Have you ever seen multi-coloured pasta with unique designs? If not then you should have a look at Chef David innovation & creation on pasta and you will be shocked after seeing his pastas. He is famously known as “Pasta Designer” and from his continuous food research in colour, designing, and maintaining quality he made unlimited pasta designs & patterns. Chef David Max Rivillo Perez (Instagram A/c: david_rivillo) from Venezuela is a chemist with PhD and a chef. Currently he works as a researcher at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
He traveled to so many countries for his studies like Spain, Netherlands, Germany. But he started making pasta at the beginning of his professional studies in culinary back in 2016. He makes beautiful farfalle, stained glass silk cloth pasta, stained glass pasta ribbons, striped cannelloni, multicolored tortellini, coral spaghetti, pappardelle with classy patterns, ravioli etc.
Q.) You are a chemist with a PhD then why did you choose to be a chef?
Chef David: I love cooking and I have cooked all my life. When I was a kid my mother taught me some cooking techniques, since then I always tried to learn and improve my cooking skills as much as possible.
Q.) Why have you chosen only pasta as the food ingredient to innovate and not any other ingredient?
Chef David: Before focusing on pasta design, I tried for months to master the art of macaroons and sourdough bread, with no success. I failed almost every time I tried. But my relationship with pasta was completely different; I mastered it faster because the learning process is quicker, I could practice with small amounts of pasta dough many times a day. That’s something I couldn’t do with macaroons or sourdough bread because it requires more time to improve.
Q.) How did the idea came, to play with so many colors to design a single pasta?
Chef David: Everything started by chance in 2019 when I made my first design to pay tribute to Venezuelan Kinetic Artist Carlos Cruz Diez.
He is my favorite artist ever, who recently passed away. I reproduced his artwork “Cromointerferencia de color aditivo”, created as part of the Simón Bolívar International Airport architecture, it’s one of the most representative pieces of artwork for all Venezuelans. Since then, my mind has never stopped thinking about how to get different designs and patterns.
Q.) How do you feel when people call you a “Pasta Designer”?
Chef David: I like it because it describes very well what I do with pasta.
Q.) Which part of your work is difficult to do while designing pasta?
Chef David: One of the most difficult parts is predicting how the design will look at the end of the process when the pasta sheet rolls out, especially when it is a new design. Sometimes it turns out something a bit different from what I had in my mind. But at the end of the day, it’s a matter of practicing.
Q.) Till now how many pasta designs and patterns you have created and which one is your favorite?
Chef David: I’ve created hundreds, I lost count long ago. Stained glass pattern is my favorite.
Q.) Creating such types of unique pasta is more a food science. What do you have to say about it?
Chef David: Not entirely, but it helps a lot. After my first design, I realized that if I wanted to keep intact the design and color of the pasta, it was crucial to study the science behind each ingredient involved. Because each ingredient is different and can affect the dough and the pasta flavor in many ways. I think I could not have done it without knowing the science behind it, but it would have taken much longer to get net results.
Q.) You study the science behind every ingredient involved in pasta to get good quality. How much time does this research process take?
Chef David: The research process never stops. I’m always looking for new ways to get better designs and understand more about all the ingredients, especially to see the result in look and colors when pasta is cooked. The science behind pasta is more complex than people think, especially egg dough pasta.
Q.) Making such beautiful vibrant colored pasta is not an easy task. How do you balance and make such a perfect color combo for your pasta?
Chef David: It’s always a trial-and-error process. I’m always looking for the right combination between dark and light colors to find a balance of all the elements involved in the design.
Q.) Any advice for the upcoming chefs?
Chef David: If you have an idea and strongly believe in it, you have to go forward to make it real. Every obstacle can be faced with the best attitude, good energy, and focus on your goals. Failure is an essential part of the making process. It’s the only way to improve.
