Pasta Making at Papa Amadeus

Pappardelle pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes and crab meat from Papa Amadeus. Photo by Jamie Alvear

On May 20, the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Texas and True Italian Taste present the Authentic Italian Table: A Celebration of Pasta, Italy's Gift to the World. The event will take place at Bayou City Event Center, 9401 Knight Road, from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $35 and include free parking, wine and samples from over twenty Houston-area restaurants. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.com.

According to Italian film director, Federico Fellini, "Life is a combination of magic and pasta." I believe that pasta itself is magical. Imagining a world without it would be practically im"pasta"ble. Spaghetti, fettuccine and lasagna may be the most common types, but this versatile gift from Italy comes in hundreds of shapes and sizes. 

Pasta comes in all shapes and sizes and can be dried or fresh. Photo by Jamie Alvear

Making fresh pasta may seem like a daunting task, but the results are worth it. One of my favorite dishes is the Pappardelle Bolognese from Papa Amadeus. I reached out to owner Art Huerta to see if I could stop by for a quick lesson in pasta making. Papa Amadeus is a locally-owned restaurant in Spring, Texas. Huerta opened the restaurant to honor his grandfather, who was a fantastic baker. Huerta has over 20 years in the restaurant business and has worked for many Italian restaurants throughout Houston.

Chef Rodrigo stretches the pasta several times through the pasta machine until it is just right. Photo by Jamie Alvear

I met up with Chef Rodrigo Soriano to begin my quick course in pasta making. Pasta can be made with flour and water or flour and eggs. Pappardelle is a thick, flat ribbon-shaped pasta made with egg. The egg gives it a richer taste and the yolk adds a touch of color. Chef Rodrigo made the dough the day before so that it would have time to rest before stretching. The dough is run thorough a pasta machine several times until it is the right thickness. It is then folded and cut into strips. Sounds easy, right?

Pappardelle is cut into wide, flat ribbons after being stretched to the right thickness. Photo by Jamie Alvear

After taking the time to make homemade pasta, the last thing you want to do is over cook it. Pasta should be cooked al dente, which means it is still firm when bitten. You don't want pasta that is going to turn to mush when topped with sauce. Now, I normally order my pappardelle with Bolognese, which is a rich, meaty sauce. Today, Chef Rodrigo chose a lighter sauce to highlight the freshness of the pasta. Onion, garlic and tomatoes were gently sautéed in olive oil before adding crab meat.  The pappardelle was then added to the pan for a quick toss in the sauce to absorb all the wonderful flavors.

Pasta can be topped with a variety of sauces, but a simple one of tomatoes, olive oil and crab meat lets the pasta be the main focus. Photo by Jamie Alvear

The finished product was a beautiful and flavorful dish that showcased the versatility of pasta. It was paired with a lovely Nebbiolo, another wonderful gift from Italy. Pappardelle gets it's name from the verb pappare, which means "to gobble up". I did indeed gobble up this dish and I look forward to many more memorable pasta meals. Buon Appetito!

Note: This blog post has been entered into the 2018 Houston Pasta Blogger Competition.