My brain swells with a week of pasta tips and tricks, my duffel bag bulges from newly purchased pasta tools, and my tummy protrudes over my apron from too many carbs…three signs of a successful trip. It’s time to bid arrivederci (for now) to Manuelina Culinary and CAST Alimenti. I’ll miss Italy, yet I’m eager to sleep in my own bed again, dreaming of uovo in raviolo with freshly grated parmigiano, of course.
I waddle into class on day 3 – pasta (and Italian pastries) can take their toll on a girl. This morning, we shift from hand-shaped pasta to watch a machine-extruded pasta demonstration. There’s not much art in pasta prepared this way, but it’s a necessary evil, I suppose. After the demo, we resume our hand work and finish our training in classic shapes. Below is Maestro Walter’s version of Brescian style meat casoncelli. Can’t you envision these gondolas of goodness with sage butter pooling in those divots? Nom. Nom.
Next, we prepare cappelletti and tortellini, starting with the largest at about an inch and moving towards the teeny, tiniest Barbie-doll version for brodo. So cute.
After lunch, we work on innovative, modern pastas like caprese ravioli (one of my favorites) with a filling of candied tomatoes, basil cream and mozzarella, as well as chocolate toblerone-shaped pasta with ricotta, and squid ink tortelli with baccala, capers and a ginger oil drizzle. It’s only day 3 and I’m already pondering a pasta business for my future.
