Italiano: Speak, Cook, Eat.

Our Italian instructor is from Rome and today he taught us how to make an iconic Roman dish, Pasta Amatriciana. The dish originated in the town of Amatricia in Abruzzo, however, not unlike the Ancient Roman Empire’s tendency, the Romans adopted the dish as their own. Mike and I hosted our mini cooking class in our apartment, so it was more like an intimate gathering of friends. Sugo d’Amatriciana is made with guanciale (pig cheek) and pecorino cheese. Gabrielle insisted that the guanicale be from Amatricia and the Pecorino be Romano. White wine is added to the cooking guanciale (featured photo), then the blended peeled tomatoes join the mix. There are specific steps taken in a specific sequence but will not be revealed here. In the end, al dente pasta is mixed with the tomato-guanciale sauce and pecorino romano cheese. Typically, tubular pasta is used so the tubes can get filled with the sauce for a delightful mouthful. Red wine and focaccia (to soak up the sauce) accompanied the meal, followed by Colomba (Pasqua cake) and espresso. The entire enterprise was conducted entirely in Italian. The table conversation touched upon many topics - even a lively (and thankfully brief) foray into politics and religion. Buon appetito!