Colored glass vases, bottles of wine and the most mouth-watering aromas of homemade pasta and simmering Alfredo and marinara fill the small but classic Italian restaurant. Four-top wooden tables and a storefront kitchen add to the quaint yet upscale vibe of Pasta Fresca, squashing all first impressions from the street view.
The Italian flag-inspired road sign and location, adjacent to the Kroger on Forest Drive, make Pasta Fresca easy to miss. However, upon walking in the door, it is clear that the small and cozy restaurant is a neighborhood favorite, with couples carrying on conversations with the kitchen staff, and the manager walking from table to table to chat with diners.
With dishes covering every possible Italian craving, fresh, homemade pasta, meatballs and sauces only add to the menu of classics. And, with entrees ranging from $8 to $17, the latter for some of the seafood dishes, Pasta Fresca fits the most refined of palates, while still offering moderately priced favorites.
The double-sided menu breaks down entrees into three categories: vegetarian, meat lovers and seafood. Vegetarian dishes, by nature the cheapest, include simple but recreated Italian staples including pasta primavera and the Veggie Special — tricolored tortellini and vegetables in a cream-based marinara.
However, the winner of the group may be Pasta Fresca's ravioli, an anticipated favorite. Stuffed with spinach and walnuts, the ravioli is served with a choice of marinara, creamy marinara or Alfredo sauce. For a reasonable $10.45, including a side salad or house tomato basil crab bisque for an extra 70 cents, the signature ravioli dish is filling and delicious — especially when topped with the daily-made Alfredo.
The Angel Checca, angel hair pasta tossed with fresh garlic and roma tomatoes, impressed with basil and olive oil marinade, adding a winning touch to the topping tomatoes. And, the spinach and chicken lasagna, found on the meat lovers menu, is deadly delicious, layered with spinach, ricotta and strips of chicken and topped with the creamy marinara.
Pasta Fresca's salad menu also serves up the simpler, more expected tosses, while offering a few specialty salads for a cheap price. The Greek salad, a cool $9, spices up a favorite with pepperoncini and red onions, while the Caesar salad, for $7, sticks to the classic setup. Mimi's antipasto with artichoke hearts and prosciutto and Auntie's antipasto, with ham, salami and Muenster cheese take a more traditionally Italian approach to the leafy greens.
One downside to Pasta Fresca is that Italian bread has to be ordered off the menu and doesn't come free with the meal, but there are the options of garlic bread, cheese bread or loaded bread, all for under $2 for half of a loaf.
Each dish is more than filling, leaving restaurantgoers regretful that they didn't leave enough room for the simple but teasing desserts — a slice of New York-style cheesecake, an Italian cannoli or Pasta Fresca's "Chocolate Love."
And, another way Pasta Fresca is promoting the Italian dinner is with their Fresca family values, a menu of take-home entrees for families, large groups or parties. It offers the chicken Santa Fe, loaded spaghetti, Pasta Fresca ravioli and more in larger, family-sized portions for those looking to dine in while still having the treat of out-to-dinner, no-cooking-required Italian cuisine.
Pasta Fresca is open Sunday through Thursday, 4:30 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. It is located at 3405 Forest Drive, on the corner of Beltline and Forest.
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