‘A lot of people refused to come and visit us because we didn’t sell carbonara or lasagne’
The Pasta Factory, in Shudehill, has been a Manchester institution since it first opened in 2015(Image: The Pasta Factory)
For a group of friends relocating from their hometown of Turin, it was always between Manchester or Bali in terms of the next place to move to. Perhaps two left-field choices, with one clear winner to most, but it was Manchester that was ultimately chosen in the end.
Ten years ago, friends Elisa Cavigliasso, Alberto Umoret, Enrico Princi and Paolo Gaudino decided to bring their love and Italian tradition of freshly-made pasta to Manchester. And for a while at least, there wasn’t a single lasagne or carbonara in sight.
Based in Shudehill, The Pasta Factory was, at the time of opening in 2015 under the name of Sud, one of the only places in the city to get a hearty bowl of authentic pasta, and while that’s not exactly the case anymore for a Manchester booming with Italian restaurants, they’re still going strong.
“There were definitely much less Italian restaurants in the city ten years ago,” Elisa tells the Manchester Evening News. “There were certainly some, but they were more chains or bigger names and not really independents.
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The Pasta Factory has been serving fresh bowls of pasta for ten years – all inspired by dishes found in Turin
“We saw a gap in the market for fresh pasta, and it was something that wasn’t really being done here back then. In Turin, fresh pasta is something that is very common. It is seen as a treat or for a special occasion.”
The restaurant, which is now led by just Elisa, Alberto, and Paolo, used that as its line-in to attract customers. And was defiant on day one by refusing to serve three pretty big Italian-inspired dishes served here.
“When we first opened, we refused to serve lasagne, carbonara or tiramisu,” Elisa explains. “It’s been done too many times and, actually, people did not want to have them done the traditional Italian way.
Alberto, Elisa and Paolo have run The Pasta Factory for ten years
“We didn’t want to settle for a fake recipe. We didn’t want to offer the carbonara that comes with double cream and chicken. It’s not how it’s traditionally made in Italy. But we knew that people were used to that version, which is fine but it’s just not what we wanted to do so we just didn’t put it on the menu.
“It was a difficult decision to do that. A lot of people refused to come and visit us because we didn’t sell carbonara or lasagne. But, we stood by it because we didn’t want to settle. We had a lot of other things to offer, and we were a small enough space where we knew we did not have to be full of so many people to make it work. We took a chance.”
With a regular following helping spread the word, The Pasta Factory quickly grew in popularity to the point where people who wanted a British-style carbonara knew where else to go.
‘It has always been about traditional dishes but being creative and having a play about with the ingredients'(Image: The Pasta Factory)
“Everything around us started to change,” Elisa says of how people became more susceptible to trying new things. “People became more open-minded, and are up for taking a chance on things they might not be used to.
“Eventually, we felt more comfortable putting our carbonara version on the menu. At first, we made it clear there’s no chicken, no peas, no mushrooms, no cream in it. Now we don’t have to write it like that, people know it’s the traditional way.”
Their mezzemaniche alla carbonara features beef cheeks, parmesan, egg yolk, pecorino and black pepper. There’s no cream or peas in sight. Their tiramisu, meanwhile, features Savoiardi biscuits, coffee, mascarpone cream, eggs and cocoa.
(Image: The Pasta Factory)
The rest of their current menu features dishes including gnocchi with stracciatella cheese and tomato sauce, and prawn filled ravioli with miso butter, burrata, cavolo nero and pink pepper.
And as for how that decision between Manchester or Bali came about, the choice was made because of one friend who had relocated here and was in need of some Turin locals to keep him company.
“A friend was already living here and it just felt right to join them, so they wouldn’t be so lonely,” Elisa says. “ But it was always either between Manchester or Bali for us. We settled for Manchester and we really love it. In fact, there are a few similarities between Turin and Manchester, I feel.
“They are both industrial cities, the weather is quite similar, and the people are hard working. So, it’s not really that much of a massive change for us.”
When the restaurant first opened, there weren’t as many Italian restaurants in the city centre like there are today(Image: The Pasta Factory)
Elisa says it is a big accomplishment that The Pasta Factory has managed to last ten years. About seven years ago, they also opened the Noi Quattro pizza restaurant, on High Street in the Northern Quarter, which is primarily led by Alberto.
“There are a lot of pizza places in Manchester now,” Elisa laughs. “And they are all so, so good.”
But Elisa says that she believes the secret to their success has always been about their authenticity and that sheer determination to not conform on their traditional classics.
“We are very lucky to still be open,” she admits. “We have had some difficult and challenging times, with Brexit and the pandemic, but I think the reason we have been able to stand out is because of our identity.
The ‘creamy and vegan’ Bucatini al Topinambur(Image: The Pasta Factory)
“From the beginning, it has always been about traditional dishes but being creative and having a play about with the ingredients. So, we keep the recipes from our families, but give them a twist.
“We knew we wouldn’t be able to change people’s minds in a week, so it was about just giving them the confidence to try things knowing they were traditional.
“As long as you keep your own identity, and keep doing what you’re best at, then people will continue to come. We’ve seen that. There’s no need to be in competition with anyone else and, in a way, we see it as a way of pushing us on to remain as good as we can be.”
In celebration of their ten years, The Pasta Factory will be hosting a pasta-making masterclass on October 22 and also a charity raffle, in support of The Christie, with tickets available here.
The Pasta Factory is on 77 Shudehill, Manchester, M4 4AN.
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