Mention Italian food, and pasta immediately comes to mind. While pasta is a staple in every part of Italy, pasta and pasta dishes vary from region to region. Many northern regions of Italy use all-purpose flour and eggs, while Southern Italy traditionally uses semolina and water.

By Italian law, all dried pasta (pasta secca) must be made from 100% semolina. Fresh pasta (pasta fresca) can be made with slightly different ingredients. The silky texture of fresh pasta is a joy on the tongue; the flavor is thought by many to be richer, most probably due to the inclusion of eggs and olive oil in the dough.

Making homemade pasta requires only a few simple ingredients and basic techniques, but the result is far from ordinary. As is the custom from the northernmost tip of Piedmont to the southernmost tip of Sicily, pair your pasta with the freshest of seasonal ingredients to serve up a true taste of Italy. Buon Appetito!