Top Sydney chef says we're eating a classic pasta dish entirely wrong
Alessandro Pavoni, an Italian-born chef, has explained that while 'spaghetti bolognese' is a dish eaten around the world – that's not how it is eaten in its native country.
The restaurateur, who opened a'Mare, the hugely successful fine-dining Italian restaurant in Crown Sydney in late 2020, said the mistake lies in the shape of the beloved carb, highlighting many sauces are commonly served with the wrong pasta.
'People love using thin or smooth pasta with chunky sauces — like Bolognese on capellini or pesto on penne,' he told news.com.au.
'It just doesn't work — the sauce slides off or gets lost. You need the right shape to catch the sauce properly.'
Traditionally, Bolognese is dished up with tagliatelle verdi, a fresh pasta recipe made with spinach to give a naturally vibrant, verdant bright green hue.
'The wide green ribbons carry the meat sauce perfectly,' Pavoni said.
'Spaghetti is served with vongole. A light, delicate dish, that lets the clams and garlic shine.'
Using the wrong shape isn't the only mistake Aussies are making when cooking pasta at home, with Pavoni – who first moved to Sydney in 2003 – explaining there are other 'no-nos' to avoid.
'Too much sauce, overcooked pasta, and skipping the final toss in the pan are all things people get wrong when recreating iconic Italian dishes,' he said.
'Pasta should be al dente, coated — not swimming — and finished in the sauce with a splash of pasta water. That's how it all comes together.'
His top tips for mastering the art of pasta at home include, salt your water, use a big pot, and never rinse the pasta.
'Always finish it in the sauce — that's where the magic happens,' he added.
'And don't overthink it. Keep it simple, respect the process, and the pasta will speak for itself.'
The top chef however isn't immune from making mistakes of his own, revealing he recently switched the pasta shape in the iconic pesto dish sold at a'Mare.
'The pesto pasta is one of the most popular items on the menu, but we have moved away from trofie, a short, twisted, spiral-shape, and now use the trottole, a thick twirl,' Pavoni said.
'It scoops more sauce, adds texture, and elevates the dish.
'Customers love it because the pesto is made fresh table-side — the smell, the colour, the texture, it's completely different. It doesn't oxidise, it's vibrant. It's a full experience, not just a pasta dish.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Many cuisines have a version of flatbread, but this might be the best
Paratha, India Plate up Let's talk about flatbread because modern Australian cuisine makes use of many varieties, and they're all good. Call into a restaurant here, and you might be served Italian focaccia, Turkish gozleme, Levantine pita, Persian lavash, Malaysian roti canai, Mexican tortilla, or even local damper. Or, if you're really lucky, you will be served fresh, Indian paratha. This is surely one of the great flatbreads of the world, if not the greatest. Parathas are made with whole-wheat flour that is formed into a dough and then layered with ghee, in much the same way a croissant is layered with butter. Parathas are then cooked on a flat hotplate called a tava, sometimes shallow-fried in more ghee. They're thicker and more luxuriously oily than a roti or chapatti, and can be stuffed with spiced potatoes (aloo paratha), minced lamb (keema paratha), cheese (paneer paratha), or even cauliflower (gobi paratha). This is a North Indian speciality, and one of life's great pleasures, whether you're in India or at home. First serve Loading There seem to be two schools of thought in India regarding the origin of the paratha: those in the Punjab region believe it originated there; those outside Punjab believe it came from somewhere else. There is evidence to support the latter, given there are similar dishes from Persia, which likely made the journey to India via Central Asia and the Silk Road, not to mention versions from what are now Afghanistan and Pakistan, and even Chinese scallion pancake is thought to have influenced the modern-day paratha via ancient trade routes. Indians in many states have since put their own spin on parathas – different fillings, different cooking techniques – and the dish remains popular throughout the subcontinent. Order there
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
Many cuisines have a version of flatbread, but this might be the best
Paratha, India Plate up Let's talk about flatbread because modern Australian cuisine makes use of many varieties, and they're all good. Call into a restaurant here, and you might be served Italian focaccia, Turkish gozleme, Levantine pita, Persian lavash, Malaysian roti canai, Mexican tortilla, or even local damper. Or, if you're really lucky, you will be served fresh, Indian paratha. This is surely one of the great flatbreads of the world, if not the greatest. Parathas are made with whole-wheat flour that is formed into a dough and then layered with ghee, in much the same way a croissant is layered with butter. Parathas are then cooked on a flat hotplate called a tava, sometimes shallow-fried in more ghee. They're thicker and more luxuriously oily than a roti or chapatti, and can be stuffed with spiced potatoes (aloo paratha), minced lamb (keema paratha), cheese (paneer paratha), or even cauliflower (gobi paratha). This is a North Indian speciality, and one of life's great pleasures, whether you're in India or at home.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Perth Now
Gross act costing Aussies $27m a year
Slow-draining toilets and strange gurgling sounds might signal an expensive blockage waiting to strike under your home. Wastewater blockages happen when foreign materials clog sewer systems, often caused by everyday Aussies flushing the wrong items down their toilets. Sydney Water reports that non-flushable wet wipes account for 75 per cent of wastewater blockages in its service area. In NSW alone, the utility can spend up to $27 million a year clearing blockages. Despite this, countless Australians continue to flush 'unflushables,' often unaware of the damage it can cause. Non-flushable material like this can cause costly blockages in our wastewater networks. (Supplied/Sydney Water) Credit: Supplied Sydney Water's principal environment manager Ben Armstrong told that people still believe they can flush earbuds, dental floss and hair. 'But wet wipes are the big one,' Mr Armstrong said. Most wet wipes do not meet the Flushable Products Standard, which sets strict criteria for what can be safely flushed. Products that comply must pass six rigorous tests and are marked with a specific logo or a note that they 'comply with AS/NZS 5328:2022' on packaging. However, Mr Armstrong warns that even wipes marked as flushable can still cause problems. 'Even though they are flushable, it's still material that we will need to remove down the track, at the end of the pipe, so to speak,' he said. To avoid costly and unpleasant blockages, it is best not to flush any wet wipes, flushable or not.' Common signs of a blockage include sinks, baths or toilets emptying slowly, toilets not flushing or overflowing, gurgling noises from drains or toilets, and wastewater overflowing near outdoor taps. If a blockage occurs on private property, it can cause wastewater to overflow inside the home and cost thousands of dollars to clear, expenses borne by the resident, not the water utility. 'Getting a plumber there to unblock that, then the clean-up costs and that kind of stuff, it can add up very quickly,' Mr Armstrong said. 'It's cheaper to stop it from the source than trying to clean it up at the end of the pipe.' He urges all Australians to prevent blockages by only flushing the 'three Ps' - pee, poo, and (toilet) paper. Footage reveals what happens if you flush the wrong thing down the toilet. picture: 9 News Credit: Channel 9 Following this advice not only reduces the risk of a costly plumber visit but also lessens the strain on water utilities nationwide. Cutting down on non-flushable items like wet wipes going down toilets could reduce the number of blockages that need clearing from wastewater systems, saving millions in repair costs. 'That's a lot of money that we'd rather put into other things like saving water, water leaks, and upgrading our wastewater treatment systems to actually lessen the impact on the environment,' Mr Armstrong said. He also cautioned against putting inappropriate materials down household or public drains, including fats, oils, and grease, which can combine with non-flushable waste to form fatbergs.
