Original Rosa’s Pizza in the Jackson Heights shopping center on 31st Avenue always has something new and delicious cooking and this summer is no exception. Owner Rosario Panepinto is constantly looking for ways to improve service to his loyal customers. Eat in at their glass-topped tables, flanked by bright murals on the walls boast sweeping vistas of Italian seaside villages and now enjoy an ice-cold beer or wine while you dine.

Panepinto’s secret is freshness and customer satisfaction is his reward. He insists on preparing his pizza dough and sauce fresh each day and all entrees are cooked to order on the spot. The freshly baked pizza is tops in my book for its crisp and tender crust and delicious toppings. My personal favorite is the bruschetta pizza, made to order with fresh arugula and tomato atop the light and crispy crust. There are also stuffed pizzas, vegetarian pizzas with eggplant and cheese, and meat lovers pizzas loaded with sausage, pepperoni and ham. If you crave something light, try the grilled chicken Caesar salad which is ample enough for a meal in itself. Its house dressing is tangy and delicious. The new foccaccia sandwich is light, crispy foccaccia bread, filled with fresh eggplant, mozzarella and tomato or thinly sliced ham or turkey. By the way, the chef’s homemade rice balls make a great lunch or sidedish.

The entrees and pasta dishes on the menu are as good as many found in fancier Italian restaurants at a fraction of the price. They are served with choice of spaghetti, ziti or house salad, which tosses fresh greens, radicchio, tomato, olives and shredded carrots in a zesty balsamic dressing. Try their veal sorrentino, tender cutlets of veal layered with thinly sliced eggplant and mozzarella in a golden sauce ($11.95). Chicken rustico is a spicy, peasant dish combining boneless chicken breast with slices of sausage, mushrooms and hot pepperoncini peppers in a tangy sauce. A huge portion is only $10.95 and will satisfy even the biggest appetite. A bottle of red wine from Sicily is the perfect accompaniment. The chicken francese rivals that of some fancy Italian restaurants, with three supremely tender chicken cutlets sautéed in a creamy lemon sauce and laid upon a bed of linguine ($10.95).

You don’t have to get dressed up to eat at Original Rosa’s. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your house at all. Any item on their menu, from pizza to their delicious veal pizzaiola, can be ordered for take out with free delivery to most surrounding neighborhoods. An oven in their truck keeps food warm en route to your home or office. Panepinto will happily cater any affair, with all your favorite hot entrees and cold antipasto platters. And what child wouldn’t love a pizza party for his or her birthday?

Pasta dishes are another specialty, featuring your choice of spaghetti, linguini, ziti fettuccine or rigatoni with any one of fourteen sauces, all at an amazing $7.95. The most popular is the vodka sauce, famous for its tangy, creamy texture and flavor. The red clam sauce is also popular, full of juicy chopped clams in a zesty tomato sauce, try the puttanesca sauce with capers and olives or creamy carbonara sauce over spaghetti. My favorite is rigatoni with broccoli, garlic and oil. Light and healthy, the oversized bowl of pasta could feed an army. The homemade lasagna will satisfy even the biggest appetite, with its many layers of cheese, pasta and meat. All pasta dishes are served with a crunchy house salad and a basket of Italian bread. To stay or to go, the pasta dishes are cooked fresh to order, and taste just great.

Overstuffed Italian hot heroes make for a satisfying lunch or dinner with choices including chicken parmigiana, veal cutlet, meatballs or peppers and eggs, an old favorite with my family. A bowl of homemade soup of the day makes a great accompaniment to one of Rosa’s heroes. Finish your meal with a cup of espresso or cappuccino—for a lot less than you’d pay at a fancy coffee house.

Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner until 10 p.m. anytime is a good time to stop in or call Original Rosa’s Pizza for great pasta, entrees, heroes, and of course pizza, all at great prices, with free delivery. Personalized catering is available.

Original Rosa’s Pizza

75-63 31st Ave.

Jackson Heights

(718) 651-8111