Our tortellini class in Bologna

September 17 - Bologna
We just took the most fantastic class.  Bologna is famous for it tortellini so it is only fitting that we take a class on the Bolognese tradition in the home of tortellini.  La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese, www.lavecchiascuola.com  This school teaches people how to make pasta, by hand the traditional way.  A tradition that is dying out even here in Bologna.  Being phased out by cheaper and more mechanized way's of doing it.  But they still hold on to their traditions.  Simone, our teach says that there are only about 20 restaurants left that still make pasta by hand every day.  Out class begins with them showing us how to make the sfoglia (the pastry).  It is made with only "00" flour (a particularly find grind like cake flour) and eggs.

This was one of the 6 egg batches that our class was making. These student were actually making a spinach pasta that one our teachers was cutting up for them.

This was one of the 100 egg batches the professional students were making.

Our really great teacher Simone.

 

Matt kneading the sfolia.  It brought me back to my old pottery day's.  Personally I though that I was the best in class at this part.

One of our teachers rolling out the sfolia

Matt making garganella.  It was this tube like pasta, similar to penne but we rolled it around these pencil like dowels and the rolled it across a serrated wooden paddle to give it texture so the sauce would stick to it properly. We used the spinach pasta from earlier.

Getting ready to make the tortelloni.  Made with ricotta, parsley, nutmeg and parmesano and an egg

Here we are getting ready to make the tortellini made with lamb, mortadella, procuitto, parmesan, nutmeg and parsley.  

Simone say's this is traditionally served at christmas.  The whole family get's together in the morning and everyone makes the tortellini, that they will eat later that day.  I have to say that this is challenging my idea of the great pumpkin ravioli that we had in Florence for my christmas menu.  I think I'll put all my guest to work this year. 

After class was over the whole class sat down there for lunch, and we had a fantastic lunch with all the other students and eat what we had made that day.  First prosciutto and mortadella served with piadini, which is a flat bread similar to a pita only without the hollow spot in the middle.  Next it was the tortellini in brodo.  They have a tradition in Bologna of serving tortellini in brodo (broth), which if you have never had it is a fantastic way to eat tortellini.  Overwhelmingly this was everyone's favorite.  It was fantastic.  The best tortellini I have ever had.  The filling was incredible and the brodo (a beef broth) was fanatic.  Incredible flavor, not fatty.  Just an explosion of wonderful tastes.  Next were the tortellone, made with ricotta and some with potatoes served with a light tomato sauce.  Delicious.  Finally we had a tagetelli with a bolense ragu.  Everything just wonderfull with very pleasant company.  They served it all with copious amounts of Lambrusco, which I have to admit is not on my top ten list of wines, but it is the traditional wine of Bologna, and frankly this was the best I ever had, not fizzy like it usually is and also with only a little bit of sweetness.  A fantasic morning and lunch.