Newport Pasta Co. Pops Up At Rhode Island Breweries

Traveling pasta workshops are taking over South County taps

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To the uninitiated, the art of pasta making may seem inaccessible – a skill to be perfected behind closed doors in culinary institutes or in remote regions of Italy. But to Alex Reppe, stamping ravioli and crafting the perfect farfalle is about bringing the community together…over a pint of beer.

An Afghanistan War veteran and long-time chef, Reppe opened Newport Pasta Co. just under a year ago to sell locally sourced wholesale pasta and demystify the pasta-making process with workshops at breweries all over the state, including repeat appearances at Grey Sail Brewing in Westerly. “I have an emphasis on making dough with wine and beer, which I showcase during the workshop as well,” says Reppe, with past creations including a friggitelli made with Grey Sail’s Leaning Chimney smoked porter and radiatore using Exeter farm brewery Tilted Barn’s Pumpkin Stout.

In each hands-on session, Reppe starts with the type of flour to use in the dough and then takes participants through 10 styles of pasta, beginning with easier ones like pappardelle and fettuccine and working up to ridged cavatelli and intricate sorprese. “I bring many tools and machines, from simple ravioli stamps to an electric pasta extruder,” he says. “Everybody will have a small pile of pastas in front of them that they made by the end of the night.”

Find a full schedule of April workshops online (by reservation), including Shaidzon Beer Co. on April 6, Narragansett Cafe April 13, and Grey Sail Brewing April 22, with more breweries added each month. 

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