do you serve cooked pasta in your shop?
No. Back to top.
We accept orders by phone, voicemail, e-mail and fax and through First Coast Gourmet for out of town shipments. We will always confirm your order. Back to top.
How can I order Via Elisa Fresh Pasta outside the metro Atlanta area?
We are proud that our pasta, ravioli and sauces are carried in all the Whole Foods Markets in the Southeast and our ravioli can be ordered through First Coast Gourmet.
How much notice do you need for orders at peak holiday times?
For orders to be picked up at our Atlanta store, we ask that you order a minimum of three days in advance of major holidays such as Christmas, New Year's and Valentine's Day. Back to top.
Disclaimer:
This information on this site is intended for general reference. While Via Elisa Fresh Pasta 
will make every reasonable effort to maintain current and accurate information on this site, users should be aware that Via Elisa Fresh Pasta accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any material contained on this site and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use.
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