The Pasta Factory

There's something about Italian that I find irresistible. It could be the smooth curls, the silky texture or maybe because it's naturally so um... fresh? No I'm not talking about that sweet-talking Italian with his pointy leather shoes; I'm talking about homemade Italian pasta.

Forget Fatti's and Moni's, I was never sold on the whole idea of pasta in a box in any case; it just seems so... boring!

Over the years I have avoided the stuff like the plague (especially those pre-race carbo-loading affairs), unless of course it's that homemade variety at Pick n Pay that's made of egg or spinach... something with a little more pizzazz for your penny.

Call me a pasta snob; I just don't do no-name-brand specials, no matter how cost-effective they may be. It's a student affair. Full stop.

The real deal

This brings me to the topic of my encounter with the Pasta Factory, one that I've been meaning to have for a while now, except they were never open at night before. And now that they are, I thought a little rendezvous would be appropriate.

A haven for eTV employees during the day, The Pasta Factory, which nestled on Park Road in Gardens (next to Rick's Cafe and across the road from Greens), is a little quieter at night.

Owner Juliane and her daughter Katherina run the show, and have an inherited knowledge of the 'how-to' of pasta making, with fresh seasonal ingredients and warm personal touch to boot...

The industrial-style space is first and foremost a 'pasta factory' where pasta is made. But then of course you get to try your factory fare (cooked in front of you) at the establishment as well.

What's on the menu

To start there's also a ton of antipasti (think fresh bruschetta, Carpaccio and traditional Vitello Tonnato) that you can try, and like any Italian eatery there's pizza on offer too.

Fussy foodies like myself can choose rye or whole-wheat pasta in the form of Tagliatelle, Conchiglie, Linguine, Fusilli, Pappardelle, Mafaldine, Penne-Rigate, Potato Gnocchi or Spaghetti.

There's everything from the authentic Traditional Beef Bolognese (R40) and Alfredo (R42), to the more excitable Manzo — beef strips and fresh rocket with Bianca sauce and pecan nuts (R48) as well as some filled pasta.

On my visit I tried the Smoked Salmon Ravioli (R40) with Rosa sauce, fresh coriander and lemon zest. Wonderfully simple, the dish's flair lies in the pasta itself...

I was rather impressed with their winelist, which they put together themselves, with some firm favourites like Haute Cabriere Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, the Fat Bastard label, Warwick's 'First Lady' and Diemersfontein Pinotage making the cut. And appropriately I even saw a Sangiovese on offer.

The Pasta Factory also do great cappuccinos (I unashamedly had two) as well as authentic desserts like Cassata (R20), Italian Cornetti (R22), Nutella & Fresh Fruit Pizza (R35), and even a Banana Split Pizza (R25).

The breakfast menu is worth investigating (in terms of price anyway), with the likes of Bacon, Egg, Tomato fried or scrambled eggs served on ciabatta or croissant (R30), or how about Smoked Salmon Trout with scrambled egg on a croissant (R30)?

The Pasta Factory is decidedly cheaper than most eateries in the city, which offer decent chow, and certainly a cut above anything that comes in a box (oh and you can buy your own pasta here to take home — in a packet, naturally).

The Pasta Factory is open from 8am-11pm from Monday to Saturday. For more information visit www.pastafactory.co.za.