Italian pasta making workshop at Macchè Pasta Workshop in Voorburg. Italy is renowned for its rich culinary traditions, and pasta is one of the most beloved dishes worldwide. Although making pasta might seem complicated, I discovered during a workshop at Macchè Pasta Workshop, that creating fresh pasta is not only achievable, but also incredibly fun and satisfying. Here is my experience.
Watch my video here for an impression: Pasta workshop with Macchè Pasta Workshop.
No Experience Needed
Before I started the workshop, I never thought I would be able to make Italian pasta myself. It seemed like a complicated process to me, because I had no experience making pasta. To my surprise, I managed to make fresh pasta during the pasta workshop of Macchè Pasta Workshop. This was thanks to the help of two Italian ladies, Antonella and Alessandra, real Italian pasta experts. What was also special: everything was vegan.
WRKSHOP Inspiring Location
The pasta workshop took place at WRKSHOP, a creative space located at Van Wateringelaan 1b in Voorburg. This co-working space houses various creative businesses, including a bakery and a skate rink. The inspiring environment stimulated our creativity and perfectly fit with the theme of the workshop.
Passionate Italian Pasta Instructors
Antonella and Alessandra, the instructors of the workshop, are passionate pasta lovers. Their love for pasta began in their childhood. They shared memories, of how their grandmother gave them a piece of dough to play with, while they made pasta for the whole family. Making pasta turned out to be a cozy and bonding activity, something I could vividly imagine. On a warm summer day in Italy, outside in the sun, making pasta together with the whole family. A connecting activity, that they wanted to share with us.
Pasta Shapes
Every Sunday, they learned to make a new pasta shape. There are so many different shapes and variations, that you can experiment endlessly. Alessandra showed us a book with all kinds of pasta. During the workshop, we made ravioli and tagliatelle. We started with simple shapes and worked our way up to real works of art.
Making the Dough
Antonella explained step by step how to make pasta dough like a pro. Our dough was colored pink with beetroot juice, which turned out to be a fun and creative process. Kneading the dough was hard work, but essential for a good texture. The secret lies in the kneading: you have to knead the dough well with special techniques, before you have a firm, homogeneous ball of dough.
Break and Focaccia
After kneading, the dough balls needed to rest for half an hour. This gave us the opportunity to sit together and enjoy a drink and Italian focaccia. This delicious fresh focaccia, a thick bread with Italian herbs, was baked especially for us by the baker in the building.
Making the Italian Pasta
Once the dough had rested enough, we continued making the pasta. We used an authentic pasta machine, to create beautiful flat sheets of dough and long strands of tagliatelle. Shaping the pasta was also a lot of fun. We started with simple shapes and soon recognized the well-known ravioli, filled with delicious fillings. It was a proud moment, when we saw our own ravioli, which you normally only see in the supermarket or a restaurant.
A Fun Activity Making Italian Pasta
Making pasta turned out to be a very fun and cozy activity. Antonella and Alessandra guided us through the entire process and ensured, that everyone had made real Italian pasta by the end of the day, regardless of experience. I highly recommend this pasta workshop!
Book Your Pasta Workshop
Would you also like to attend a pasta workshop?
Then book your pasta workshop here: Macchè Pasta Workshop.
Address:
Macchè Pasta Workshop
Location: WRKSHOP
Van Wateringelaan 1b
2274 CA Voorburg, the Netherlands
Highly recommended for anyone who wants a unique and creative culinary experience!
