So,
the holidays are coming up and you want to impress your girlfriend/boyfriend/fiancé/partner/wife/husband’s
parents with a ridiculously delicious homemade meal while they’re in town. Or
maybe you’d like to learn how to cook. Or maybe you just really like pasta.
Either
way, you have to check out Cucina Asellina’s pasta-making classes. In the
two-hour hands-on class, the Italian restaurant’s very Italian chef teaches you
how to make fresh pasta from scratch. Chef Andrea Montobbio shows you how to
make a “dough volcano,” how to knead it to perfect consistency, and how to roll
and cut your pasta, all while telling you stories of watching his grandmother
make the perfect spaghetti.
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| (c) Teodora Nicolae/CWPR |
All
the ingredients and equipment are provided, as is the wine, appetizers (you have to try the stuffed olives), your
homemade pasta dishes, and dessert.
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| (c) Teodora Nicolae/CWPR |
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| (c) Teodora Nicolae/CWPR |
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| (c) Teodora Nicolae/CWPR |
The
class is intimate -- 8 people max -- so it makes for a great date night or a way
to meet new people. The evening will cost you $75/person (for the class and the three-course meal with wine), or
you can reserve the entire class for $600 (girls night, anyone?). Go ahead and
reserve your space here (or give it as a gift!).
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| (c) Teodora Nicolae/CWPR |
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| (c) Teodora Nicolae/CWPR |
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| (c) Teodora Nicolae/CWPR |
Classes
take place on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and each one features a different type of
authentic Italian pasta. Here’s the schedule for the remainder of the year (and there are more scheduled for early 2014):
- November 20th, 2013,
7 p.m. - Spaghetti and fettuccini
- December 4th, 2013, 7
p.m. - Ravioli and stuffed pasta
- December 11th, 2013,
7 p.m. - Potato gnocchi and flavored gnocchi
- December 18th, 2013,
7 p.m. – Garganelli bow tie pasta and orecchiette
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| (c) Teodora Nicolae/CWPR |
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| (c) Teodora Nicolae/CWPR |
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| (c) Anna Lanfreschi |
I
had the chance to take this class before the kickoff and it could not have been
more fun! Seriously, I highly recommend this to anyone, but take note before
you go:
- Your
hands will get messy, so leave your rings/bracelets/jewelry at home
- It’s
ok to grab your wine glass, even though your hands (and, subsequently, the
glass) are covered in dough
- Just.
Keep. Kneading.