About Us
Back in 1953, Maria Leonardi opened a small shop called Maria's Ravioli, producing and selling a variety of pasta products and sauces, all made from fresh ingredients on the premises. Her cooking recipes and traditions have since been passed down through 3 generations of her family and still delight an ever increasing group of customers and its reopening with new name "Nonna Maria's".
Most customers recall Maria as the gentle, white haired, and aproned woman who was eager to spend her time sharing cooking tips as well as pleasant conversation during her 35 years working at her shop. Born in New York City, Maria was raised by her grandmother in a small mountain village near Genoa, Italy where she learned the Genovese style of cooking that endures in many of her shop's recipes. After returning to the USA, Maria worked in the kitchens of some of New York's most elegant restaurants.
Maria opened the doors of her ravioli shop in Clifton, New Jersey in 1953 with the help of her family. She worked there nearly every day until her passing in 1988 at the age of 83. It was the true joy of her life to "wait on customers", as she would describe it. Through a large viewing window in the shop's retail area, fascinated customers eagerly watch the pasta machines as they combine flour and fresh eggs, ricotta, meats and grated cheeses to create pasta, ravioli, sauces and take home prepared meals. Children and adults alike delight in watching Maria's many fresh pasta sizes cut to each customer's order behind the retail counter.
Maria's many sauces range from thick and hearty meat or mushroom sauces to a lighter, chunky tomato marinara sauce to a creamy pink vodka sauce to her specialty Genovese style pesto sauce. Her signature soup is pasta fagioli.
A children's favorite is the raviolini, which are bite-sized mini-ravioli. They are also available in many different fillings, as are the agnolotti, tortellini and cappelletti—which also make an excellent addition to soup.During the holiday season, the aroma of baked take home meals such as manicotti, stuffed shells, lasagna, baked ziti and meatballs fill Maria's customers' homes.
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