L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS L ' I t a l o A m e r i c a n o fol- lowed the event, which took place at Universal Studios Hollywood, where four Sicil- ian sisters taught Olympic c h a m p i o n s l i k e L i n d s e y V o n n , M a d d i e M a s t r o , and Alex Hall the secrets of homemade pasta. Between laughs and floury hands, the a t h l e t e s r o l l e d u p t h e i r s l e e v e s a n d g o t t o w o r k u n d e r t h e p a t i e n t e y e s o f their instructors. "There are so many young chefs on social media, but nobody gives a voice to the older generation, the true guardians of family recipes," says Anna Manunza, Cul- tural Affairs Ambassador for t h e L i t t l e I t a l y o f L o s Angeles Association, who collaborated on the project and helped Bennison find the four stars of this event. The nonnas are Graziella, L i a , G i u s e p p i n a , a n d A n n a M a r i a , o r i g i n a l l y from Terrasini near Paler- mo. They emigrated to San Pedro, California, in 1957. "I'll be making the dough for h o m e m a d e m a c c h e r o n i , " Graziella, the eldest, tells me. When they left Sicily, she was 15, and Anna Maria – the youngest – was just two years old. The nonnas, who led the NBC Universal- sponsored class, carry Sicily in their hearts – and on their plates. " L o o k , " s a y s G r a z i e l l a p r o u d l y , s h o w i n g m e h e r S i c i l y - s h a p e d n e c k l a c e . T h e i r k i t c h e n e s s e n t i a l s always include traditional tools like the busa, a wood- en stick used to curl mac- cheroni into their classic spi- ral shape. "We used to grow the plant in the countryside and save the sticks just for making pasta," she explains. "Today we'll use a tomato sauce my sister made, and we'll teach the athletes how it's done. It'll be a beautiful day." " B a c k t h e n , w e m a d e pasta at home all the time because we had to," Graziel- la recalls. "We made tagli- atelle, gnocchi, tubetti, lin- guine… all by hand. We'd roll out a big sheet of dough, fold it, and slice it with a knife. Then we'd boil it up and feed the whole family. It was a celebration… and still is." She smiles when I ask if t h e b u s a i s s i m i l a r t o a rolling pin. "No, the rolling pin is used for spreading dough. This one's different, j u s t f o r s h a p i n g m a c - c h e r o n i . Y o u k n e a d t h e dough, let it dry, and cook it the next day. Or freeze it in layers. In the old days, we'd all sit around a big table. Everyone would grab their plate and dig in. It was a moment of togetherness." "I s t i l l m a k e m a c c h e r o n i d i casa, and I bring it to our club, the Italia American Club. People always ask me for it: nobody else makes it anymore. It's a lot of work, yes, but it's worth it." For the Italian diaspora, pasta is a living, daily con- nection to their homeland, a language spoken with hands and hearts: every shape tells a s t o r y , e v e r y b a t c h o f d o u g h h o l d s a m e m o r y . F a m i l i e s w h o e m i g r a t e d from Italy, like the sisters from Terrasini, didn't just carry their ingredients and recipes across the ocean but also domestic rituals that became a form of cultural resistance. In a new country, making pasta was a way to find identity again, gather the family, and pass on tra- ditions. This is what Pasta Grannies seeks not only to document but to preserve. The sisters are happy to pass their knowledge on to younger generations. "Yes, our kids and grandkids are interested. We make pasta with lentils, with potatoes, with broccoli, with cauli- flower. And then there's the pasta for St. Joseph's Day on March 19: made with mixed l e g u m e s – w h i t e b e a n s , c h i c k p e a s , l e n t i l s , f a v a b e a n s – a n d w i l d f e n n e l leaves. It's a Sicilian tradi- tion … with handmade tagli- atelle." Their memories of child- hood in Sicily remain vivid: " O u r m o t h e r w a s a g r e a t cook and baker. Our father, Gerolamo, was a fisherman. He went to sea every day. O u r u n c l e h a d m o v e d t o America first, and he called our father over. He left with my brother, and two years l a t e r , t h e r e s t o f u s f o l - lowed," Graziella recounts. "We used to make fish broth with fresh catch, and roast red fish. Even here, we still c o o k S i c i l i a n - s t y l e . O u r favorite is pasta with pota- toes: if there's any left over, w e f r y i t i n a p a n a n d i t turns into something like a pie. Or pasta with sardines and wild fennel." T h e b o n d w i t h t h e i r homeland is just as strong as their memories. "We go b a c k t o S i c i l y e v e r y y e a r . Last time was for Giusep- pina's son's wedding: there w e r e 1 5 0 p e o p l e ! O n o u r f a t h e r ' s s i d e a l o n e , w e ' r e seventy, between children a n d g r a n d c h i l d r e n . I ' m a great-grandmother," Gra- ziella adds with a smile. "I have four children, seven g r a n d c h i l d r e n , a n d t w o great-grandchildren." She b e a m s w i t h p r i d e b e f o r e c o n c l u d i n g : " W e ' r e m o r e Sicilian than the Sicilians." The nonnas are Graziella, Lia, Giuseppina, and Anna Maria, originally from Terrasini near Palermo. They emigrated to San Pedro, California, in 1957. When they left Sicily, Graziella – the eldest – was 15, and Anna Maria – the youngest – was just two years old. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Team USA athletes are getting ready to living the Italian way, thanks to the Pasta Grannies! Below, Graziella proudly shows her maccheroni (Photos: Silvia Nittoli)

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