Cook pasta like a professional in free Portage class
PORTAGE, Mich. (WOOD) — On July 29 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., visitors to The Pantry On Tap off South Westnedge Avenue in Portage can participate in a free pasta cooking demo and tasting event.
“We’ve been partnering with Pantry On Tap for quite a while, and they feature almost everything we produce,” Michael Murray, founder and executive chef of West Michigan Pasta and Provisions, said. “This is a way where we can give back and show what we do.”
Murray has been in this industry for over 15 years, and common questions he encounters when hosting similar events include how long to cook pasta, how to tell the difference in quality between ingredients and much more.
“Pantry On Tap also sells many different herbs, spices, olive oils and vinegars,” Murray said. “As a trained, experience chef, I can show how we interplay and make our food our own.”
Chef Michael Murray and West Michigan Pasta and Provisions from Mattawan.
The free event will invite customers to demo two pasta recipes with two sauces and will include a tutorial on how to garnish and with what ingredients.
Murray hopes that free demo classes like these can show pasta is much more than just noodles and sauce.
“A lot of times, people just put the two items together,” Murray said. “I’m happy to talk about great ways to bring the flavor forward and make a restaurant quality product.”
Chef Michael Murray and West Michigan Pasta and Provisions from Mattawan.
Murray’s own professional kitchen uses traditional Italian equipment, and his emphasis on sustainable ingredients sets West Michigan Pasta and Provisions apart from bulk store brands.
“We also slow dry our pasta,” Murray said. “We take about three or four times as long to go through the drying process, which gives it a better and more complex flavor.”
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
