Evan Funke may be known for his handmade pasta, but the noodle master can still be taught new lessons. The chef and star of the new Tastemade documentary film “Funke” gets a lesson in making orecchiette — or small ears — from a maestra.
In this exclusive clip, which you can watch above, Funke travels to Bologna, Italy, to learn how to make orecchiette from a woman whose “life work” has been hand-making pasta daily for over 55 years.
“It’s like a machine,” Funke says, watching the woman work as she rolls out shell after shell. Funke tries to match her speed and output but smiles incredulously when he realizes he can’t.
“He may be good at cooking … good like no other, but he’s definitely not good at making orecchiette,” the woman jokes.
Eventually, Funke gets the hang of it, but he’s still not as fast as the maestra. Her technique is better than any machine, and Funke calls her results “brilliantly engineered.”
The 89-minute documentary “Funke” premieres Oct. 4 on Tastemade and all major platforms including Apple TV Channels, Hulu and Amazon.
The film follows Funke after he walked away from his critically acclaimed and wildly popular L.A. restaurant, Bucato, leaving behind him a wake of financial and personal upheaval. Years later, as Evan begins mounting his comeback, he reconnects with his Italian maestra and partners with a Canadian restaurant group on its first venture in the U.S.
“Funke” is directed by Gabriel Taraboulsy. The film is produced by Gabriel Taraboulsy, Alexander Emanuele, Jay Holzer, and Cecile Murias, and is executively produced by Larry Fitzgibbon, Oren Katzeff, Steven Kydd, and Joe Perez. Cinematography is by Rob Vroom and Gareth Paul Cox and editing is by Alexander Emanuele.
Watch the clip above.