Submitted by Natalie Truitt on the 2024 Winter ENGL micro program in Italy…
One major activity, I wanted to do in my time in Italy was pasta making. Already from my lunches and dinners here in Italy, I knew the pasta was different than at home. The fresh pasta, made in the morning, is served at lunches and dinners, with a variety of fillings and sauces. We make dry pasta from a box at home, which is not the same. The pasta-making class gives us a chance to have the experience of making pasta, which we then can share with our families and friends. After eating this large meal, we were brought back to life, filling our stomachs and hearts.
We made 3 types of pasta; 2 raviolis and fettuccine. We started with 1 cup of flour and 1 egg per person We made a small hole in the flour and then added the egg to the small pillow we made. We then started to mix with a fork, trying to make a ball of dough.
To start with 1 egg and flour, we were able to create a meal for the group of 8 of us. The ravioli had 2 fillings, a truffle filling, and a nutmeg filling, both melting in our mouths. This was served and cooked with a butter sage sauce, which was to die for. Then the fettuccine was made with a guitar, rolled on top, and plucked onto our rolling pins. This pasta was made with garlic and tomato paste from the heart of Italy.
Served with a glass of red wine, we sat silently around the table, all just enjoying our hard work and love-filled pasta. After our feast, we had a limoncello, which helped digest our food, and set us up for more wine and gelato to end the long, but beautiful day. To be able to start with egg and flour, mixed with elbow grease, hard work, and a little love, we were able to enjoy a meal that we would make over and over again for our family and friends back home. (Submitted on January 19, 2024)
