Italian pasta expert trains Saudi restaurant staff in fresh pasta making

Italian expert Francesco Cotelli, owner of Raviolificio Gloria in Sarezzo, Italy, has returned from a training mission in Saudi Arabia that lasted until July 20. During his visit, he supervised the training of staff at an Italian restaurant chain on the latest techniques for making fresh pasta, according to radiobrunobrescia.it.

According to the same source, the initiative resulted from a collaboration between Cotelli’s factory and Ostoni Srl, a company specializing in pasta production equipment. Some Saudi investors, who own around 40 Italian restaurants, had faced challenges operating new pasta machines due to differences in climate between Saudi Arabia and Italy.

Adapting production methods to Saudi climate

Cotelli explained that the training went beyond technical aspects of operating the equipment. It also included sharing knowledge about types of dough, flour, and eggs, and how local environmental factors such as dryness and low humidity affect dough quality and the final product.

He noted that artisanal expertise remains essential despite technological advances, as pasta making requires careful attention at every stage—from selecting ingredients to choosing the right pasta shape and pairing it with sauces.

Cotelli added, according to radiobrunobrescia.it, that the success of the project in Saudi Arabia demonstrated the importance of combining technology with traditional know-how to ensure product quality. He pointed out that this experience brought more than thirty years of his factory’s expertise into a new environment.