Pasta Puttana Opens Shop in Noble Square on Friday

Jessica Volpe, better known to her followers as the Pasta Puttana, is taking her handmade, seasonal pasta to her new Pasta Puttana shop in Noble Square, soft opening this Friday. The small storefront will carry a variety of pastas as well as a highly curated selection of both local and imported items that go well with the pastas, or as Volpe refers to them, "flavor pairings." Imported cerignola olives, Prairie Fruit Farms cheeses, Volpe's favorite anchovies, and a selection of local meats and produce are some of the items that will be on hand. There will also be Snookelfritz ice cream, just because Volpe is a big fan.

This weekend the shop will likely carry roasted beet pasta and ramp pasta, amongst some of the more classic Pasta Puttana flavors like Fiery Red Chile and Golden Egg. Given the seasonal nature of her pasta, expect the pasta selections and pairing items to rotate on a pretty frequent basis. The plan is to share what's in the shop each day via Twitter.

Volpe will start off selling her sheet pasta and add filled pastas in the next few weeks. You will still be able to find Pasta Puttana at the Green City Market and other locations it's currently sold, but the filled pastas will be exclusively sold at the shop. As for flavors, don't expect the typical four cheese filling either. Aside from the fact that Volpe is allergic to dairy, she really wants to focus on unique fillings that you will likely not find elsewhere. She is also thinking about making handmade shaped pasta, such as macaroni and orecchiette down the line, and possibly a seasonal tomato sauce made in-house.

Although Volpe will have her hands full with the shop for quite a while, she is playing around with the idea of eventually holding pasta making classes in her kitchen at the shop. For now though, you can stop in and pick up your pastas and pairings, Wednesday-Friday from 1-7 p.m. or Saturdays from 11-6 p.m.