First Ravioli Store

Not sure what happened to this gem of a store, but it is nothing but a health hazard now. I hadn’t been in for a long while and was there yesterday. I walked in and was jst about kncked out by the distinct odour of rotting food, and when I picked up a package of pasta from the shelf, I noticed a pile of mouse droppings. There is a reason there hasn’t been any reviews on this place for a few years! It’s a real shame. The ladies who used to run this store were lovely, but, alas, are no where to be found.

I love this place! My desire to avoid too much wheat wishes I’d never discovered it, but my tastebuds love that I did! The staff look a little standoffish when you walk in, then they open their mouths and you’re instantly family! They’re super lovely folks, really friendly and very helpful.
We’ve got cheese, sliced meats, and olives here before, but let’s be honest, we’re here for the pasta. Looking at the cabinet you see 20 – 30 different types of yum from spinach linguine to butternut squash ravioli to chicken and garlic mezzalune — and they’re all delicious! I’ve tried many, many kinds but I keep coming back to the butternut squash ravioli; they’re HUGE, seriously, 4 pieces and you’re done (for a good 20 minutes before you want waaaay more!) and the taste is strong, rich, and sweet. They’re perfect with a fresh, light tomato sauce with mozzarella! For a long time I only got the fancy flavoured pastas (can’t blame me for that!) but one day I was hoping for something simple and grabbed some spinach linguine… ohhhh yes. Yes yes. Don’t be afraid of the «plain» pastas because the taste and texture of fresh pasta is so damn mindblowing you will adore it!
Everything is fresh and delicious here. Don’t miss out on their homemade pesto as well — it’s incredible! It’s in the freezer in the back, tucked away between aisles of dry goods, but go hunting — you won’t regret it!

This place is great! The pasta is fantastic, the customer service is excellent and prices are cheap. I highly recommend the crab ravioli as well!

first came upon this place after buying a deal from social shopper and have been coming back since. try the smoked gouda sacchetti, it is SO GOOD

Shopped there for years, but it’s looking a little «tired» lately.
Picked up 2 cans of «Bonta» anchovies yesterday {prepared for Bosa foods, whom I’m not a fan of} for a dinner party.
Opened the boxes only to find the expiration date was 10/​08/​2012 {packed on 10/​02/​2011}.
It’s March 2013 now.
There were NO expiration date markings on the outside of the box.
I’d suggest carefully looking at the expiration date of anything you purchase there, and if there is none, there’s probably a reason why.

This is THE place to go for fresh ravioli and tortellini. So many fillings to choose from! You could probably try a different one each night for at least two weeks. Hmmm maybe that will be my next challenge…
My absolute fav is the wild mushroom.
The ladies that run the store are so helpful and delightful to interact with. They’ll portion out the ravioli for you, point you in the right direction for ingredients and I dig being called bella.
If pasta’s not your thing they carry pretty much anything «Italian» you may need for your cooking adventure. Homemade sauces, olives, capers, fresh buns, cheese and meats.
So the next time you’re stuck on dinner ideas head to First Ravioli. You’ll find something to enjoy.
#30daysofyelp ¹⁰⁄₃₀

Need some Italian stuff? This is your spot. So many jars of capers, sundried tomatoes, and garlic to choose from! So many types of olive oil! SO VERY MANY SHAPES OF PASTA.
Vegans, note that they do not have any eggless ravioli available, but there are plenty of other delightful vegan-​friendly items here. I love this store.

I’m not sure why this place received such good reviews, the food does not look very fresh. I was under the impression that the «fresh» pastas were made on the premises, just like the fresh pasta shops you would find in Italy. But the tortellini looked and tasted just the same as the ones you can buy at Safeway or Costco.

One of the best places to craft an Italian meal, the people here are so helpful from pairing pasta with cured meats, sauces and anti pasto! Mange mange!

Il cielo italiano! = Italian heaven! Yep — that’s my rough translation. Without a doubt, First Ravioli’s got this scrumptious pillowy thing in the bag. Check it out for yourself:
Allow me to start off by saying my dinner tonight was delicious. Where did I go? Why, *la mia cucina* (my very own kitchen), of course. But it doesn’t hurt to have fresh, tasty ingredients as well.
So, who you may ask, was the star of my entrée? Ah, it was the butternut squash whole grain ravioli, shaped as mini crescent moons. It was like eating a piece of November in the middle of spring. (I should note that November’s my favorite month.)
And the best part of the meal? That it was ready in a matter of minutes — 4 minutes in boiling water, to be exact. No need to dress up, no need to go anywhere — so content am I just sitting here, after gorging on 220 grams of ravioli + pesto + prosciutto, I was (more than) stuffed to my heart’s content.
Good thing I had the foresight to pick up some other raviolis as well — something to look forward from *la mia cucina.* And when I do return to First Ravioli, I’ll remember to stick to what they’re known for (pasta), and steer clear of the prosciutto, which tasted like it’d be sitting out in the sun for who knows how long.

Oh my god good ravioli. Tried the Gorgonzola walnut and artichoke roasted pepper, we couldn’t stop eating. Can’t wait to try the whole wheat goat cheese and spinach ricotta in my freezer. Dinner for 2 from $ 5 – 8, excellent price for amazing pasta and about half what you’d pay for less at Granville island.

Super friendly and helpful staff will help you choose some amazing Italian treats to buy! Fantastic selection of fresh pastas, cheeses and imported foods.

Why is Commercial Drive such a great place to live? Oh, I dunno –maybe because I can just grab some homemade prosciutto and parmesan ravioli on my way home from work? Yep, there aren’t too many neighbourhoods where you can say THAT.
These friendly Italians make some of the best fresh pasta in the city. Sure, the prices on some of the more «luxury» pastas can get a little pricey, but oh man, is it ever worth it! In all honesty, their stuffed pastas are priced about the same as a package of Olivieri pasta at Safeway, but are ten times better. If you’re in the ‘hood, pay the ladies at First Ravioli a visit –you won’t be disappointed.

You want fresh pasta, fresh sauces, pesto? A large selection of antipasto? Anything to do with Italian eats? …Honestly a superb selection of all of the above. I’ve never had fresher pasta and I’d honestly be lost on making my own. THIS is the next best thing.
Pricey but perfect…

This place was recommended to me by the guys over at Moccia. And boy, were they right. It’s the freshest pasta I have found in Vancouver, a world away from Duso’s, and made my mediocre pasta sauce taste AMAZING.
Inside, the store looks like every other Italian store on East Hastings. However, you’ve just gotta try their fresh homemade pasta.

The fresh pastas here are a staple at my house. The variety of veggie and meat filled pastas keeps me coming back to try the new offerings every couple of weeks. You can try anything from a chestnut and garlic stuffed ravioli to a crab an lobster tortellini — the stock is always changing so you are bound to find something you’ll like. I can also stock up on the habenero stuffed olives my husband loves, fresh Italian sausages, hard and soft cheeses and frozen pizza crusts that I love to have on hand
The staff is very helpful and have given me numerous recipe ideas as I stand a peruse their delicious goodies. I definitely recommend this place when you’re in the mood for an interesting pasta dinner. Cheaper and even more delicious than heading to an Italian restaurant!

First Ravioli could only do better if it had more room to provide even MORE amazing Italian specialities, but of course, it would lose its authenticity and that is the best part!
First Ravioli is truly authentic in nearly every way, save for the plethora of imported goods, this is the place to come to for your fresh, dry pastas, olives, cheeses, meats and every other Italian specialty you can imagine… seriously! The quality is very high and so the lines are long but it is most certainly worth the wait.