Warren-based chef uses passed-down methods to create allergen-free pasta

By Abbie Lahmers

Like all great pasta stories, chef Jamie Freda’s begins in Italy. “Summers were spent in Puglia, cooking alongside my Nonna Domenica who survived the Great Depression and lived until she was 102 years old,” Freda recalls. “Back then, everything was made from scratch using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Nothing was ever wasted and there was always a song or story to go along with her recipes.”

Studying at the Italian Culinary Academy was the natural next step for Freda, where she would knead her new knowledge into preserving Nonna’s tried-and-true methodologies. “It wasn’t long before I developed an unwavering passion for pasta, and began to channel everything she taught me into my dough,” says Freda.

Now, Project Pasta is the culmination of those efforts. Beet-red and earthy green nests of fresh fettuccine come in compostable plastic packaging for at-home cooking. The pasta is al dente in under a minute, hand-crafted using traditional techniques, and most surprising – completely gluten-free and vegan.

“What I quickly realized is not only the strikingly large number of people who can’t enjoy traditional Italian pasta due to gluten intolerances, but that there’s also people with very specific food allergies that make eating any pasta nearly impossible,” says Freda, who started working out of the Hope & Main incubator kitchen in Warren to create a pasta that’s both palatable and accessible – a labor of love that took time and patience.

“Since texture, quality, and authenticity are extremely important to us, we are always striving to perfect our recipes and processes,” Freda explains. “In the beginning, I had no idea where to start. There were many unsuccessful batches, but we just kept iterating, and researching different ingredients.” Konjac root, cassava flour, and flaxseed make up some of the alternatives to wheat flour used in Project Pasta’s staple fettuccine, while spinach, beet, or carrot powder add nutrients and color.

With the help of Prica Farina’s pasta expert, David Strenio, and food scientist Caitlin Jamison to develop pasta prototypes and processes, now the project is growing. Exclusively sold in RI, you can find them popping up at the Hope & Main market, Coastal Growers Market at Casey Farm, and Mount Hope Farmers Market this month, and now a new website also allows for custom online pickup orders to meet growing demand. “Sustainability is the foundation of scalability, and also a means to further preserving our traditions,” says Freda. “We want to increase access to traditional Italian pasta without compromising anything about it.” CheFreda.com Chef Jamie Freda shares tips for incorporating Project Pasta into your home cooking to whip up both simple and decadent fall dinners.

While Freda’s three flavors of fettuccine blend seamlessly in a variety of dishes, for a quick meal, “I really enjoy sauteing veggies with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Simple and delicious.”

Freda’s go-to pasta dishes for fall are fettuccine with mushroom ragu or tortellini al brodo, a colder weather dish popular in Bologna. “Traditionally, the tortellini are made with ground pork and cheese. I like to make mine using cashew cheese and miso and serve it with a vegetable broth of fennel, onion, garlic carrot, whole-peeled tomatoes, celery leaves and stems, peppercorn, and salt.”

“Pasta is one of the most versatile foods which leaves lots of room to get creative,” says Freda. “Get inspired by seasonal produce and even make your own for a fun family activity!”

By Chuck Staton

It’s not every day you get invited to a luxury picnic experience – or a polo match. Being new to both, and with attempts to look presentable underway, my drive to Newport Polo was filled with questions: Are my socks the right length for my “fanciest” shoes ($14.99 on clearance at TJ Maxx)? And what is polo? Is it…horse-croquet?

Stoneacre Picnics, who hosted this upscale experience, is a concept from the same team who found success with Stoneacre Brasserie, Stoneacre Garden, and Stoneacre Wine & Spirits. This latest project curates picturesque picnics for custom events all over Newport and Aquidneck Island, including local beaches, the Newport Mansions, and many public parks. They even offer a graband-go option, so you can bring your fancy al fresco set up wherever you please.

Walking up to Newport Polo already feels a little bit like crossing the living room while my mom is watching Downton Abbey: the British announcer, the flowery dresses, the horses. But today an upscale, scenic picnic set-up is added to the mix, complete with pillow seats, perfectly plated dishes, and an Instagram-chic aesthetic. I truly feel like an impostor on this gorgeous not-too-sunny summer afternoon.

The Stoneacre Picnics arrangements are lavish and striking. We’re seated at one of several beige mini picnic tables, on varied pastel pillows. Transparent blue cloth is draped over each table, with wicker placemats, floral arrangements, bronze cups, and wine buckets galore. Among these elaborate accoutrements is the main event – the food.

The two menus Stoneacre offers paired well with the decor and were perfect for a New England late-summer afternoon outside. The fitting Polo Picnic menu featured

Upscale, luxury picnic fare

$325 for two guests

Lavish, relaxed, outdoorsy luncheon

A Stoneacre Picnics experience at Newport Polo

Caramelized onions and black garlic mustard

Grilled squash, tomato confit, and basil aioli

La Brujula canned tuna in olive oil, marinated olives, spiced nuts, and a delicious baguette with housemade apricot and blueberry jams. It’s accompanied by cheese and charcuterie selections including Nettle Meadow Farms Kunik (a rich triple crème cheese), Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue, and Olympia Provisions’ Chorizo Rioja and Saucisson Sec salami, all washed down with Fever-Tree sodas and followed by decadent fall-apart brownies.

The second menu was the Parisien Lunch. This came with a crudite; a surprisingly tasty kale salad with miso Caesar dressing, marinated mushrooms, and parmesan cheese; a ham and gruyere baguette sandwich; and a ratatouille tartine (roasted eggplant avocado toast with grilled squash, tomato confit, and basil aioli) – also served with that killer brownie!

Champagne, beet tahini, a thick and satisfying tzatziki, and 5 Spoke Creamery’s Tumbleweed and Redmond cheeses all made copious appearances throughout the picnic as well.

As much as I enjoy pretending to understand polo, I much prefer eating two meals. On this breezy afternoon, my focus was very much on the food, which is perfect for grazing while hanging: varied, light, upscale, and impeccably prepared.

Of course I am grateful to Stoneacre Picnics and Newport Polo for hosting this event – but most of all, a huge thanks goes out to the person who was seated next to me and didn’t show up. Your meal was thoroughly enjoyed and I can assure you, your brownie went to a loving home.

Stoneacre Picnics Newport | 401-619-7810 StoneAcrePicnics.com

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