Authentic Pasta Bolognese in the Heart of Modena

2 hours

Roberta and her son Aurelio love to cook and entertain for guests at their apartment in the heart of Modena‚Äôs historic city center. Roberta learned to cook from her mother, an excellent cook, and her mother-in-law. She loves to cook because she loves to eat and gets joy from feeding family and friends good food. Roberta is passionate about showcasing food from her region of Modena and enjoys hosting together with her son Aurelio who is also an avid cook (and illustrator). Roberta has fond memories of her son cooking, from the day when she returned home to the dining table completely covered in the handmade tagliatelle that Aurelio had prepared, to the time when he made so much liver pate that it didn‚Äôt fit in their fridge or freezer! A lovely duo, Roberta and Aurelio look forward to meeting new people and sharing their culture and cuisine with travelers from around the world.

What to expect:

Market Visit:

Meet your host Aurelio at his home and walk 2 minutes to the local farmer‚Äôs market held in the Pomposa square on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. This is an open-air organic market where locals shop for organic produce and is a fun place to be! Walk through the market and explore with your host local and regional produce sold by her farmers in the region. You will purchase a few ingredients that you will use during your cooking class after the market tour. Your market tour will last about 45 minutes.

Cooking Experience:

Join your hosts Roberta and Aurelio at their small but charming traditional kitchen to learn to cook a typical Modena meal from recipes that Roberta learned from her mother. Your hands-on Bolognese cooking class will last about 2 hours. You will learn to cook three dishes from scratch. Enjoy learning about the tips and techniques involved in making a typical Bolognese pasta from scratch, a side and a dessert before you sit down at the table to share the meal you helped prepare with Roberta and her sons. Since ragu (Bolognese sauce) takes time to cook, Aurelio may have some of the ingredients for your ragu prepared in advance.

Meal:

Meet your hosts Roberta and Aurelio at their traditional apartment located in Pomposa Square, where locals often meet at any of the several bars and cafes in the area. Join your hosts at their traditional dining table to enjoy a regional and authentic homemade Italian meal. Your meal will include an antipasto, a pasta, a side and a dessert. Your seasonal menu might include dishes such as a platter of Parmigiano-Reggiano with balsamic vinegar, Parma ham, and olives, homemade tagliatelle al ragu (pasta alla Bolognese) in spring or pasatelli in brodo (extruded pasta in chicken broth) along with pollo salsa verde (chicken in a parsley sauce) in the winter, and a vegetable like carciofi ripieni (stuffed artichokes with cheese and parsley) or finocchio gratin (fennel gratin). Your meal will conclude with a dessert of zuppa inglese (a trifle-like dessert), tiramisu, or crostata di amerene (traditional regional sour cherry tart).

If you choose the optional alcohol add-on, you will be served 2 glasses of the regional Lambrusco wine.

Choose a starting time, either: 1:00pm or 7:00pm.

Note:

On days that Roberta is not available, Aurelio hosts with his mother's close friend Laura who is also an expert cook!