Cooking in Tuscany

One of the highlights of my Italian adventure that I have not yet shared with you, was taking the most amazing cooking class with Assunta; a kind chef who owns an adorable B&B right outside of Montepulciano.

Assunta’s class is different than any other I have taken – she actually lets you decide the menu with her.  I told her that I would love to learn how to make all things Tuscan Pasta, and she really took that to heart – we made 4 kinds of pasta (in addition to an appetizer and 2 kinds of dessert).  I am still amazed when I look back at the pictures how much we got done so quickly.

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Past the beautifully decorated rooms of her B&B, I met Assunta in the kitchen for my class, where we quickly got to work.

We started with making 2 different homemade pasta doughs that would be used for our dishes.  Assunta had been making these pastas since she was little, becoming second nature for her to know exactly the right measurements.

rolling homemade pici pasta

making meat tortellini

tuscan ragu & ricotta ravioli

the beautiful view from the kitchen window

I was so busy cooking and learning about the recipes, that before I knew it, it was time to eat.  Assunta had me sit down and enjoy some local Vino Nobile while she started bringing out the courses.

fried zucchini flowers with a tomato salad

ricotta ravioli in a sage butter sauce

meat tortellini

pici ragu

Remember me mentioning that we made two desserts?  Oh yeah, we made tiramisu 2 different ways.  One was the traditional chocolate and espresso version, and the other was with peaches and fruit juice (it sounds a little strange, but it was so amazing!).

I had such an amazing time cooking with Assunta, and the best part was that she made me a recipe book to take home, so I get to try these recipes out on the hubs now too!  If you are ever in Montepulciano, definitely book a cooking class with Assunta, it will be worth it’s weight in pasta.

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Although Assunta invited me for a cooking experience, no financial compensation was received.  All opinions expressed here are my own, and are an honest account of my experience.