How to make fresh pasta (2024)

by Kathryn Burrington | Emilia-Romagna, Europe, Italy, Popular, Recipes

I love pasta! Spaghetti, lasagna, tagliatelle… I love it all and although the dried pasta you can buy in any supermarket across Britain is very nice, there is nothing quite like fresh pasta. I recently spent a fun afternoon at the culinary school of Casa Artusi in Forlimpopoli, Italy, learning how to make fresh pasta and it is so easy.

The lesson started with a demonstration and then it was our turn to don our aprons and hair nets (not my best look!) and get stuck in. Each pair of students were assigned a volunteer to walk us through the process step by step. It was wonderful to see that Italian’s are so passionate about food, and sharing their knowledge,that local ladies regularly give up their time to help out at the school. As well as learning the correct techniques and recipe, we shared a lot of laughs.

My volunteer instructor at Casa Artusi

Which pasta with which sauce?

There are reputedly over 300 different pasta shapes, many of which have multiple names which change depending on the region of Italy you are in. It’s less crucial with fresh pastas, as they tend to soak up sauces more readily, but selecting the right pasta to serve with the right sauce is important and can make a big difference to the enjoyment of a dish.

In a nutshell, like goes with like – delicate pasta goes well with a delicate sauce, while chunky pasta goes better with a heartier, chunky sauce while thick pasta should be matched with a thick sauce.

Casa Artusi

Casa Artusi is a fabulous school offering a wide range of courses in Italian home cooking suitable for all levels of experience from beginners to professional chefs. In my experience, their classes are not just educational, they are also great fun. Visit their website for more information Casartusi.it.

Pellegrino Artusi

The school wasfounded in the name of the gastronomist from Forlimpopoli, Pellegrino Artusi, known for his wonderful book ‘Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well‘. The book is a collection of recipes from all over the country first published in 1911. He travelled the country promoting his book and people started sending him recipes which he added to future editions, the last of which contained over twice as many recipes as the original. For this reason, it is now said to have been written, not simply by one person but by the people of Italy, and it is a traditional wedding gift for thebride-to-be.

I came home from Italy, not only with a copy of the bookbut with a new rolling pin and this board used to make garganelli. Time to try it out and impress my Italian mother-in-law-to-be perhaps… yikes!