I’m a Bologna native and yet, practically until last week, I couldn’t make fresh pasta from scratch (blame my Mom – when she sees a kitchen, she turns the other way). That’s always been a source of amusement mixed with puzzlement for my friends from out of town. They say, ‘How can you be from Bologna and not know how to make fresh pasta?” (In case you didn’t know, fresh pasta around here is revered; it’s a big part of the region’s culinary tradition and eaten often, i.e. not just on Sunday, or special occasions).
I guess I’ve always thought it’s too time consuming and difficult, but I’ve happily changed my mind after my cooking class last week with Le Cesarine.
This Bologna-based start-up began as a cultural association 14 years ago to protect and promote Italian regional cuisine. “True traditional food is written in the family cookbooks,” the association states on its website. So, rather than offering a traditional cooking school format, Le Cesarine offers home-based cooking classes with expert local cooks who enjoy sharing their knowledge and expertise of local, traditional recipes. These are often passed down within the family from one generation to the next, and therefore may include slight variations that belong just to that family, or even recipes no longer found in restaurants.
[Continue reading on Italy Magazine, where the article has been originally published. See photos of my endeavor below. Pictured is Cesarina Luisa, my teacher.]
To read the full article, click this link.
To learn more about Le Cesarine and to book a cooking class, or homemade dinner if you’re not into cooking, click here.
Bologna Uncovered 
You did a beautiful job on making the pasta. I have made simple homemade pasta with a machine but the Tortellini is an art.
Thank you, Doreen! I agree that it is an art.
very very good tortelloni!!
Yes, my favorite!!