Former Painter Demonstrates the Mouthwatering Art of Creating Fresh Pasta

Food and art go hand in hand, and Luca Donofrio proves it with his mouthwatering pasta creations. Every week, he oversees the manufacturing of 5,000 pounds of pasta for Mario Batali’s gourmet food market, Eataly. To Donofrio, these tiny edibles are simply a form of artistic expression, an attitude he’s adopted thanks to his creative background. Before pasta, he attended New York’s School of Visual Arts with the intention of becoming an oil painter, but he found it hard to make a living after graduation. That’s when he turned to Eataly, starting as a sales associate and working his way up to manager of pasta production.

Since working with pasta, Donofrio has discovered that it’s his number one passion in life. “There are hundreds and hundreds of different kinds of shapes and options–you can do anything with it,” he told the Instagram blog. His feed features delectable dough that’s been pinched, rolled, bow-tied, crimped, and much more. The behind-the-scenes photos of Donofrio’s handiwork will make you appreciate the artistry of pasta, and probably make you hungry, too.