In association with
When it comes to food, Italian is up there with the best of them. From fresh burrata and San Marzano tomatoes on pizza to decadent desserts like gelato and tiramisu, Italian cuisine is as sophisticated as it is satisfying. But perhaps our favourite of all is pasta. Long, short, stuffed, bow-tie shaped — you name it, there are oodles of noodles for everyone's palate and something suited to every sauce and style.
Ruben Rapetti, an executive chef at Terroni, rolls pasta and whips up cacio e pepe at Spaccio East.
To learn more about the Italian staple (which dates back to the 13th century), we roll up our sleeves, dust our counters with flour and head into the kitchen with Ruben Rapetti, one of the executive chefs at Terroni. The Italian chef began his career in a small seafood restaurant and later studied at Alma, George Brown College's Italian sister school. From there, he travelled to China, France and the U.K., complementing his Italian background with global cooking skills.
For the latest episode of In the Kitchen with Foodism: Back to Basics, Rapetti gives us a masterclass in pasta making, walking us through a variety of fresh pasta and different flour. The Italian chef also shows us how to whip up the classic, cacio e pepe — literally meaning cheese and pepper — drizzling the delectable sauce over his freshly made spaghetti alla chitarra. Whether you leave feeling inspired to start handmaking your own pasta or just motivated to grab dinner, this episode is guaranteed to fill your appetite.
George Brown College's Italian Culinary Arts Postgraduate program helps students immerse themselves in Italian culture, gaining the classic techniques they need to make authentic food from across the country.
Stay tuned for more chef-led Back to Basics videos with George Brown College's impressive roster of graduates and instructors.
Ready to start rolling? Watch Ruben Rapetti's full pasta-making video above.
