by Sandra Tornberg

An eagerly awaited new business opened in Shelby Township on July 15. Eataliana Homemade Pasta, located at 52901 Shelby Road, at 24 Mile Road, sells many varieties of fresh pastas and sauces that are made on the premises. The many pastas include spaghetti, fettucine, pappardelle, mezzamaniche, and strozzapreti. You can also buy canneloni and lasagna, or choose from five types of ravioli: halfmoon ravioli (filled with ricotta and Parmeggiano Romano cheese and spinach), sunflower ravioli (filled with prosciutto, Grana Padano cheese and ricotta), square ravioli (filled with braised beef and pork, carrot, celery, and onion), triangle ravioli (filled with Gorgonzola cheese, walnuts and ricotta), and zucchini ravioli (filled with zucchini, Speck and ricotta).

Their delicious sauces include Bolognese, arrabbiata, matriciana, salsa rosa, pesto, and cherry tomato sauce.

The pasta is made on state-of-the-art machines that were imported from Italy. They arrived with a chef who spent three weeks here setting up the equipment and working with the proprietors Michele and Eleonora to test it out.

Michele was born in Romania and Onora in Albania, both immigrating to Italy with their families as small children. They met when they were both studying at Sapienza University in Rome earning degrees in Languages and Culture. Michele was also interested in cooking and worked in restaurants in Rome, while Eleonora taught Italian to foreign students in the public schools in the Castelli Romani, south-east of Rome. She also worked for the Associazione Tuslcolana Solidarietà, a non-profit organization that assists the poor, the handicapped, those suffering from addiction and mental illness, troubled youth, and immigrants. Michele and Eleonora decided to move here after visiting her parents, who had immigrated to Shelby Township.

You can eat at Eataliana Homemade Pasta, order a carryout, or purchase the pasta and sauce and cook it at home. They offer Caprese, Greek, and Antipasto salads, and Eleonora also makes delicious Tiramisu.

Please stop by and meet Michele and Eleonora, and try some of their delicious pasta.