September 20, 2019

September 20, 2019

Aimee really enjoyed the cooking class we took in Barcelona, so we signed up for the Italian version today. We took the ferry across the lake to Varenna, where a local chef picked us up and took us to his restaurant up the steep cliff-side. There we joined nine others for the class. Not unexpectedly, our first lesson was making pasta. It is simply flour mixed with eggs. It then needs to be kneaded, rolled into sheets, and cut into shape. Contrary to the last class, this was all lecture, no hands on.

The chef then prepared the filling, mixing ricotta cheese, spices, and a little Parmesan. The red sauce was a blend of whole tomatoes, tomato puree, basil, and garlic. After adding a dollop of the filling on each square of pasta, the class got to work folding them into Tortelloni, a twisted dumpling shape.

The chef also made Veal Scallopini and served both dishes to us along with wine. We finished with a shot of Limoncello. We are stuffed by the time we leave.

We spend the next couple hours working off the meal walking down the lakeside promenade of Varenna and then up hill to Piazza San Giorgio. We peek in the three medieval churches facing the square and then window shop back down to the ferry dock.

Back in Bellagio Aimee and I walk south along Bellagio’s promenade running across a confusing artistic memorial to JFK. It was erected only a month ago but is already surrounded by a makeshift barrier to prevent people from climbing on it.