Uova, Farina e Pazienza: L’arte di Andare Adagio | Elena Spisni | TEDxSan Giovanni in Persiceto
In a world that often prioritizes speed over quality, chef Elena Spisni invites us to embrace the beauty of patience in the culinary arts. In her TEDx talk, “Uova, Farina e Pazienza,” she draws on her rich Italian heritage, illustrating how traditional cooking is an act of love that benefits from time and attention. Through the simple ingredients of eggs and flour, Spisni explores the deeper connections between food, culture, and mindfulness. She emphasizes that cooking is not just about nourishment, but also about creating memories and building community. With charming anecdotes and practical wisdom, she encourages us to slow down, savor each moment, and appreciate the process, not just the end result. Spisni’s passion for her craft shines brightly, inspiring us to cultivate patience in our daily lives—whether in the kitchen or beyond. Join her on this delightful journey of rediscovering the art of going slow and letting creativity flourish.
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Author Video Description
In this talk, Elena Spisni explores the deep connection between memory, tradition, and the simple act of making fresh pasta.
Through personal stories that begin in her grandmother’s kitchen, she reflects on how pasta became much more than a childhood game — it became a way of slowing down, reconnecting with time, and finding comfort in repetition and care.
The narrative moves through key turning points in her life: the loss of her grandmother, her academic and professional journey in food communication, and the growing tension between a fast-paced career and a slower, more intentional passion. What begins as a family ritual gradually transforms into a personal language, and eventually into a profession.
At the heart of the talk is a simple but powerful idea: making pasta is not just a traditional craft, but a contemporary act of resistance against constant acceleration. It becomes a way to practice patience, presence, and awareness in a world that rarely stops.
Elena invites the audience to rediscover slowness through a small, everyday gesture — the closing of a tortellino — suggesting that even a single mindful minute can change the rhythm of an entire day. Born and raised in Bologna, she is a sfoglina (traditional pasta maker) and content creator widely known as @bastachesiapasta. Having grown up surrounded by tortellini and cappelletti, she inherited a deep passion for handmade pasta from her grandmothers, eventually turning it into her profession.
After studying at the Gambero Rosso Academy and gaining professional experience in Turin and Milan, she specialized in the traditional Bolognese art of hand-rolled pasta (sfoglia) and began sharing her journey on social media. Since 2017, she has dedicated herself full-time to promoting Emilian culinary traditions, organising workshops in Italy and abroad, collaborating with major brands, and featuring in high-profile events and show-cooking sessions. Today, she shares her craft with a community of over 400,000 followers. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
About TEDxTalks
TEDx is an international community that organizes TED-style events anywhere and everywhere — celebrating locally-driven ideas and elevating them to a global stage. TEDx events are produced independently of TED conferences, each event curates speakers on their own, but based on TED’s format and rules.
Video “Uova, Farina e Pazienza: L'arte di Andare Adagio | Elena Spisni | TEDxSan Giovanni in Persiceto” was uploaded on 05/18/2026 to Youtube Channel TEDx Talks