If you’re like me, you probably just boil pasta until it’s ready to eat. But maybe, as you toss that plastic-wrapped spaghetti into your cart under the supermarket lights, you’ve dreamed of a different experience. Picture yourself around a wooden table, music playing softly, laughing with friends, holding a glass of wine in one hand and turning the handle of a pasta machine with the other. An expert chef stands by, sharing secrets about making a perfect ragù, while everyone laughs and toasts together.
Meet Mauro, one of the friendliest chefs you’ll ever meet. Mauro and his wife Viola run Montese Cooking Experience just outside San Gimignano, offering breathtaking views of the medieval Tuscan village. They invite anyone interested in cooking to join them in their home kitchen, and it’s truly an unforgettable experience.
Mauro and Viola will show you the secret to making a great pasta dough (hint: it’s the egg yolk) and a delicious ragù (use more olive oil than you’d expect!). You’ll join a small group of fellow food enthusiasts for a fun culinary adventure, making new friends while you cook and eventually enjoying a wonderful meal together.
Mauro and Viola have generously agreed to share their recipes with us, so you can recreate a true Tuscan meal at home. However, if you want the best experience, you should visit Tuscany and cook with Mauro in person!
Pasta is at the heart of Italian cuisine and can be made into various shapes like spaghetti, tagliatelle, pappardelle, ravioli, or gnocchi. The key to a thick, workable dough is to use egg yolks, knead it well, and chill it in the fridge for half an hour before use. You can use a pasta machine or a rolling pin to shape the dough. The width of the cut pasta determines whether you have tagliolini (2-3 mm), tagliatelle (5 mm), or pappardelle (13 mm). The thicker your sauce, the thicker your pasta should be.
For ravioli, roll out the dough thinly, place a mixture of spinach and ricotta cheese onto it, cover with another layer of pasta, and seal the edges. Cook the ravioli in a pan with butter and sage, then serve with freshly grated parmesan—no need to add salt.
This fresh pasta is best paired with what many call “Bolognese sauce,” but in Italy, it’s simply known as ragù di carne or meat sauce. Although the recipe might suggest using two tablespoons of olive oil, Mauro actually uses much more—around two deciliters. Maybe that’s the secret to this hearty, satisfying dish. It’s easy to make, and the longer you cook it, the better it gets.
This dessert recipe is an Italian classic called tiramisu, meaning “pick me up.” Depending on how strong you like your coffee, soak any biscuit—from sponge cake to cantucci—in it until they absorb the coffee and become soft. Arrange the dessert in glasses, sprinkle cocoa on top, and don’t forget to lick the bowl!
Cooking with a native Italian is an essential part of experiencing Italy. Preparing food from scratch and involving the whole family can turn picky eaters into food enthusiasts. It should be part of every child’s culinary education.
If you’re not up for cooking yourself, you can always have Mauro and the Montese Cooking Experience come to you while you’re on holiday in the San Gimignano countryside. Either way, you’re in for a treat!
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