Homemade Pasta Noodles

06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth! ❤️🖤💚

Today we celebrate freedom, resilience, culture, and community. May this day be filled with reflection, joy, connection, and appreciation for the rich history and contributions that continue to shape our communities.

At Homemade Pasta Noodles celebrates the people who make our community so special.

Wishing everyone a meaningful and joyful Juneteenth. ✨

06/17/2026

We have one🥳

06/15/2026

At Homemade Pasta Noodles, we love sharing regional traditions. Merit, The Wine Sage and I are teaming up to bring you a Bruschetta Bar with Wine pairings.

When most people hear bruschetta, they think of toasted bread topped with tomatoes. But in Italy, bruschetta is much more than a recipe—it’s a tradition that changes from region to region.

In Tuscany, bruschetta is often called fettunta, meaning “oily slice.” Fresh country bread is rubbed with garlic, sprinkled with salt, and generously drizzled with newly pressed olive oil.

In Puglia, toasted bread may be topped with fresh tomatoes, oregano, local olive oil, and sometimes creamy burrata.

In Sicily, bruschetta reflects the island’s abundance, often featuring tomatoes, capers, olives, anchovies, pistachios, or eggplant caponata.

And, as Italians have long known, the perfect bruschetta is even better when paired with a regional wine—Join us: July 25th
Check out the link or our website

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Which version would you choose: Tuscany’s olive oil-soaked fettunta, Puglia’s burrata-topped bruschetta, or Sicily’s caponata-covered toast? 🇮🇹🥖🍅🍷

description

06/14/2026

When most people think of focaccia, they picture a golden bread drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with herbs. But throughout Italy, focaccia takes on many forms, each reflecting the ingredients, traditions, and culture of the region where it is made.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of tasting focaccia throughout Italy, and each region tells its own story through this humble bread.

Tuscany: Simplicity at Its Finest
During my travels in Tuscany, I was reminded that some of Italy's most memorable foods are also the simplest. The focus is not on elaborate toppings but on exceptional ingredients.
Tuscan focaccia-like breads are often enjoyed alongside soups, cured meats, cheeses, and fresh olive oil. The emphasis is on:
Excellent flour
Local olive oil
Simple preparation
Honest flavors

Sicily: Rustic and Generous
Having spent time in Sicily and visits to my family's ancestral village of Cinisi, I have come to appreciate how deeply food is woven into everyday life. Sicilian focaccia reflects the island's abundance, history, and bold flavors.
Depending on the town, you may find focaccia topped with:
Onions
Anchovies
Caciocavallo cheese
Tomatoes
Breadcrumbs
Fresh herbs
In Palermo, bakeries often feature focaccia topped with tomatoes, onions, anchovies, local cheeses, and breadcrumbs—a wonderful example of how Sicilians transform simple ingredients into something deeply satisfying. Like much of Sicilian cooking, it is rustic, flavorful, and meant to be shared around the table with family and friends.

In March, Homemade Pasta Noodles will be taking a group to Puglia, where we will have the opportunity to taste Barese Focaccia right where it originated.
Bari, Puglia: The Tomato-Lover's Focaccia
One of Italy's most beloved focaccias comes from the city of Bari in Puglia.
This regional specialty is often made with potatoes incorporated into the dough, creating a soft interior and crisp exterior. Before baking, it is topped with:
Cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Oregano
Local olives
As the bread bakes, the tomatoes burst and caramelize, creating pockets of sweet, concentrated flavor. It is a staple in bakeries throughout the region and one of the foods I am most excited for our guests to experience.

In the meantime, here is one to enjoy at home.

A Same-Day Focaccia You Can Make Today

500g (about 4 cups) bread flour
400g warm water
10g salt
7g active dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
Additional olive oil for the pan and topping
Coarse sea salt
Fresh rosemary (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the water and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix until no dry flour remains.
Cover and let rise for 1½–2 hours, or until doubled.
Generously oil a 9 x 13-inch pan.
Transfer dough to the pan and gently stretch toward the corners.
Cover and let rest 30–45 minutes.
Dimple the surface with your fingertips.
Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and rosemary.
Bake at 425°F for 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
Cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Just like pasta, focaccia is not one recipe.

The Pasta Lady

06/13/2026

Emails have already gone out to "Interested List" this evening.

My email sometimes go to the spam/junk folder....there are only 8 spots left

Sicily with The Pasta Lady

March 9–17, 2027 • 9 Days • 8 Nights -- $3,485.70 pp
Imagine waking each morning to the sound of church bells echoing through ancient stone streets, sipping espresso in a sunlit piazza, and spending your days discovering the Sicily that has inspired my cooking, my family stories, and my love for Italian traditions.
I am thrilled to invite you on an unforgettable journey to Sicily—a carefully curated experience that goes far beyond traditional sightseeing. This is Sicily through the eyes of The Pasta Lady.
Together, we’ll explore charming seaside villages, historic cities, bustling markets, family-run dairies, vineyards, and authentic Sicilian kitchens. We’ll taste freshly made ricotta, enjoy world-famous pastries, share meals with locals, sip exceptional Sicilian wines, and learn the traditions that have been passed down through generations.
One of the most meaningful moments of our journey will be visiting Cinisi and Terrasini, the villages my family called home. These are the places you’ve heard me talk about in classes, newsletters, and around the pasta table. Walking these streets together and sharing my family’s story is something I have dreamed of doing.
We’ll spend eight relaxing nights in beautiful Cefalù, one of Sicily’s most picturesque coastal towns. There is no packing and unpacking, no changing hotels, and no rushing from place to place. Instead, we’ll settle into the rhythm of Sicilian life.
I’ve intentionally built free time into our itinerary for one of my favorite Italian traditions: the passeggiata—the leisurely evening stroll through town. It’s during these moments that Sicily truly reveals itself. Locals gather in the piazzas, friends linger over wine, conversations fill the streets, and life slows down in the most beautiful way.
Whether you’re joining for the food, the wine, the culture, the history, or simply the joy of traveling with a small group of like-minded travelers, this journey promises authentic experiences, meaningful connections, and memories that will stay with you long after we return home.
Trip Investment
$3,485.70 per person based on double occupancy
Accommodations include 8 nights at a charming 4-star boutique hotel in the heart of Cefalù’s historic center. Rooms are based on double occupancy with two guests per room and feature a private ensuite bathroom. Guests may request either one double bed or two twin beds, subject to availability.
A 40% non-refundable deposit reserves your place on this intimate culinary adventure.
14 guest ONLY 8 spots are available

Airfare is not included.
Included are 8 nights at Hotel La Plumeria in Cefalù, daily breakfast, select lunches and tastings, private group transportation for all scheduled excursions, a Sicilian cooking experience, winery visit and tasting, guided tours, welcome dinner, farewell dinners, and two pre-trip gatherings at Homemade Pasta Noodles.
Travel insurance is highly recommended. Homemade Pasta Noodles is not a travel company and does not provide travel insurance. Because this trip is non-refundable, protecting your investment with a comprehensive travel insurance policy is strongly encouraged. Travel insurance can help cover unexpected cancellations, medical emergencies, travel delays, lost luggage, and other unforeseen circumstances.
Come experience the Sicily I love—the Sicily of family, food, tradition, and connection.
A complete day-by-day itinerary is available for serious guests considering this journey. If you are interested in joining us, please reach out soon. With only 14 spaces available, this intimate experience fills quickly.
I cannot wait to share Sicily with you.
Email: [email protected]

06/10/2026

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Missing our wine tastings? We have some coming up in July at Homemade Pasta Noodles! Stay tuned for the details! We would love to see you there! Our next dinner there is July 22 and we also have a fun Bruschette Bar with wine pairings on July 25th! Tickets available on the Homemade Pasta Noodles website!

06/07/2026

There was rarely a day when a pot of soup wasn't simmering on the stove in my great-grandmother's kitchen.

Long before convenience foods and busy schedules, soup was simply how Italian families cooked. It stretched ingredients, fed large families, and transformed humble vegetables, bread, herbs, and olive oil into something nourishing and satisfying.

My great-grandmother and grandmother both believed that soup belonged in every season. In the winter it warmed the house. In the summer it made use of whatever was growing in the garden. Some soups simmered for hours, while others came together in minutes. But every pot carried the same purpose: bringing people to the table.

When I came across this Green Gazpacho recipe, it reminded me of those traditions. While gazpacho is a Spanish specialty, the ingredients feel familiar—fresh herbs, bread, vegetables, olive oil, and nuts. It's a beautiful reminder that simple ingredients, treated with care, can become something extraordinary.

As summer arrives in Western North Carolina and our gardens begin to overflow, this chilled soup is a wonderful way to celebrate the season.

Green Gazpacho
Cucumber, Pepper, Parsley & Pistachios
Serves 4 | Total Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients
5 oz ciabatta
1 bunch Italian parsley (about 1 oz)
3½ oz shelled unsalted pistachios
1 English cucumber
2 green peppers
¾ cup cold water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 oz ice
Instructions
Cut 8 thin slices of ciabatta and toast until golden. Set aside.
Tear the remaining ciabatta into a blender.
Reserve a small amount of parsley, pistachios, cucumber, and pepper for garnish.
Add the parsley, pistachios, cucumber, and peppers to the blender.
Add the cold water, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Blend until combined.
Add the ice and blend until silky smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve chilled with the reserved garnishes and a drizzle of olive oil.
Enjoy with the toasted ciabatta for dipping.

The Pasta Lady
Homemade Pasta Noodles

06/05/2026

Someone asked me; "How did you starting taking people to Italy/Sicily.

It Began…
In 2019, I started Homemade Pasta Noodles in my little Flat Rock home kitchen. At first, it was simply a cooking exchange — people gathering around a table, sharing stories, recipes, laughter, and traditions. None of us realized at the time how much those moments would change my life.

One evening, a participant in one of my classes shared stories from her travels through Sicily led by Tommaso. The way she described the villages, the food, the people, and the magic of Sicily completely captured my heart. It felt familiar somehow… like a place I already belonged.

She connected me with Tommaso, and we began communicating through email. I shared my dream of someday traveling to Sicily — especially to Cinisi, where part of my family came from.

When Tommaso learned my family roots were in Cinisi, he introduced me to Angela, who works within the town and deeply understands its culture, history, and spirit. Angela and I began exchanging emails, dreaming together about what a meaningful Sicilian journey could look like.

In 2022, I finally traveled to Sicily......And I fell completely in love.

The people.
The pace.
The beauty.
The connection to family and tradition.
The feeling that food is love.

Three years later, Homemade Pasta Noodles took its very first group trip to Sicily with the travel expertise of Angela, who carefully curated the entire itinerary. Every detail was thoughtful, personal, and magical. At the time, I also had an event coordinator (Thank you Kalee) helping keep our private group moving smoothly from one unforgettable experience to the next.

This July, Angela has helped me create another deeply special itinerary through Palermo, Cinisi, Cefalù, and beyond. We’ll experience my family’s village during festival season — a time filled with music, processions, celebration, tradition, and pure Sicilian magic.

And there’s more !!!!

Angela has also curated another incredible Sicily itinerary inspired by excursions I experienced this past January. I can't wait to host the Sicily trip March 9-17 2027 and share some of my favorite places with you… also discover a few new ones together along the way.

These trips are not just vacations....they are stories.
Meals shared around tables.
Family traditions.
Hidden villages.
Hands held while walking cobblestone streets.
Late-night laughter over pasta and wine.
Moments you carry home forever.

If you would like first access to the upcoming Sicily journey, with The Pasta Lady, get on the “Interested List”. [email protected]

The completed itinerary and pricing will be available at the end of next week.

I cannot wait to share Sicily with you.

— Launa
The Pasta Lady

06/04/2026

Family history ❤️ (AI pronounces the name incorrectly) Cinisi  is my great grandmother‘s town. And the mother Felicia was her cousin.

We will be visiting this town, March 2027 with the Homemade Pasta Noodles trip to Sicily. If interested in joining us send an email to [email protected].

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