PASTA ON A TWIG
“Ceppe”-Making workshop
Led by Andrea Salemi
Friday, March 21st, 2025, 4:30-7:30 PM
Sant’Eurosia di Civitella del Tronto (TE, Italy), Tulini House
Maximum participants: 2
The origins of “ceppe”, or “macaroni with ceppa”, are intertwined with the storied past of Civitella del Tronto, a town renowned for its majestic Bourbon fortress. According to local legend, “ceppe” were first crafted during a prolonged siege, when a resourceful military cook, deprived of his usual kitchen tools, ingeniously shaped pasta by rolling it around a twig.
Over time, the women of Civitella refined this technique, swapping twigs for knitting needles, umbrella spokes, and metal rods forged by local artisans to create perfectly uniform pasta. A local craftsman has also begun to forge metal sticks designed to simplify the work and obtain a pasta that is as straight and uniform in thickness as possible. The real challenge? Sliding the pasta off without breaking it — a skill mastered through years of practice. Witnessing the effortless precision of these women artisans is nothing short of mesmerizing for ability and experience. “Ceppe” can be paired with various sauces, but their most beloved accompaniment is a rich, earthy mushroom ragù made from the abundant fungi of the Monti della Laga. This comfort food is rooted in tradition and passed down through generations.
Here, this workshop offers a rare opportunity to learn from tradition and innovation, led by passionate pasta-maker Andrea Salemi. For the occasion, Andrea has invited two of his esteemed mentors to join him: a young lady, Anna Marchetti, and her mother-in-law, Lidia Tulini, who was born thirty years earlier when “ceppe”-making was still a daily ritual. Together, they will share their unique experiences and insights, showcasing the evolution of techniques, tools, and ingredients over the decades.
The aim of this workshop is more than a lesson in pasta-making—it’s a journey through time, giving account of the methods and context in which the practice was transmitted to each of them, of any differences in the type of tools and flours used, up to the current situation, in which a young man like Andrea continues, even far from Rocche di Civitella del Tronto, to keep his roots alive with this cherished ritual on cold winter nights.
