From seamstress to pasta maker - Maria Martella

Restaurant Le 5e counts on a small and close-knit team to tantalise the tastebuds of Pictet's clientèle: each day, around ten people contribute their expertise, grounded in their knowledge of the finest European cuisines. Together, they operate as a well-oiled machine, with everyone knowing their place and their precise responsibilities. 

Maria is often found in her studio, a small cool room away from the hustle and bustle of the main kitchen. It has no shiny arsenal of equipment. Apart from a fridge and two basic machines, she is the sole occupant of the space. “I am rather shy and reserved. I like working here where it’s quieter.”

Depending on the number of guests expected at the restaurant, Maria starts making the pasta the day before, sometimes spending the entire day in her studio. “For tortellini, we need flour, an egg yolk and some water,” she explains. “The egg yolk makes the pasta more elastic and gives it an outstanding al dente consistency.” One machine mixes these ingredients into a dough, which is then compressed to the desired thickness by a second machine. The result is a thin sheet that Maria stretches over her worktop. That's when our expert really rolls up her sleeves: she cuts, smooths, sculpts, stuffs and seals each pasta shape meticulously, for hours at a time. The only sound to be heard is the slight scratching of her tools on the wood. “I prefer to work in silence.”

Her love of pasta began in the kitchen of her family home in Santa Maria di Leuca, a region in the far south of Puglia. Maria helped her mother and sister prepare the meals, which consisted of legumes, fresh fish and whatever was growing in the garden. On Sundays, the day of the Lord and of fresh pasta, Maria was then to be found at her post by the pasta machine – a small metal box with an arm that had to be turned by hand. “We ate simply. More expensive foods, such as pasta or meat, were reserved for special occasions.” These meals became a time for reunion and celebration, because her father was away building roads in Geneva, only coming home for weekends and holidays. Everyone would gather round the table, which acted as the scene of lively discussions between her sister and father, the two chatterboxes of the family. Maria has fond memories of her childhood. She finds happiness in simplicity: home-made pasta with tomato sauce is still her favourite dish, provided it is shared with her husband and their two children. 

At the age of 63, Maria has just celebrated her 30^th anniversary at Pictet, and even though her retirement is planned for May 2027, she isn’t ready to stop: “I love what I do, and I want to go on working here!” With a skillset like hers, no one would suspect that she had another life entirely before crossing the threshold of her studio. “I did a dressmaking apprenticeship with my aunt, followed by a vocational diploma,” she tells us. “Back then, you didn't have any choice. You had to start off with a manual job.” 

She therefore spent the early years of her working life sewing, shortening clothes and mending – the first time she sat at a sewing machine was at school. After arriving in Switzerland in 1988, she worked for several shops on an on-call basis for nearly 10 years: first in Zurich, where she joined her husband, an Italian plasterer and painter; then in Geneva, where she was reunited with her father.

However, the birth of her children put a stop to this type of work because of the long and irregular hours.  This is how, at the age of 33, she replied to a newspaper ad and started her second career as a kitchen assistant at Pictet. As to her sewing machine, Maria never let it stand idle, then she found new customers among her colleagues who still ask her to make alterations to their workwear.

Her first role at Pictet was in the old premises on Georges-Favon, where she washed dishes and peeled mountains of vegetables. Back then, a skeleton kitchen crew served the small staff cafeteria as well as the client dining rooms. Her career received a boost when the Group moved to the Acacias, in December 2006, which led (among other things) to the creation of a restaurant exclusively for clients. The Chef at that time, who came from a village just five kilometres from Maria’s, was seeking to make his cuisine more exclusive and it was he who entrusted her with making the pasta.

“We started talking about our respective families and our childhood in Italy. One thing led to another, and he asked me what I could cook. That’s where it all began.” The restaurant acquired even more gastronomic flair with the arrival of the present Chef, Andrea Mazzoni. “Andrea is a very creative person, who is constantly reinventing his recipes, even the classic ones. Above all, he really encouraged me to develop my expertise.” Each week, the two of them redouble their efforts to come up with new pasta dishes, which are always a particular favourite. “At our cocktail receptions, the tortelli are always the first to go.” Using an unexpected ingredient, such as cocoa or beetroot, may be enough to give the dish that desired element of surprise.

A new creation is often inspired by a photo Andrea has discovered on social media. While Andrea adds his personal touch to the stuffing recipes, Maria attempts to recreate the aesthetic. The decorative elements are the most complicated to master: “It takes patience,” Maria confirms. “I often have several attempts before the pasta achieves the required shape, colour and consistency. Then I need to get the hang of it so that I can produce it efficiently.” It’s this painstaking work and the steady rhythm of the craft that she finds so enjoyable when making pasta. 

In addition to her behind-the-scenes accomplishments, Maria also performs well-received demonstrations for the guests. Her intrigued audience watches her prepare the pasta shapes and compose the dishes. “At first I was a bit overawed at cooking in front of so many people, but I got used to it.” 

One last question: if she could start her career again from scratch, what would she choose to be? “An accountant,” she confesses with a giggle. “I love settling the bills and I do the tax returns for everyone in my family! I spend hours checking every line and number for any mistakes and then correcting them – it’s tremendously satisfying.” Luckily for the palates of the guests at Le 5e, Maria did not become an accountant. Nevertheless, whether she’s working in her pasta studio, doing her tax returns or sitting at her sewing machine, everything she undertakes demonstrates the precision of a watchmaker, a metronome-like accuracy and, above all, her unfailing patience.