Frank DePasquale owns half a dozen restaurants in the North End as well as a pasta shop, a bakery and an extended-stay residence, and the mogul will soon add another attraction to his portfolio in the newly reopened Assaggio. Starting early next year, guests will be able to crank out housemade pasta during classes running on the second level from Monday to Saturday. Each session will focus on Italian favorites—from gelato to mother sauces and, of course, fresh pasta—and conclude with a multi-course meal and a wine pairing from an expert sommelier. DePasquale already has an acclaimed arsenal of culinary creatives lined up to lead the four-hour classes, including chefs from Positano’s renowned Buca di Bacco who will give students a taste of how it’s done in Italy. In the meantime, DePasquale dished on a few of his must-do’s when making pasta at home.

• Use double-zero flour when making the dough.

• Knead your pasta and roll it out thin. You can cut it by hand and make ribbons using a pizza cutter.

• Use San Marzano tomatoes to make a fresh pomodoro sauce. Don’t let them touch a knife; squish them by hand into the pan.

• Scoop a ladle full of the starchy water used when boiling the pasta into the sauce while it cooks.

• Don’t run water over fresh pasta when straining it—that takes away all the starch, which is what holds the sauce in the pasta’s nooks and crannies.


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