Meet Pio at his professional pasta shop and learn to cook together in his shop kitchen. In your pasta class learn to make fresh Bolognese pasta, from tagliatelle to tortellini or passatelli. You will learn how to roll, cut and cook pasta during your fresh pasta making class in Bologna. The cooking portion of your experience will last about an hour before you sit down to enjoy the Italian meal you helped prepare with Pio, plus a few dishes that were pre-cooked.
Join Pio at his pasta shop in Bologna and share traditional Bolognese cuisine, particularly fresh pasta dishes. You may enjoy dishes such as a classic tortellino in brodo and tagliatelle with ragù alla bolognese or his lasagne and passatelli in brodo. Pio likes to pay homage to his roots, and often includes traditional Pugliese dishes as well, such as orecchiette with turnip greens. Every so often he reinvents recipes by combining ingredients in different ways. Your meal will include a couple of fresh pasta dishes, a second course, dessert and coffee.
This experience is for groups 4+.
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
An antipasto with parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar, olives, crostiniHomemade pasta with Bolognese ragù: tortellini, tagliatelle or passatelliSecond course meat dish: Bolognese cutlet or other with vegetablesDessert: Zuppa inglese or otherPio has always had a passion for cooking but Bologna is where he found his true love, pasta making, so much so that he abandoned his previous life as an accountant to become a full time artisan pasta chef. The word “sfoglia” means “large sheets of pasta” in Italian, and “sfoglina” refers to a female pasta-making woman who uses traditional techniques to make pasta. Pio considers himself a bit of an anomaly because he calls himself a "sfoglino", an Italian word that does not really exist. Pio considers himself very lucky to be able to make a living doing what he loves. He finds cooking to be very meditative and loves spending time with his daughter when they make pasta together.
Pio manages a fresh pasta shop where he makes pasta everyday, his dream job. Please note your experience takes place in a pasta shop where fresh pasta is made, not at his home which can only accommodate up to four people.
"Cooking with Pio is a wonderful experience, very casual and relaxed and not very formal at all. He loves music and likes to laugh as well. Pio makes people feel comfortable and welcomed."
"Pio was a great host and teacher... he obviously loves cooking and sharing it with others. My husband is a novice to the cooking... considering toast a huge culinary victory. I understand cooking and enjoy it but am by no means a master. Pio worked well with both of us. We took time to watch his demonstration and then both mixed our own dough... we kneaded, rolled and stretched all with conversation and paced for our learning. I loved watching my husband learn to roll the tortellini around his fingers. We also made tagliatelle. We learned about other pasta shapes and sizes. While we cooked we learned more about Pio and the town. He showed us the ragu he had cooked prior to our arrival and explained the simple sauce of sage and olive oil he would use for our other dish. Dinner was a nice time with a simple starter and our pastas... we were surprised by a main protein entree and then a great dessert. Pio sat and shared with us as our wine and conversation continued. All in all it was one of my favorite memories in Italy... I hope to see Pio again and I hope to share the pasta and sauces with friends here in Arizona. Thanks Pio!!!"
