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    July 7, 2020

    The magic of Pasta Grannies: a chat with creator Vicky Bennison - Podcast Episode 17

    Don’t miss this wonderful interview and chat with Vicky Bennison from Pasta Grannies. Her videos of octogenarian (and older) Italian women making homemade pasta are captivating and heartwarming. Plus they dig deep into the hundreds upon hundreds of different pasta shapes throughout Italy.


    Vicky’s Pasta Grannies brand started off six years ago and she realized right off the bat that video was the perfect platform to capture these delightful women at work making homemade pasta. Video allowed Vicky to bridge the language gap and share what is fundamentally the visual magic of homemade pasta making: the pasta itself coupled with delightful women who have most of them been making pasta by hand for half a century.
    Here are just a few of them (photos from Pasta Grannies):

    Ida is full of mirth as she makes her homemade pasta:

    Ida from Pasta Grannies is full of mirth as she makes her homemade pasta

    Italian kitchens are usually quite small but still these joyful women manage to work their pasta magic all the same. Take note of the giant, weathered and dented pasta pot in the background:

    Italian kitchens are usually quite small but still these joyful women manage to work their pasta magic all the same

    Pasta grandmas love to share their pasta-making knowledge with their grandchildren and great grandchildren:

    Pasta grandmas love to share their pasta-making knowledge with their grandchildren and great grandchildren

    Because kitchens are so small most Italian women have a rough-and-tumble weathered pasta board that they keep tucked away and then pull out when it's time to make pasta. The boards are all unique, aged and beautiful in their simplicity:

    Because kitchens are so small most Italian women have a rough-and-tumble weathered pasta board that they keep in a closet and then pull out when it's time to make pasta

    My chat with Vicky delved into her enormous success and how it came about. But it went much further: we chatted about some of Italy’s amazing pastas like corzetti which are made using a corzetti stamp.

    Corzetti pasta with tomato sauce are easy to make and feature gorgeous printed designs right on the pasta!
    Romagoli Pasta Tools corzetti

    Pasta Fagioli, or Pasta & Bean Soup, is prevalent throughout Italy but it’s a classic in Lazio, the region where Rome is located. My own pasta granny - my 90 year old mother-in-law Lidia - taught me this luscious dish many years ago.

    Pasta and bean soup: Simple, hearty, and delicious!

    Vicky and I also discussed what it is about Italian culture that leads to such notable longevity in the population. Diet, frugality, physical activity and social involvement are some of the contributing factors.
    So where will Vicky take the Pasta Grannies brand from here? She still has regions and pasta types yet to film in Italy, like the Calabria region.
    The natural outgrowth of Vicky’s pasta granny videos was a book featuring the grannies and their recipes. If you don’t yet have the book pick up a copy right here.

    Pasta Grannies cookbook


    The book will come out in Italian - "Pasta Le Ricette della Tradizione" - on October 7th, 2020 (publisher: Il Castello Editore) and it’s already a roaring success in many countries around the globe. If you’d like to order your English version copy in Italy you can order it online here.
    Vicky’s expansion could include tv, or pasta grannies in other countries, or....?
    Tune in to the podcast to find out all about Vicky, Pasta Grannies and where it’s all heading in the future.

    How can you support the Flavor of Italy podcast? There are a number of ways to do it:

    • Advertise on the podcast.
    • Support the podcast through Patreon.com.
    • Subscribe and leave us a review of the podcast to help us grow and reach a larger audience! Thank you!

    You might also enjoy this episode about Food Memories.
    And of course if you'd like to try your hand at homemade pasta making here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it.

    Making homemade pasta is easy and fun!
    I MAKE A SMALL COMMISSION ON PURCHASES MADE THROUGH LINKS ON MY WEBSITE. PRICES ARE IDENTICAL FOR YOU, BUT PURCHASING THROUGH MY LINKS HELPS SUPPORT MY WORK TO BRING YOU GREAT RECIPES, CULINARY AND TRAVEL INFORMATION.

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    About

    Wendy at Roscioli
    I’m American and I’ve lived in Italy for nearly four decades with my Italian family. My passion and strength lies in sharing Italian stories, recipes and unique travel insights on my blog, my Flavor of Italy trips and tours, newsletter and podcast. Continue Reading...

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