As a child growing up in the northern Italy city of Venice, Dario Monni often awoke to two distinct smells: freshly brewed coffee and simmering homemade pasta sauce. The latter was the handiwork of his grandmother, who would wake up as early as 5 a.m. to begin the sauce that would later complement her fresh pasta, he said.

Using her hands and a rolling pin, Monni’s grandmother kneaded and molded the dough, which was made using eggs from backyard chickens and flour from Monni’s grandfather’s specialty food shop. “There are two different ways to do pasta,” Monni said. “Machines and the rolling pin.” Today, Monni, 35, lives in Chicago with his wife and their 18-month-old son. In an effort to preserve his family’s pasta-making tradition, Monni and his wife, Jill Gray, will open Tortello, a “pastificio” — handmade pasta shop — at 1746 W. Division St.