---

The plan was to quietly open Pasta Volo, with the word going out to just few friends for a trial run.

What resulted was a busy Saturday with most of her homemade pasta and sauces selling out by Sunday afternoon.

“I had to close early,” Pasta Volo owner Cathy Bergamo [at right] said Wednesday afternoon, her third day in business.

The city resident fulfilled a dream this weekend by opening her small eatery what has become a popular block in Asbury Park.

This past year, Bond and Bangs Apothecary, Talking Heads Barbershop, Spirit Cove and Kur Wellness Center joined Dr. Pat Connolly’s Chiropractic office and The Daley Practice yoga, all located within the health and wellness district along Bond between Bangs and Summerfield Avenues.

Bergamo is among a growing trend of female entrepreneurs choosing Asbury Park for their business ventures. Donna Harrison’s Chocolate Sage, Jackie Sharpe’s Purple Glaze, Laura Brahn and Grace Crossman’s Cardinal, and Vivian Taormina’s Bond and Bangs Apothecary, opened this year.

Bergamo, a former Monmouth Beach resident left without a home for a year after Superstorm Sandy, chose Asbury Park for her home and small business venture.

Scratch-made is the concept behind the shop, from its décor to its recipes.

“I did all the work with help from friends,” Bergamo said of the design. “We used plywood planks on the floors, grooved them to look like tiles then painted and then applied a coat of polyurethane.”

The commercial grade metal counter was custom cut by Bergamo and the wall art was a contribution from a friend she’s known since high school. The front window seating area is a showcase for Bergamo’s hand made cheese graters pendant lights [shown above]. The shop’s black and white palette with hints of red offset the handmade colander pendant lights sprinkled throughout the eatery.

But, what has everyone in town talking is Bergamo’s freshly made pasta coupled with her sauces.

The dining concept is simple:

Walk in, choose your pasta, pick your sauce, add toppings, and take away or grab a seat and listen to a little Sinatra crooning in the background. Each personalized dish is served in Chinese takeaway style cartons, making the walk and eat experience much simpler.

“This is awesome,” said Zach Sigman, who stopped by the shop for the first time Wednesday. “What a great concept. I love places like this where you can create your own. There’s so many options, you can go plain or…”

Sigman chose Creste de Gallo pasta, the Arrabbiata sauce, added fresh roasted garlic, chicken, sundried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and lightly seasoned sautéed broccoli. His tab – less than $9.

Bergamo spent a month traveling from Venice to Calabria in preparation of the shop’s opening, she said. Among the recipe tips she’s incorporated is roughly chopping the basil for her Pesto sauce instead of placing it in a blender.

“It’s a much better flavor,” she said.

The custom take away menu will be paired with point-of-sale pasta and sauce purchase options, allowing one to add finishing touches at home, Bergamo said.

Pasta Vola is located at 419 Bond Street. The shop is open weekends, with the weekday hours remaining loose until the grand opening ceremony – planned for the second week of June. For more information, call 732-361-5549 or visit Pasta Volo’s Facebook page.

————————————————————–

Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

---