GENERATIONS of Italian family traditions will be celebrated at Fremantle’s Little Italy by the Sea Festival on October 25.

For Louisa Perroni making pasta was a part of everyday life growing up.

Her father was born in Fremantle in 1918, but her family originally came from the Aeolian Islands off Sicily.

She said her mother and grandmother taught her traditional cooking methods and can remember drying pasta on broomsticks balanced between chairs and covered with tea towels in her family home.

While modern appliances have changed how pasta is prepared, she said the basic recipe had remained the same.

Ms Perroni said the sauces often reflected regional cooking traditions more than the dough.

Her family’s cooking included ragù and seafood sauces, particularly squid sauce, which she said was popular in the region her family is from.

She said that homemade pasta was also served with a wide range of vegetables and in soups which showcased the versatility of Italian cooking.

Ms Perroni said preparing food together is an important way for families to share traditions and connect across generations.

She said she has noticed a newfound interest in their Italian heritage from her grandchildren, who have embraced traditions her children’s generation showed less interest in.

“I think it’s cooler to be Italian now than it was when my kids were growing up,” she said.

Little Italy by the Sea festival director Nella Fitzgerald said preserving the traditions of Italian migrants was an important part of the celebration.

She said Fremantle held particular significance as the port where many Italian migrants first arrived in Australia.

“At the heart it is honouring our people that came here with nothing, and created lives for their families,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

Ms Perroni and four other nonnas will demonstrate how to make traditional pasta at Nonna Angela’s Little Italian Kitchen in the festival’s Piazza Italia precinct.

She said the hands-on experience would allow visitors to appreciate traditional cooking methods and the effort it takes to make food from scratch.

The Little Italy by the Sea Festival is part of Fremantle’s famous Blessing of the Fleet festival, is free and runs from 11am to 7pm on Sunday, October 25, at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour. 

It will feature Italian cuisine, live music and entertainment.

The Blessing of the Fleet celebrations begin with Italian Mass at St Patrick’s Basilica at 9.30am, followed by a procession at 2pm and the blessing of fishing boats at Molfetta Quay between 3pm and 3.30pm.

Fireworks will conclude the celebrations at 7pm.

by MAX BUCK