Food and drink blog

The pair share a love of good food and cooking, and slowly the idea took shape to recreate the pasta that Graciela had learned to make while living in Florence; specifically the tortelli – the stuffed pasta – typical of Parma. The classic spinach and ricotta combination is one of their best sellers, but they’ve also given the fillings a traditionally Catalan twist: bacallà for example, or my favourite, red pepper and anchovy – I liked the strong, salty flavours that needed little by way of accompaniment other than a drizzle of oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan (the taller sells a top-notch organic version).

And so, with the help of their third partner Jaume Canals, an architect and designer, the Taller de Pasta was born. Testament to the quality of their product are the number of Italians who cross town to buy by the kilo, but there’s also great kudos to be had in putting yourself out there and making it fresh on the countertop in front of a shop load of customers.

The pasta is made fresh every day using ingredients sourced from the Mercat de la Concepció, which is practically next door. The 00 flour is imported from Italy, which they also sell. They’ve only been open a month, but already the range is broadening to include €6 take-out lasagne and pasta boxes at lunchtime, fresh sauces and two-hour pasta-making workshops for those who want to make their own at home.

Taller de Pasta, C/Bruc 85 (corner with Aragon). Tel. 93 476 5149. www.tallerdepasta.com. Open Tue-Fri 11am-8pm, Sat 11am-3.30pm. Fresh pasta €15.90-€18.90 per kilo