A few months ago, we had the pleasure of hosting a Rewards Members' Supper Club in Bristol, with Ed Barrow of The Monday Pasta Club taking the reins in the kitchen. After an evening of fresh pasta, wine, and revelry aplenty, we sat down with Ed to learn more about the genius behind one of Bristol's most popular pasta accounts.
What’s the story behind The Monday Pasta Club - how did it come to be?
Founded in 2020, The Monday Pasta Club was a means of sharing my love for pasta with the world online, through posting photos of my dinner each week. Fast forward four years and the club has grown into a hub for multiple new weekly recipes as well as providing me the opportunity to host supper clubs and private dining events.
Was cooking always the plan for you? If not MPC, what would you be doing?
My original plan was to study Law at the University of Liverpool. I got accepted for a place but deferred last minute as something just didn’t feel right about it and my heart wasn’t in it. I spent a year travelling before coming back and deciding to take a 6 month culinary diploma course in Edinburgh. This ignited my passion for food and I’ve never looked back since.
Do you have any favourite chefs or restaurants that inspire you? Where do you find inspiration for your recipes?
Inspiration comes from everyone and anywhere. It’s hard to pinpoint down where exactly these ideas for new recipes come from. Whether it be a new ingredient spotted at the greengrocers or taking ideas from an extra special dish I had at a new restaurant. Sometimes ideas will pop into my head just before going to sleep. My head is constantly buzzing with ideas.
Prawn and chilli agnolotti by The Monday Pasta Club
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned during your journey so far?
I would say being confident enough to leave a job if you are not happy in it, or wanting something else. It's so common to stay in a career for years and years unhappy. I have always left somewhere once I am not satisfied with a job. I did this multiple times when first starting out in kitchens, which has helped pave the way to where I am now in my career and doing what I dreamed off. I am now self-employed, and each place I worked in taught me a valuable lesson. The idea of handing in your notice and starting somewhere new should not be something that's discouraged, but in fact a positive step in your career path.
What was the process of creating the cookbook? How did you decide which recipes to include, and were there any that were particularly challenging to perfect?
The process of writing a book is a long one, that’s for sure. It was probably almost 2 years ago now since having the initial meeting with the publishers. Although its a slow process it’s definitely a fun one. Working with Kyle Books was incredible, seeing the inside workings of a publishing house such as Octopus was really great. My editor gave me a huge amount of freedom to choose what went into the book. Once I had decided on the chapters and then the sub-categories, developing and writing recipes to fit into these was pretty easy! I’m so proud of all 60 recipes in the book. Having the opportunity to professionally shoot the recipes back in October, with six people working on it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will never forget.
Ed uses The Pasta Board to create his fresh gnocchi.
Italian cooking can come with a lot of rules. How closely do you stick to tradition in the kitchen?
Sometimes yes, I like to follow the almost sacredness of Italian cooking. Sticking to the rules and ways that some Italians like things done should be respected as they make up the basics of a lot of Italian cooking. On the other hand, without experimentation and having fun whilst cooking then new recipes wouldn’t be a thing. I think combining traditional techniques and rules with new ingredients and flavours can create some very special dishes.
Do you have any tips for people making their own pasta for the first time?
Trial and error, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. The way you improvise and learn is by practising and attempting it again if something goes a little wrong.
I would also say having a pasta machine is also pretty important in creating fresh, handmade pasta. Although not impossible, using a rolling pin is tough and requires a lot of technique and strength.
What tool gives you the most joy to use in the kitchen?
Probably the pasta attachment for my KitchenAid. It’s unbelievably useful, its fully electric meaning both hands are now free to use. I can speed up my pasta rolling process and it definitely makes for a much more even and smooth sheet of pasta.
You’ve been doing a bunch of supper clubs at the moment (lucky us!) - can you see MPC becoming a restaurant some day?
A restaurant would be great, that’s definitely always been up there as one of my biggest goals with The Monday Pasta Club. It wont be any time soon though. It will be a long and carefully thought out process so when I do open something myself it will be absolutely perfect. Next year will see lots more supper clubs and events, with a focus on private dining and at-home events which I absolutely love doing.
QUICKFIRE
Recipe you cook the most: Pomodoro
Your favourite ingredient to use at the moment: Dried porcini mushrooms
Fave pasta shape to make: Hand-cut Pappardelle
Top tunes to cook to: I’ve had an album called ‘Mahal’ by Glass Beams on non stop in my kitchen recently
Hobbies outside of cooking: Big walks with my dog followed by a pint has got to be my favourite
Fave restaurant right now: Landrace Upstairs in Bath
Keep up with Ed's weekly recipes at The Monday Pasta Club on Instagram, or via his website. You can also purchase his new cookbook here. For future invites to our supper clubs and events, make sure you're signed up to Katto Rewards.
