Pasta of the fresh-cut kind

Roasted Garlic Fettucine with Mushroom Sauce

A few weeks ago I experienced a gem that was right in my own backyard. It was one of those stores that I always knew was there, but somehow never bothered to step foot in it. I went to other stores and restaurants in its vicinity, but guess I've gotten into such a shopping routine that guess I need to start exploring more what's in my own neighborhood!

Mona Lisa Pasta is a local Italian specialty food store and they have such yummy fresh cut-to-order pasta and homemade sauces, in addition to imported Italian foodstuffs, wines, cheeses, desserts, etc. I had a coupon for buy a homemade sauce, and get a pound of pasta for free lingering in my wallet so I decided one weekend to give them a try. Before jumping into ordering, I took some time to peruse their shelves of imported items and to go over their extensive menu for pastas and sauces. The gentleman behind the front counter was very helpful to show which pastas were available fresh that day and also suggested which sauces would go well with them.

They have several different flavored pastas, from spinach to lemon-pepper to black squid ink, and you can have it cut your way. After some going back and forth, I finally ended-up ordering the roasted garlic fettucine, to go along with their recommended pairing of the meatless mushroom sauce. After the superfast meal-prepping at home (90 seconds to cook fresh pasta!), I was totally hooked. The smell and taste of the sauce was so delish and nothing beats fresh-cut pasta, the texture and taste was well...fresh! I've gone back to Mona Lisa Pasta a couple more times and tried their egg rigatoni and lemon-pepper spaghetti and since then, I've given-up on dried pasta haha I love the sauces I've tried from them thus far, but I also like to cook my own homemade sauces as well. So being able to add fresh pasta now is a great bonus. Buon appetito!