Pasta fresca – ‘incoscienza’ and a real belief in the quality of food

Stella and David in their newly opened shop in Sligo, specialising in handmade fresh pasta!

Pasta Fresca is getting better all the time. As well as their fresh handmade food they now have also got lots of interesting and delicious Italian pantry products: Pistachio Cream Spread - Peach and Amaretti Jam - Wild Fennel Pesto- Caputo 00 Flour - Canned San Marzano tomatoes - Rummo Dried Pasta

Pasta Fresca in Sligo like many new start-ups was conceived during the recent pandemic. David vividly remembers when he and Stella got the idea of producing fresh pasta for sale:” During the very first Covid lockdown, in March 2020, after receiving the gift of a pasta rolling machine from Stella’s parents in Italy.” And we still remember the first time we bought fresh ravioli from Stella and David at the Sligo Farmers Market sometime in October 2020. One Saturday over at the corner we saw a new bright yellow sign “Pasta fresca”, walked over, looked at the delicious and beautiful freshly made products and made our first purchase.

From farmers market to shop

We asked Stella about their experience at the farmers market and how that lead to opening their own shop: “Our first day at the Farmer’s Market was in September 2020 and from then on we were really able to engage with customers and establish a relationship with them. We came to understand how our product might be received and that there could actually be a market for fresh pasta in Sligo.”

Starting a business in a time of crisis and then opening a shop two years later isn’t easy and we ask what gives them the confidence to do it? They both look at each other and smile before they answer:

“It is not really confidence, just madness we suppose. In Italy there is an expression, “incoscienza”, which roughly translated means foolhardiness, this seems fairly suitable to us! Probably a combination of “incoscienza” and a real belief in the quality of our food.”

The Beginnings

Pasta Fresca! was cooked up by Stella, who came to Sligo thirteen years ago from the beautiful city of Florence in Tuscany, and David, a Sligo native from the foot of Queen Maeve’s Knocknarea. “We are thrilled to share our take on the old, traditional ways of the Italian kitchen with the thriving new food movement taking place in Sligo.”

Naturally we are very curious about their background. Did they always cook or bake? Stella: “I started cooking from a very young age with my grandmother and my family in general. I worked in food businesses since I was 19 and from here I developed a love for everything food related. Through the years I have worked as an ice-cream maker, a chef and a baker!”

David: “I don’t have much of a background in the food industry, everything I learned was at home, in college or cooking with Stella.”

Italian recipes and local suppliers

We ask how they come up with their recipes and if they are traditional Italian?
“We like to bring authentic Italian recipes into our shop but also enjoy experimenting with new flavours and what is seasonal in Ireland” explains Stella and David adds: ”Our most important ingredients are eggs and flour as these are the two base ingredients for our pasta! Our food is a mixture of locally sourced produce and specialist Italian ingredients.”

Where are they getting their ingredients from and do they have local suppliers we want to know? “We source our eggs from the lovely Ann and Tommy at Ballysadare Free Range Eggs and we also like to source seasonal ingredients from nearby farms as much as possible such as the guys at Knocknarea Farm. Total Produce helps us with sourcing the more specialist Italian products and ingredients like our flour. For our meat ragu and classic lasagnes, we use the super tasty beef and pork mince from Quality Meats in Sligo Town.”

…fresh pasta takes three minutes to cook

When we visit Stella is just stocking the display with freshly made vegetarian lasagne, which triggers our next question about their most sought after pasta and their bestsellers? “Of the pastas, tagliatelle would be our best seller. But our classic lasagnes are a definite hit and regularly sell out - especially on a Friday!” says Stella. What is special about fresh pasta? “ And as it’s fresh, it takes only 3 minutes to cook – meaning your meal is ready for the dinner table in no time.” says David.

Although they have just opened their shop in Grattan Street they are full of ideas and plans for the future: “Our shop is still very much a work in progress” says David and Stella continues “in time we would like to add a few more elements to it, such as a dessert fridge and some produce from Italy. Pasta-making workshops are also very much in the pipeline!” You better watch this space.

New opening hours will be Wednesday to Saturday, 10.30am - 6pm

***Pistachio Cream Spread - Peach and Amaretti Jam - Wild Fennel Pesto- Caputo 00 Flour - Canned San Marzano tomatoes - Rummo Dried Pasta***

Here we have Stella and David Uncovered

What is your favourite food?

Stella: Ice-cream! Specifically from Perche’ No, the best ice-cream shop in Florence! I could survive on that alone (and I did while I was working there).

David: I think the meal I enjoy most is a good homemade shepherd’s pie on a cold day.

Finish the sentence: A food producer is…

Stella: I like to think that a food producer is someone that creates food with love, to make the people that will eat the food feel a moment a joy.

David: Someone that can create something great from very little.

The country you travel for food:

Stella: I like to experience the food of each country I travel to, it’s one of my favourite parts of travelling.

David: Going to Italy with Stella is always an education and an experience for me - especially when it comes to fresh food, ingredients and the culture and respect Italians have when it comes to preparing and enjoying food. That’s without even going into how good everything tastes over there.

Three things you always have in your larder/fridge?

Stella: It’s hard to narrow it down but I’d say pulses (such as chickpeas, beans etc), jars of tuna and pasta - but I also can’t live without cucumber!

David: I’ll go for the fridge so and say eggs, ‘Nduja sausage and tomatoes.

What is your most used gadget?

Stella: I’m not much of a gadget person but probably my trusty coffee machine.

David: My very old Sandisk MP3 player that is probably not long for this world!

Do you read food books and which one do you come back to?

Stella: Yeah I do like to peruse food books for inspiration. The one that I keep going back to though is one of the oldest Italian food books, “La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene”(in English, “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well”) by Pellegrino Artusi.

David: I can’t say that I’ve read many food books but I am looking forward to reading Stanley Tucci’s recent book, “Taste,” which we have at home.

Who is your inspiration (not necessarily from the food):

Stella: My nonna, she is my inspiration both in the food-related world and in life in general.

David: My friends and family. And David Lynch.

What are you currently listening to?

Stella: I’m listening to a variety of things really, from podcasts on strange events to Italian music and the latest Bjork singles from her new album.

David: I’ve been listening to the new alt-J album a lot recently, it’s brilliant.