Like rice and other cereals, pasta has always played an important role in traditional Italian cooking. After the antipasto and zuppa comes the requisite pasta, a substantial yet economical course enhanced with a sauce, thin or rich, depending on the region, the season and the ingredients at hand. Pasta was never looked upon as a gastronomic dish able to reach the level of haute cuisine; at most it served as an accompaniment to a noble product.

There is no improvisation in cooking. The delicate balance between tradition and invention, and the blending of textures and flavours must be carried out carefully and slowly as part of an ongoing quest to develop new techniques. "Nouvelle cuisine" is, in fact, not new, but rather the reflection of a long process of cultural and social evolution. Our society has changed, and with it its forms of expression. A few decades ago, who would have thought that my risotto alla milanese, adorned with an embossed square of gold leaf in the centre of the plate, studded with pistils of saffron, would come to be seen as a work of art, elevated to the same level as a painting by being included in an exhibition in Chicago!

When I opened my Milanese restaurant Bonvesin de la Riva, I set out to prove that pasta can hold its own alongside the most refined dishes of international cuisine. First of all, I drastically reduced the portions, adding a touch of foie gras, asparagus, truffles, caviar or raw seafood. Then I took things one step further, serving some dishes cold, breaking with the Italian tradition that says pasta must always be served hot.

Another innovation: filled pasta, such as ravioli, which originally were a way of using up leftovers. I introduced open ravioli - two superimposed squares of pasta filled with scallops - a concept that has opened up a whole new chapter in the interpretation of traditional cuisine, in harmony with gastronomy's finest creations. The idea came to me one day as I dined in a restaurant where I was served overcooked ravioli, which literally broke open on my plate. After some critical comments, the word 'open' began to whirl around in my head, inspiring a new dish and a new mode of presentation.

Spaghetti, gomiti, or ravioli can be transformed and come to play a new role on the culinary stage.

The menu I am proposing will give you a little taste of pasta's versatility. Since pasta has a very neutral flavour to begin with, it can become the basis for endless flights of culinary fancy. I have intentionally made it the backdrop for every course, from first to last.