Thanks to all who joined us for “Pasta by Hand: A Lesson in Slow Food” last Sunday, hosted by Slow Food Seacoast. We began by making the dough, mixing semolina flour and water, using the “fontana” or fountain method (above).

Once the dough was kneaded and the wine opened, the class was ready to move onto forming it into the different pasta shapes. We started with cappelletti mesicani, or Mexican hats or sombreros. Our friend, John, has renamed this unusual shape after Pinocchio, making for a more fitting description.

Next, we made cavatelli, or little shells. Depending on the hand of the pasta maker, it can be thick or thin, short or long…

…or even ridged, much like gnocchi. These look ready for a sumptuous sauce.

Lastly, we tackled orecchiette, or little ears. The class mastered these, as well as the other shapes, with ease.

In all, it was a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon. To complete the lesson, we ended the day with a pasta banquet shared among new friends and  old.

“We will come to see that preserving a food tradition, renewing a rare breed, and even just sharing a meal together can all be profound political acts — and that, in the end, good protest can start with a pot of good pasta.”
— Josh Viertel, Slow Food USA

Many thanks to John Forti for sharing his photographs with us. To see more from the day, visit Slow Food Seacoast on Facebook.