Fiorellini Pasta
A 3D printed pasta that serves as a reminder that flowers are edible.
2021 | 4 Weeks
Food Design | Experience Design | Tools: Sketching, SolidWorks, Maya
Student Project for Master’s Degree in Industrial Design
DESIGN QUESTION
How might we design a new pasta shape led by form exploration and additive manufacturing technology (a pasta form that could not be produced via extrusion).
SOLUTION
Fiorellini, Italian for floret, or small flower. This is a 3D printed pasta that serves as a reminder that flowers are edible. The closed end becomes a vessel for capturing a sauce or pesto. Texture in the design and in the 3D print help the pasta hold sauces better still.
PROCESS
I explored two form directions: a ruffled floret, and a classic floret. These were modeled in SolidWorks and further manipulated in Maya. The classic floret was my chosen direction, which I liked for its clear legibility as a flower.
As pasta is typically eaten in multiples, I was inspired by flowers with clusters of blooms, like foxglove and trumpet vine. I envisioned a pasta form that could hold sauce like a pocket, and I added texture to improve sauce retention. After finalizing the digital model, the floret forms were 3D printed in PLA to validate the sizing and mock-up the plating concept. I painted each with two coats of acrylic paint to mimic the color of durum wheat pasta. Dimensions: 35mm x 40mm x 2mm / 1.37 in x 1.57 in x .078 in
EXPERIENCE DESIGN
The plating concept focuses on showcasing edible flowers, serving with garnishes that indicate the ingredients of the sauce or pesto used.
One floret is designed to be one bite, and each bite is a microcosm of the whole dish.
Here a tarragon basil pistachio pesto paired with pansy, which has a sweet wintergreen flavor. Each floret is a thoughtful bite.
Grated parmesan stamens seem fitting for a pasta flower. Arugula micro greens help tie the pasta elements to the dark violet of the pansy. Tarragon and basil leaves and a few roasted pistachios indicate the type of pesto in store.
