Naples (Italy) | Pasta Chef - 7 June, 2023

The view from Anna and Guiseppe's apartment in north Naples is fantastic! Mt. Vesuvius is visible to the left, and the Gulf of Naples is to the right. Anna and Guisepppe will teach us how to make pasta today!

I am the first to arrive at Anna and Guisseppe's apartment. My hosts live in the penthouse, or the top floor of the building. They have a lovely apartment with a balcony that surrounds the apartment. The kitchen is already prepared for the night. 

Soon after, Victoria arrives. She's a young Russian woman who arrived in Naples only minutes before the class tonight. "The other four women took the wrong metro, so we might as well start," says Anna after showing Victoria and me the beautiful views. "Tonight, we will make three types of pasta, Gnocchi, Ravioli, and Scialatielli," she says. I've already prepared the sauces, says Anna as she gives us the rundown of each sauce, how it is made, and which pasta goes with it. Below is Anna on the left, me, Guiseppe, and Victoria.

I can already tell this is going to be a fun experience. Anna and Guiseppe always ask for my and Victoria's phones to take pictures. Anna and Guiseppe keep the mood light which is great! "You focus on making pasta. We'll take the pictures and send you the recipes later," says Anna.

We get to know each other while waiting for the others to join us. We talk about life in our countries and recent travels. Soon Anna shifts the conversation to the Ukraine-Russian war. It is rare for the three of us to chat with a Russian that speaks English so well. How has the war affected Russia? How are people doing there? I ask. "Life is good in Russia. People have more money now than before the war. Many of my friends travel then return to Russia to make money because everything is cheap right now," says Victoria. I follow up, "So there isn't much economic impact then?" "No. Life is good. Gas, oil, and utilities are cheap right now because no one is buying Russian energy," she says.

Victoria is unphased by the questions and is pleasant person to be around. After Anna asks a few more questions, she says, "Let's start before it gets too late." She invites Victoria and me to gather around the table. "Victoria, you will make pasta for Ravioli. And Martin, you will make Scialatielli, a long pasta. Then we will all make Gnocchi together," says Anna as Guiseppe takes photos and prepares to guide us through the process.

I add the salt, egg, milk, and Semolina flour to the Type 00 flour and begin mixing.  

Guiseppe demonstrates how to knead the dough. "Like this," he says, squeezing the dough through his fingers as he closes his hand on the dough. Then a few minutes later, he says, "Now like this." Guiseppe uses the palm of his hand to knead the dough against the tabletop. This is so different than last night when I was making pizza dough. There is nothing delicate about making pasta dough.

Anna grabs my dough and says, "Good. Now switch." She gives my Scialatielli dough to Victoria and hands me the Ravioli dough Victoria was working on. Wow! This is so much easier! The consistency of the two doughs is a sharp contrast. "The Semolina flour (i.e., high gluten) has made the Scialatielli dough much harder to knead," says Anna. As we finish kneading the dough, the other four women arrive. We wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. Soon all 6 of us are making Gnocchi together. Anna has already pre-boiled and mashed the potatoes that serve as the base for this pasta.

From left to right are the four Israeli women, Melty, Grace, Rose, and Mickey, then me and Victoria in the front. Making the Gnocchi takes little time as the four Israeli women do lots of baking. They are accustomed to kneading dough. Not only are they quite good at it, but the four of them keep me laughing the entire time!

"Are you married? Children?" asks Mickey. No to both questions, I say as I laugh at her directness. Then Mickey looks at Victoria. "Are you married? You want children?" By now, I am laughing out loud as Mickey gives a slight nudge of her head towards me. 😂

It appears that Mickey is intent on playing matchmaker tonight. One thing I learned about Israeli women tonight is they are persistent. Mickey and her friends make innuendos and drop casual but not subtle hints that they intend to set up Victoria and me. Fortunately, this keeps the mood light, and all of us are constantly laughing! 😂

Here I am passing the Scialatielli pasta through the pasta machine. I make several passes, then we repeat the process with a different sequence for Ravioli.

We also take turns using the pasta machine to cut the Scialatielli pasta into long thin strands that resemble Linguini. The pasta is then placed on this drying rack for about 10 minutes before placing it in the water. Drying the pasta reduces the moisture content and helps ensure the pasta will keep its shape during cooking.

Then we make the Ravioli stuffed with Parmesan and Ricotta cheese. First, we cut round discs from the thin pasta using a cookie cutter. Then we wet the edge of the bottom piece and add the cheese mixture to the center. Then place a matching pasta piece on top and join the halves together.

After we have made all the pasta, then we sit at the dinner table. Guiseppe begins cooking the pasta. Anna is serving wine and being a great host. She begins by serving us an entree she prepared before we arrived. Two Bruschetta dishes. One with mushrooms and the other with eggplant.

The Scialatielli with tomato sauce with Parmesan cheese is up first. This sauce is the most complex, with olive oil, tomatoes, and garlic. One of the reasons I wanted to learn to make fresh pasta was to elevate my pasta dishes. There is not a single dried pasta that can come close to replicating the flavor and texture of fresh pasta. It is a whole different experience when the pasta is the star of the dish!

The cheese Ravioli with a simple tomato puree sauce is next. In between each dish, Guiseppe cleans the table and brings out new plates and silverware. "Keep the sauce simple for Ravioli because there's a lot going on with the pasta. More wine?" says Anna. Eating the Ravioli gives me all sorts of ideas on ingredients I could stuff them with. The slightly larger round Ravioli is a perfect size for balancing the flavors of the pasta and the stuffing.

Lastly, Gnocchi is served with a fresh basil pesto sauce. Gnocchi has never been my favorite pasta. I find it to be mushy, and frequently, it sticks to my teeth. That changed tonight. This is by far my favorite meal of the night. Fresh Gnocchi is incredible, and the pesto sauce brings it to life! And no sticky pasta!

Finally, we finish Lemocello and a couple of Neapolitan pastries, Rum Baba, which resembles a mushroom. The other four are mini Sfogliatella pastries. A great way to finish off a fantastic evening!

Anna sends me all the recipes, including one for making my Lemoncello. The popular after-dinner drink, Lemoncello, originated from this region of Italy. Anna also sends links to the pasta maker and pasta drying rack. I now have access to everything I need! I can't wait to make fresh pasta again! Gnocchi requires no special equipment and will likely be the first I try on my own!