At this strange time, many of us are turning to the kitchen as a means of de-stressing, decompressing, or simply passing the time. A kitchen therapy, of sorts.
In light of developments around the Covid-19 situation, we understand a changing dynamic to everyday life - we are finding ourselves increasingly secluded, looking for ways to connect with one another, and to calm our uncertainty about the future. Here at Pasta Evangelists HQ, we’ve worked hard to come up with a uniquely Pasta Evangelists effort to keep the nation entertained, while encouraging audiences to stay indoors, and in turn, save lives. Hence, the birth of our Pause for Pasta movement. What exactly does this entail, you ask? Every week, we call upon our incredible chief Pastaia (pasta maker), Chef Roberta, to bring you a series of live cook-along videos, free to view and participate on our Instagram.
From kneading dough to rolling pici, or deftly shaping fresh cavatelli, there’s no better kitchen therapy than pasta making, and we strongly believe this is a perfect means of keeping busy, and most importantly relaxed, at this stressful time. The art of making pasta is a soothing one, and serves as a perfect excuse to indulge in a little mindfulness while expanding our culinary knowledge in the process. And who wouldn’t love a little more Italianità in their lives?
Be it classic pasta all’uovo (egg pasta), in fun, kid-friendly shapes or tasty plant-based and pasta bianca (white pasta) dishes, our aim is to arm you with a plethora of varied pasta recipes, shapes and techniques, ensuring you maintain a wealth of boredom-easing and soothing kitchen therapy exercises at your disposal.
Our Pause for Pasta cookalongs are suitable for the whole family, as well as those working from home; classes are no longer than 20 minutes each, so you can participate on your lunch break - convenient, right? Should you find yourself unable to join us live, our cookalongs will remain on our Instagram stories for 24 hours after the initial broadcast.
Your typical Pause for Pasta week is as follows:
- Every Wednesday we hone our dough-making abilities - be it discovering a new recipe, or improving our technique.
- We then reserve our dough for Thursday’s class, where Chef Roberta uses her pastaia magic, to demonstrate new pasta shapes.
- By Friday, we’re ready to enjoy the fruits of our labour - but not before we prepare a delicious sauce or garnish - the focus of our final class of the week.
Be sure to keep an eye on our Instagram stories and posts, to find out what ingredients you'll need for class the next day. Roberta’s kitchen inventory will typically consist of simple tools & ingredients, that you are likely to have in the kitchen already, or that can be found in any local supermarket. Plus, our team will be live, primed and ready to answer any pasta-related queries you may have.
Introducing Pause for Pasta - the Weekend Edition…
For those unable to participate in our weekly pop up pasta programme, do not fear! Chef Roberta is bringing her formidable pasta know-how online, in a series of virtual weekend masterclasses. Like our weekly lunchtime cook-along 'shorts', Roberta will be appearing live at 12pm on our Instagram channel. On Saturdays, however, she will be sharing the full pasta masterclass experience in one go, from forging your own dough and forming stunning pasta shapes, to preparing authentic Italian fillings and sauces - buon appetito!
What's on the menu this week?
Looking for some spring-time pasta inspiration? This weeks Pause for Pasta theme is all things la Pasqua (Easter)! Wednesday's class will focus on mastering the classic pasta all'uovo (egg pasta), that we will shape into stunning pappardelle ribbons by Thursday, where we'll also be tackling the formidable pasta ripiena (filled pasta). Friday's focus will be a delicious Ragù di agnello, or lamb ragù, paying homage to British Easter tradition.
What ingredients do I need?
Wednesday:
- 200gr flour
- 2 large eggs
Thursday (for the pasta ripiena):
- 250gr ricotta
- 80gr pancetta (omit if vegetarian)
- 50gr Gorgonzola, or vegetarian blue cheese (e.g dolcelatte)
- 30gr Parmigianno Reggiano, or Italian hard cheese
- Black pepper, to taste
Friday
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 small red chilli
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 4 bay leaves
- 1/2 shoulder of lamb, cut into chunks
- 100ml red wine
- 500kg ripe, fresh tomatoes, or the equivalent in canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
Calling all budding Pastai!
Should you find your kitchen therapy paying off, be sure to capture an image of your stunning pasta creations for the chance to win a six month supply of delicious, gourmet pasta dishes, delivered to your door, on us! To enter, simply employ your newly cultivated pasta know-how to whip up your finest pasta creation, and tag us on social media using the hashtag #pastaevangelists. Don’t haste, as entries close 14th April - good luck, or as they say in Italy, in bocca al lupo!
A great part of kitchen therapy is getting to enjoy the delicious dishes you create. Share the joy of great food with a friend or family outside of the household with a Pasta Evangelists pasta care package. We’ve partnered with AgeUK to create our feasting box with a conscience, consisting of three delicious and nutritious pasta dishes, delivered to yours or a loved one’s door, all of which are ready in under 10 minutes. We’ll donate £5 from every box to AgeUK*, supporting the amazing work they're doing at this challenging time. #PastaCare
*£5 from every box sold will be donated to Age UK (Registered charity number 1128267) to provide support for older people in need. Funds will be used wherever the need is greatest.