This Italian pasta street is run by nonnas. They were also at the Ambani wedding

If there's one thing (among many others) that Indians associate Italy with, it has to be its pasta, pizza, panuozzo and, of course, gelato. You will find even the smallest eateries in India dishing out pizza and pasta to customers. Yes, they may often be desi versions of these videshi favourites, but we love the cuisine nevertheless.

And given that many of us now travel to explore food as much as destinations, you simply cannot miss this amazing street in Italy's Bari. Every morning, nonnas roll out fresh pasta just outside their homes for visitors and customers to watch. And guess what? They were also at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding celebrations in Jamnagar.

More about the pasta street

The street is officially called Strada Arco Basso, though most tourists know it as Strada delle Orecchiette (Street of Orecchiette) or simply "Pasta Street."

Almost every morning, elderly local women, popularly called nonnas (grandmothers), set up wooden tables outside their homes and hand-make fresh orecchiette pasta in full public view. Visitors walk through the narrow alleyways watching them roll dough, cut it into small pieces and shape each one with a swift thumb movement. The pasta is then laid out on trays or wooden boards to dry in the open air.

If you want to try your hand at pasta-making, you can do that too. The nonnas will sit down with you, chat and even teach you how to shape the perfect pasta, which you can later buy and cook with a sauce of your choice.

At a time when pasta is readily available in stores in countless varieties and is largely factory-produced, these women continue to preserve the traditional art of pasta-making. This isn't a staged demonstration created for tourists. They are simply carrying forward a domestic tradition passed down through generations while selling small quantities of homemade pasta to supplement their household income. Tourism arrived later.

What is orecchiette?

Remember we talked about orecchiette pasta? If you're wondering what it is, orecchiette means "little ears" in Italian because the pasta resembles tiny ears. It is one of the defining foods of the Puglia region.

Traditional orecchiette from Bari is usually made with durum wheat semolina and water. Unlike many northern Italian pastas, eggs are generally not used in the dough.

What it feels like to be on Pasta Street

Remember how our dadis and nanis would sit together with other family members, making seasonal goodies such as pickles and papad on the terrace? Along with the work came conversations, stories and gossip. The nonnas of Bari do something similar.

They sit outside chatting in the local Barese dialect while their knives tap rhythmically against wooden boards. Freshly shaped pasta dries in rows outside doorways, and neighbours move in and out of one another's homes. Tourists who have visited say it feels less like a tourist attraction and more like accidentally stepping into someone's family courtyard.

Meet the celebrity nonna

One of the most famous pasta makers is Nunzia Caputo, often called "the Lady of Orecchiette." She has become something of a local celebrity, appearing in documentaries, travel videos and food programmes about Bari.

And during Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding celebrations in Jamnagar, she was there too.

Anant-Radhika pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar

You may remember how Anant and Radhika's pre-wedding festivities were an elaborate affair featuring over 2,500 dishes spanning global and regional cuisines, among many other attractions.

A tourist who recently visited Bari shared a video that appeared to confirm Nunzia Caputo's presence at the celebrations.

Another traveller shared a different video featuring the Italian fare served at the wedding by the nonnas from Italy. Take a look:

So, if you are visiting Italy in the coming months, do not forget to add Bari to your itinerary. You might otherwise miss out on a truly unique experience.