No nonna? No worries.
Pasta Grannies the cookbook brings you the access to Italy's homemade pasta-making prowess, thanks to writer and editor Vicky Bennison.
Bennison owns a home in Le Marche Italy, splitting time between there and London. Recording the pasta recipes of Italian grandmas didn't come by chance, as the esteemed food author has a history in writing food guides across the Mediterranean and has even published a book on seasonal Spanish foods.
The Italian nonna-based concept began as a video project, in which Bennison would film regional pasta makers and tell their stories via her . Now, it's a fully-fledged cookbook, and we've managed to get our pasta-obsessed mitts on six handpicked recipes just for you.
Time to bust out a bag of 00.
A traditional dish of Sardinia, culurgiones are made on special occasions, like the end of harvest and the Day of the Dead (1 November), and they are given to others as a symbol of friendship.
Gaia’s culurgiones with tomato sauce Source: Pasta Grannies by Hardie Grant
The town of Selva in the Dolomites is known for its hearty dishes, like canederli – bread dumplings – with each household making their own version. Olga, the Pasta Granny behind this dish, serves hers with goulash or a green salad, melted butter and a shower of parmesan cheese.
Olga’s canederli Source: Pasta Grannies by Hardie Grant
This lasagne recipe comes from Pasta Granny, Franca, who lives south of Bologna. She says of her lasagna, ‘To be a proper lasagna bolognese there should be at least five layers of pasta!’.
Franca’s classic lasagna with bolognese Source: Pasta Grannies by Hardie Grant
Lorighittas are double-hooped, twisted strands of spaghetti. In the days before radio, TV and mobile phones, making lorighittas was an opportunity for women to get together to gossip and sing.
Cesaria's lorighittas Source: Pasta Grannies by Hardie Grant
Raschiatelli, also known as cavatelli, are made from eggless dough rolled into little shells. Here, they're served with chunks of salami, tomato and a fresh kick of horseradish.
Lucia’s raschiatelli with salami and horseradish Source: Pasta Grannies by Hardie Grant
Monica Venturi and her sister own a pasta shop behind the central covered market in Bologna. They invented these ‘pasta baskets’ because they wanted to offer something different.
Keeping traditions alive, watch the Pasta Grannies at work.
Monica’s pasta baskets with ricotta and lemon Source: Pasta Grannies by Hardie Grant
Find all the recipes in the cookbook, edited by Vicky Bennison (Hardie Grant, RRP $39.99).
