Traditional Italian pasta becomes art and origami – Podcast Episode 19

Traditional Italian pasta becomes an edible art form in the hands of Laurie de Filippi from Baltimore Home Cook as she creates her pasta art and origami. Pasta, like language, is a constantly evolving cultural part of life and in Italy it’s supremely important.

Laurie is steeped in Italian tradition through her 100% Italian bloodline from all four of her grandparents. Listen to today’s podcast episode to learn all about Laurie and how she takes her knowledge of traditional Italian pastas and weaves her magic into each shape to create tantalizing pasta that is not only delicious but a delight to behold, like these garganelli:

Italy is filled with more pasta shapes and forms than you can possibly imagine and a large percentage of these are documented in the exquisite book, the Encyclopedia of Pasta by Oretta Zanini de Vita and translated by Maureen B Fant. If you don’t have this book in your collection then get it now: it’s a must, and both Laurie and I use it continually.

So many pasta shapes came about as a way to best complement the sauce it’s being served with, so you might want a tubular pasta for something like Spaghetti all’Amatriciana. Or you might want a pasta like spaghetti for a dish like spaghetti with clams where the spaghetti is bathed and coated in the luscious clam sauce.
I think everyone has a pasta they call their favorite, or at the very least a general pasta shape: I am definitely a long and thin pasta girl and love my spaghetti and linguine. My husband and our daughter are most definitely short tubular pasta people. And don’t serve them penne without a ridge because that just won’t sit with them.
Some pastas came about on a very regional and local basis to accommodate a special town festival, event or a holiday. And nowadays pasta is taking a step further as it becomes pasta art and origami.

Laurie didn’t coin the term pasta origami but a lot of what she does is just that:

MIT University has created pasta origami that blossoms into its shape as it cooks.

For recipes and private pasta workshops reach out to Laurie directly on her email: baltimorehomecook@gmail.com

If you’re interested in gorgeous hand-crafted Sardinian brass pasta tools you can find them on Laurie’s Etsy store.

Here are a few more beautiful pasta creations you’ll find on Laurie’s Baltimore Home Cook Instagram profile:

Sardinian culurgiones:

One of my favorite pasta shapes is corzetti that require a corzetti stamp:

Salty Seattle has been creating pasta art and origami for some years, and now has a cookbook, Pasta Pretty Please.

Pasta making is simple and if you’d like to give it a try follow this recipe for making homemade pasta.

The key to making most homemade pastas is a good quality pasta machine.

A pasta wheel and ravioli cutters are necessary to make ravioli.

You may be interested in a few other basic pasta tools, like this gnocchi board that’s also key to making garganelli.

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