When Life Gives You Quarantine, Make Fresh Pasta!

- 2 cups of flour

- 3 eggs

- A pinch of salt

- A drizzle of olive oil

Those items on their own are a very under-stocked pantry. When combined and kneaded, they yield a golden ball of pliable dough, which can be rolled out and cut into pasta, stuffed as ravioli, or layered into lasagna.

In Fall 2018, my girlfriend bought us tickets to a hands-on pasta making class in the city. We learned how to make (from scratch) pappardelle pasta, plump meatballs, crisp garlic bread, and slender chocolate cherry biscotti for dessert. That class opened my eyes to how easy and delicious fresh pasta can be. Seriously, if you’ve never tried it, fresh pasta is a transformational experience. Plus, the satisfaction of eating a heaping bowl of pasta that you rolled out and cut from scratch is truly wonderful. Sunday afternoon goals!

The day after that fateful class I went online and bought a crank pasta roller/cutter. Over the past 2 years, I have since made pasta dozens of times with family, friends, and for spontaneous date nights with my girlfriend.

Enter coronavirus and quarantine.

The COVID-19 situation has put our collective mental health to the test in varying degrees. Through the inundation of depressing headlines and the tragic loss of life, the situation has had a few bright spots. For example, it has given an opportunity to do what we needed most: slow down, reflect, and consider what we value in life. The lockdown has allowed us to be more intentional with our daily routines and look at what parts of our “normal” lives were not the healthiest for us. I consider myself blessed to have had the means and opportunity to reflect and use this time in such a way.

At the beginning of April, I had the dreaded phone call with human resources. I was going to be put on a 2-week furlough for the second half of the month, and I would *hopefully* be brought back May 1. I wasn’t necessarily surprised since staffing cuts were happening across all industries and levels of tenure. But the uncertainty was still a bit hard to process. Once I sat down to think about it, I decided that I was going to use this time for productive purposes (after I took a day to decompress). I would use the two weeks to stay physically active (even if confined to biking/walking locally) and also, I would strengthen my connections with friends in creative ways.

My first thought was: I wish I could have a dinner party and enjoy the “lazy Sunday afternoon” vibe I alluded to before. Meat sauce simmering, fresh pasta being rolled and cut, a tall glass of Chianti in hand. That was obviously out of the question due to social distancing. But I had an idea. What if I could deliver a small aspect of that to friends, while also being responsible about the virus?

I took a leap. I sent the following text message to a few friends with no other explanation: “Hey ______. Doing curbside drop-offs of fresh pasta to some people in the area. Are you around tomorrow if I drop it off?”

I was unsure whether this would be received as weird and random or interesting and well received. People responded with resounding acceptance peppered with a bit of surprise. My wager paid off…people were on board!

So I had my work cut out for me. I got to work making the nests of fresh pasta, sliding them in airtight bags, and flash freezing them for easy transit. Cue a pasta delivery montage with my Coleman cooler on the passenger seat carrying the pasta nests. Come rain nor sleet nor dark of night, I was delivering pasta!

What happened next caught me off guard and warmed my heart. Upon delivery, each person surprised me with items such as baked goods, jam from a local farmer market, and even some sprigs of fresh mint from their garden! It was a fantastic return because 1) It was unsolicited and 2) Each of the items I received were things that I could not have easily gotten or baked on my own.

The consensus was very clear: This needed to be a weekly thing. So for the past 4 weeks, I have been making a large batch of pasta, dividing it up, and making my deliveries through the highways and byways of northern New Jersey. And for the past 4 weeks, I have been receiving angel food cake, cookies, and donuts baked to perfection by friends.

My takeaways so far:

• The skills you have and take for granted (making fresh pasta) are sought after by other people, who may be able to offer you something equally as mundane to them but out of your own skillset (fresh baked goods).
• The adage stays true: you usually receive the best gifts when you first give with no expectation of getting anything in return.

The lockdown has been tough on everyone. This way of connecting with my friends and keeping up our relationships may continue after quarantine is over! What ways have you been connecting with friends and spreading joy?