Naked, fresh with innovative inclusions: pasta’s ongoing evolution

A longtime menu mainstay of Australia’s foodservice venues, pasta has become even more prolific in recent times due to its relatively low cost, ease of preparation and ongoing popularity with customers. What has changed is the types of pasta dishes on offer, choice of ingredients and flavours, and the quality of the pasta component itself.

“Chefs are getting more creative with pasta all the time,” says chef Peter Wright, “adding Asian ingredients like lemongrass and ginger, chili and other herbs and spices which give more aromatic flavours. We’re also seeing the rise of coloured pastas – made with beetroot, pumpkin and squid ink – which in this age of Instagram are important for adding more visual excitement to the plate. So while pasta’s heritage is European, I think as we’ve become a more multicultural society we’ve seen pasta evolve across multiple cuisine styles and menu types – it’s no longer just Italian.”

Certainly the way pasta is presented on the plate has changed over time – today chefs talk about “inclusions”, which doesn’t just mean the pasta filling, as Peter explains: “it can also refer to the bed that the pasta sits on – you might do a braised ragout with pasta sitting on top, or top with slow roasted caramelised onions; pasta can contain multiple inclusions, not just inside it but above and beneath too. Seasonal trends also impact upon inclusions - as fennel’s coming into season, you might do serve a pasta on a nest of braised fennel or add shaved truffle on top.”

Peter prefers to make his own pasta: “it’s not hard and there’s loads of recipes out there. The trick is always make your dough and let it rest for a couple of hours in the fridge – you’ll always have a smoother dough that way. If you buy a good quality pastamaker you can easily make 20 portions of fresh pasta in an hour. If you don’t have the time for that, there are many small producers who will make a bespoke pasta to an authentic recipe for your restaurant or catering business. I always advise shopping local – and most urban suburbs these days will have an Italian pastamaker, typically within a 10km radius of where you are.

What I recommend is to build a relationship with your pasta supplier – treat him like he’s part of your team. That’s very important given the supply chain and skills shortages we have right now.”

Texture is as important as flavour

Chef Adam Moore echoes Peter’s advice about fresh pasta: “In the past six months we’ve seen a lot of foodservice professionals going back to taking the time to make pasta, as opposed to buying it in dried or frozen. I was recently at Casoni in Darlinghurst, they served a handmade fusilli and it was just stunning. They’re really focused on quality over quantity – they have four pasta on the menu and they change daily, it’s all about pushing the boundaries. They’re so refreshing to eat and the texture is as important as the flavour.”

Innovative pasta shapes are also starting to appear on the menu as foodservice professionals continue to experiment. “The traditional form and appearance of pasta has changed dramatically – instead of parpadelle or fettucine, there are new shapes and sizes. I think for a long time we underplayed pasta, it was hidden on the menu – people thought, I can make that at home. But now pasta’s being featured, even showcased in its own section on the menu. It’s become recognised as part of the artisanal experience, and consequently fresh pastas are coming into their own.

“People are experimenting with pasta extruders, hence there’s a resurgence of filled pastas – instead of just a basic agnolotti with cheese and spinach filling we’re seeing everything from caramelised onion and roast beef filling to pulled pork or duck; ingredients which wouldn’t have traditionally gone into a filled pasta. There’s also a move away from using 100 per cent traditional durum wheat, 000 flour, to mixing grains. The most important thing is to ensure a nice soft texture – you don’t want it hard or rubbery. Using an extruder you can create a heavier or softer dough, you can play with different flours to get different strengths.

“We’re even seeing some restaurateurs going back to the basics and bringing in their nonnas to help make the pasta – not only is that really cute, it’s also really smart, because who better to teach the younger generation about making pasta than those who were brought up in that cuisine culture? In other words, they’re taking advantage of their heritage – even in the best pasta restaurants in Australia this is happening, and it’s very cool to see.” 

Complementing the change in pasta’s presentation is an evolution in the other ingredients used with it. “Breadcrumbs are being mixed in with herbs and garlic and used on pasta to add texture,” Adam says, “and I’ve also seen different cheeses, everything from pangrattato to manchego – again, not traditionally used in pasta, but they are now coming in. Smoked cheddar is another option which can add depth of flavour.”

There’s also been a move away from heavy sauces to lighter options. “Enzos, which is a chain of Italian restaurants in Sydney, used to buy in their pasta but now they’re making it fresh every day and they also make five base sauces which they can then build upon, and this is a great strategy. Rather than a base sauce of cream, the move is towards tomato and cream hybrids or even making bechamel sauces from dairy free, plant-based milks. Of course, a simple tomato sauce with garlic and basil is a very traditional approach, and some places are going back to basics and serving that – nothing over the top, and giving customers something a little bit lighter and healthier.

“There’s also a renewed interest in fusion – such as Asian ingredients coming into raviolo – and again this is a far cry from the traditional but it’s great to see this level of innovation out in the market.”

Fresh pasta requires less prep and handling

Gary Johnson, National Executive Chef at ALH Group, emphasises the importance of pasta to the contemporary pub menu: “We always have a pasta option on the menu, but how many choices depends on the local demographic. If we are theming towards Italian cuisine we may even have an entire pasta section – for example we’ve just themed the Queens Hotel in Highgate, Perth as an Italian trattoria so all the pasta there is made fresh on the premises.

“In fact many of our pubs have moved to fresh pasta because there is a lot less prep and handling. With dried pasta you to have to cook it off, refresh it, portion it, reheat it and sauce it – there’s so many steps in the process!”

Gary says fresh pasta offers a superior flavour and texture – “to me it tastes a bit silkier. We prefer fresh pasta made with egg, as it’s a little richer in flavour, and when you’re using pasteurised eggs it’s quite safe, plus you won’t get black spots. And it’s a much quicker preop: it comes in frozen, we thaw it out overnight then take it straight from the fridge into the boiling water, cook, garnish, sauce and serve. The cooking time’s around four to six minutes depending on the thickness and you’ve got a beautiful dish.”

‘Naked pasta’, ie pasta served without sauce, is another innovation gaining ground on pub menus. “You might toss it in some extra virgin olive oil and serve with chorizo, grilled prawns and green peas, then top with some saffron, double ricotta and lemon,” Gary suggests. “It’s seen as a lighter, healthier option and is particularly popular on the summer menu, which is the right time for those types of garnishes as opposed to the heavier sauces.

“The trend generally is to go lighter with the sauces or have none at all. We’re also tending to use smaller protein serves – intensely flavoured ingredients which are nice seasoned, so quality as opposed to quantity. A squeeze of lemon, good quality olive oil, some flavoured vinegar, nice fresh seafood or pulled meat are all choices which work really well as long as the ingredients are quality ones. Toss a little wild rocket through the pasta as it’s coming out and you have a dish that’s colourful and appealing in its presentation as well as its taste.”