It’s unlike anything you can buy from a grocery store.

Fresh pasta is an overlooked culinary delight often forgotten thanks to the cheap, mass-produced offerings widely available. Its hues, textures and flavors can transform long-beloved pasta dishes into extraordinary ones.

In Richmond, there are a handful of pasta creators who desire to share the wonders of this Italian staple, like Oro.

The brainchild of local chef Laine Myers, Oro has become a city favorite over the past five years thanks to Myers’ imaginative pastas and ravioli. Each week, an array of this edible art is showcased ranging from sourdough tonnarelli and swirling trottole to vibrant beet campanelle and comforting culurgiones (Sardinian dumplings).

“We are definitely very ingredient [and seasonally] driven,” says Myers.

In the winter, Myers highlights flavors like beet and citrus while in the summer, she showcases sweet corn and savory peppers. In the spring, selections like pea and carrot, mushroom and garlic and broccoli rabe will grace plates once more.

One of the secrets to Oro’s divine pasta is the intricate attention to detail. Every batch is carefully listened to as it’s kneaded, rolled, cut or filled. The finest ingredients are also utilized ensuring proper consistency and flavors, especially with a focus on flour.

“We use flour we’re really proud of from the Piedmont region of Italy,” says Myers. The non-GMO semolina provides adequate protein and texture helping to create a well-crafted and tasty dough for most pastas, although a “00” soft wheat is used for ravioli for better elasticity.

Regarding a great pasta dish to try this spring, “I love pea and pancetta,” says Myers. “A little lemon in there, something a little creamy, like a knob of butter, fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano with a nice age to it and some pasta water to emulsify into a sauce.”

You can find Oro pasta at the Farmers Market at St. Stephen’s, Birdhouse Farmers Market or place an order through their CSA. Myers has also recently started a supper club in collaboration with Table 22 which offers a mouthwatering, five-course dinner that feeds two; and the long anticipated restaurant (which Myers announced last year) is still in the works, slowly coming to fruition.

But Oro isn’t the only option. Bombolini Pasta has been making Richmond handmade pasta for almost two decades.

“If you’re eating dry versus fresh [pasta], it’s like driving a jalopy versus a sports car,” says co-owner John Kreckman. “You know right away the difference.”

The family-run business has around 20 styles (like spaghetti, shells and cavatelli) and uses imported Italian pasta machines to run their handmade dough through. The base doesn’t use eggs so much of their pasta is vegan-friendly.

With pinches of spice and other seasonings, each week Bombolini is creating something new (apart from fan favorites like black pepper, herb and roasted garlic). They also have a gambler’s ravioli mixed pack where various fillings, ranging from caramelized onion to chicken, are mixed together for a savory surprise.

“There’s always something happening. We’re always changing flavors, shapes and sizes,” says Kreckman. Bombolini’s products can be found locally in their shop on West Main Street and each Saturday morning at the RVA Big Market.

For Kreckman, the perfect pasta dish to celebrate spring with is cacio e pepe. “It’s basically cheese and butter—a simple dish people get really excited about,” he says. “It’s like a nice food hug.”

While mastering the art of pasta takes time and patience, there are plenty of opportunities nearby if you’re ready to take the first step. One is Hobby Hill Farm’s Endless Pastabilities and Ravioli Revelations. 

Located in Powhatan, the classes teach the basics of how to make fettuccine or ravioli depending on the session. Students will discover how to create dough from scratch and roll and cut it, such as with a hand-crank pasta machine, KitchenAid attachment or rolling pin.

Students can use their fresh fettuccine to craft shrimp scampi or toss in an alfredo sauce, although in the summer pesto sauces are incorporated. For ravioli, a spinach and ricotta filling will be made alongside a sage brown butter sauce.

“Participants can enjoy their pasta here with other students or take their pasta home to enjoy at a later time,” says founder Sharon Munyak.

Classes are usually held about twice a month with around eight participants at a time. Equipment and ingredients are supplied although it’s recommended that an apron and containers are brought to take leftover pasta home in.

There’s also The Kitchen Classroom’s monthly Pasta from Scratch classes. With guidance from an expert chef, students will learn to make basic pasta dough and then roll, cut and shape it into tagliatelle with a sausage ragu as well as how to cut, shape and fill tortellini with a three-cheese filling that’s served with pesto. All equipment and ingredients are provided.

But keep an eye out for their new pasta class debuting in late spring. Designed for those looking to advance their skills, the class will dive more into making flavored dough, various shapes and filled pastas.

“[Making fresh pasta] is fun, easy and affordable, and once you learn the basics, offers an endless variety of flavors and combinations to experiment with,” says owner Warren Haskell. “We have some fantastic local businesses that make and sell fresh pasta but there is something uniquely gratifying and delicious about making it yourself and eating it fresh.”