'Shape of Pasta' on Quibi: L.A. chef preserves Italian tradition

In southern Italy, in the town of Civita, in the province of Cosenza, Nonna Cristina uses two fingers to drag a little inch-long tube of dough across a mandoline-size instrument. He is in Italy with Nonna Cristina to listen and learn, and to make “Shape of Pasta,” an unscripted Quibi show that focuses each episode, you probably will not be surprised to learn, on a shape of pasta. Funke “seeks out these last masters of dying shapes to learn from them and replicate what they’re doing in his own kitchen so he can preserve the shape for generations to come,” according to executive producer and co-director Tim Duffy. So these shapes — unless someone catalogs and learns them, these shapes are going to die with the last masters.” Funke first journeyed to Italy to learn from a master more than 10 years ago. But Funke says that he signed on to continue his life’s work: ”to document some stories that could quite possibly — especially right now — become extinct.” Funke is described on the website of his Venice restaurant Felix Trattoria as “a culinary storyteller, a custodian of Italian tradition and a master of the old world techniques of handmade pasta.” This may seem like colorful flair until you see him in action on “Shape of Pasta,” listening and translating for the cameras.