An appetite, a willingness to try something new and a desire to cook like a Modenese (comfortable shoes are a plus too!) are all you needed for the fun filled night of cooking at the Scuola di Cucina Girasole in Modena’s historic city center. 12 IWA Modena women participated in the evening course on September 21, 2015 and learned to cook Tortelloni ricotta e spinaci and Tagliatelle al ragù.
The evening began with introductory comments by the events team and instructor, and then the ladies got right to work by preparing the ragù that would need to simmer for the duration of the class. The next task was to make the pasta which would be used for both the tortelloni and tagliatelle. This is where the real fun began because there were a lot of good messy hands from mixing the egg and the sifted flour! Afterwards, a small group of women made the ricotta and spinach filling and then everyone began making the actual tortelloni along with cutting the tagliatelle.
Finally, the pasta was cooked, served and happily eaten by the new Modenese chefs! And of course, there was a fine offering of wine to accompany the amazing fresh food.
In addition to the great conversation and laughs throughout the night, what made this event so much fun was that everyone had the opportunity to actively take part in the preparation and the cooking, so it was not just a “classroom instruction” format. The instructor provided helpful hints and took time to explain why certain methods of preparation were used.
Initial feedback has been very positive and the Events Team is looking into opportunities for conducting another cooking class. My daughter has already asked me when will the dessert making class be held! A fine suggestion indeed for the events committee!
Written by Jennifer Trovato