Pastry Chef & Mediterranean Specialist

Elena Marchetti

Bologna, Italy

Elena was born in Bologna and raised on hand-rolled tortellini and Sunday ragù. She trained at ALMA, the International School of Italian Cuisine, before moving to Paris to apprentice in pâtisserie under two Michelin-starred pastry chefs. That duality — rustic Italian tradition meets French precision — defines her style. At pragma.kitchen she develops recipes for pastas, breads, pastries, and the kind of Mediterranean cooking where a handful of perfect ingredients does all the work. She's exacting about technique (yes, you really do need to rest the dough) but relaxed about everything else. Her weekends are spent at farmers' markets arguing with cheese vendors in a mix of Italian, French, and enthusiastic pointing.

"Respect the dough. It knows more than you do."