Pasta chef Ellie Bouhadana was rolling out so many sheets of pasta by hand to deliver to carb-hungry Melburnians she was starting to get pain in her wrists. "I decided to invest in a pasta extruder," she laughs. "Now I can do more orders, and all kinds of new shapes."
In the Beforetime, Bouhadana was running pop-up pasta nights all over Melbourne, in restaurants, cafés and even abandoned houses. She'd set up the space meticulously, selecting music and decorations to match the food. Now, she's turned the pop-up idea into a delivery service, and she's serving up more than 100 Italian meals all over Melbourne every week.
"Every Sunday. I make fresh pasta," she says. "The structure is a three-course meal, antipasto starter with fresh focaccia, a pasta main dish – a different kind every week – and dessert." She makes all three courses completely from scratch, making her own focaccia and antipasto, as well as desserts like tiramisu, chocolate-pistachio tart and roast peach, fig and mascarpone tart.
Hungry yet? You can find out what she's cooking on her Instagram page, and DM her to place your order. She has been offering delivery from Preston to Brighton, as well as pick-up from her own front door in Balaclava. As every week is a new experiment, delivery and/or pickup options vary.
Each bag is not only full of incredible hand-made treats, but a bit of atmosphere as well. "It’s bringing your local trattoria to your own dining room," says Bouhadana. "[Each bag] has cute material napkins that I make as well, and it has a card with instructions. It’s something more special, a little bit more interesting."
Prices vary from week to week, from about $30 per person up to $45 per person for the full three-course meal. As everything is made in her own kitchen, spots are limited. Keen an eye on her Instagram and get in touch quickly if you'd like to lift your at-home dining game.