The classes listed below are the same as those listed in the interactive calendar above. Simply click on the following links for details and menus for each class.

Essential Technique & Beginner's Classes

All our classes can be attended by seasoned or novice cooks, without prerequisites; however, this category of classes is ideal for beginner cooks, or for those wanting to deepen their knowledge of classic techniques that form the basis of Italian cuisine:

• Stuffed, Rolled, & Wrapped January 9 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces January 11
• Italian for Beginners January 16 at 12PM
• The Ultimate Cheeselover's Class January 29
• Essentials of Italian Cooking February 6 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta SaucesFebruary 8
• Classics of the Italian Home Kitchen February 20 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 February 27 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces March 15
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 March 20 at 12PM
• Neapolitan Pizzeria March 27 at 12PM
• Essentials of Italian Cooking March 29
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 April 10 at 12PM
• The Ultimate Cheeselover's Class April 23
• Essentials of Italian Cooking April 24 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces April 30

Menus for Entertaining

Elegant menus conceived to make entertaining at home stress-free; emphasis is on dishes that can be made mostly ahead, so you can enjoy the company of your guests when entertaining:

• Stuffed, Rolled, & Wrapped January 9 at 12PM
• Italian Home Cooking January 15
• Italian Comfort FoodFebruary 26
• Italian Home Cooking March 5
• Cooking with Wine March 12
• Spring Celebration March 19
• Rustic Home Cooking April 19

Saturday Classes

Lunch classes from 12PM to 3PM:

• Stuffed, Rolled, & Wrapped January 9 at 12PM
• Italian for Beginners January 16 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 January 23 at 12PM
• Northern Italian Favorites January 30 at 12PM
• Essentials of Italian Cooking February 6 at 12PM
• Classics of the Italian Home Kitchen February 20 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 February 27 at 12PM
• Italian for Beginners March 13 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 March 20 at 12PM
• Neapolitan Pizzeria March 27 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 April 10 at 12PM
• Essentials of Italian Cooking April 24 at 12PM

Theme Classes

Focus on one ingredient or technique in depth:

• The Ultimate Cheeselover's Class January 29
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces March 15
• Neapolitan Pizzeria March 27 at 12PM
• Cheeselovers' Ultimate Class April 23
• Cooking in an Italian Herb Garden April 12
• Hot & Spicy Italian April 16

Pasta Classes

These classes do not repeat; each one has a totally different menu, enabling you to prepare fresh pastas and their appropriate accompanying sauces at home:

• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces January 11
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 January 23 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta SaucesFebruary 8
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 February 27 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces March 15
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 March 20 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 April 10 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces April 30

Seafood & Healthy Cooking

Three-course menus based on fish and seafood cuisine:

• Winter Seafood Feast January 22
• Wine Tasting January 25
• Northern Italian Wines February 1
• Southern Italian Feast February 5
• Valentine's Seafood Feast February 14 at 6PM
• Seafood Lovers' Feast March 8
• Taste of Venice March 22
• Rustic Home Cooking April 19

Regional Cuisine

Focus on specific regions of Italy and their classic techniques and ingredients:

• Magical Calabria January 8
• Winter in Milan January 18
• Northern Italian Favorites January 30 at 12PM
• Tempting TuscanyFebruary 12
• Southern Italian Feast February 5
• Taste of Sicily & SardiniaFebruary 19
• Favorites from MilanFebruary 22
• Taste of Venice March 22
• Spring in Tuscany March 26
• Taste of Parma April 5
• Evening in Tuscany April 9

Wine Tasting Classes

Brief hands-on cooking lesson, followed by a three-course dinner paired with 8 or more top-rated wines; wines are presented by our Wine Director Costas Mouzouras:

• Northern Italian Wines February 1
• Wine Tasting April 26

Vegetarian Friendly Classes

Menus in which the main course can be substitued with a vegetarian alternative upon request, making a fully vegetarian meal without fish or meat:

• Magical Calabria January 8
• Northern Italian Favorites January 30 at 12PM
• Tempting TuscanyFebruary 12
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 February 27 at 12PM
• Spring in Tuscany March 26
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 April 10 at 12PM
• Cooking in an Italian Herb Garden April 12
• Cheeselovers' Ultimate Class April 23

• Homemade Focaccia with Tomatoes & Oregano
• Fresh Cavatelli Pasta with Eggplants, Garlic, & Pecorino
• Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin in Honey-Chili Glaze
• Layered Artichoke & Potato Pie
• Walnut & Fig Biscotti

Surrounded by the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian Seas, Calabria boasts 500 miles of coastline (the longest of any Italian region) yet it also boasts some of Italy's highest and wildest mountains, where boars, wolves, and other animals freely roam. Over the centuries, Greek, Arab, and Albanian influences have shaped the Calabrese kitchen: characteristic dishes are laced with chili pepper, sweet-and-sour notes mingle in savory preparations, and desserts are often deep-fried and drenched in honey, belying their Arab and Greek heritage. If you've never been to Calabria, don't miss this class: it's a rare opportunity to savor some of the regions' most beguiling dishes while you perfect the techniques needed for turning out light focaccia, perfect pasta, succulent meat, a unique vegetable torte, and crispy biscotti. We'll start off by making a classic Calabrese focaccia: about one inch tall, it is topped with thin slices of plum tomato and showered with dried oregano; when you make this focaccia at home, you can scatter cubes of Caciocavallo cheese on top before slipping it into the oven, or drape thin slices of rosy Prosciutto over the baked focaccia just before serving (the recipe for the dough is foolproof and versatile, and you'll find yourself making it time and again). We'll knead a hearty semolina dough into rustic cavatelli pasta, the ideal partners for a chunky eggplant, garlic, and tomato sauce. Our main course in an amazing dish we tasted in a Michelin-starred restaurant in the town of Castrovillari, in northern Calabria: a tender filet of pork, marinated in a wild fennel, chili, and salt rub, roasted to perfection and sauced with a subtle honey and chili glaze... we'll layer tender artichokes with thin slices of potatoes, fresh herbs, and garlic, then roast this fragrant free-form "pie" as a satifying side to our delectable pork. For dessert, we'll bake my absolute favorite biscotti: rich with nuts and dried figs, scented lightly with cinnamon and orange, they're so good that you'll find yourself sneaking back to the kitchen for seconds (and thirds!).

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$95 pp | Magical Calabria | Friday January 8 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Crispy Shrimp & Basil Wontons over Smoky Fennel & Red Pepper Slaw
• Prosciutto- & Fontina-Stuffed Breaded Chicken Scaloppine
• Dad's Chili Laced-Tomato Sauce
• Ricotta-Cabbage Bundles
• Crispy Fruit- and Chocolate-Stuffed Phyllo Triangles with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Is there anything better than stuffed food? I don't think so... Whether it's pockets of fresh, homemade pasta, cheese-filled bundles of meat, delicate vegetables rolled around savory fillings, or a crispy fruit-filled dessert, I love stuffed food. This class is my first ever devoted to the pleasures of stuffing (and eating stuffed) foods, from antipasto to dessert. We'll begin by making the most addictive appetizer ever: succulent shrimp wrapped with fragrant basil in wonton wrappers, baked until crisp and golden, served over a smoky slaw of sweet peppers and fennel. Our main course: tender chicken cutlets rolled around Italy's best ham and cheese combination, breaded and roasted until golden and crisp, served with my dad's amazingly flavorful chili-spiked fresh tomato sauce. Crinkly leaves of Savoy cabbage are a fabulous wrapper for nutmeg-laced Ricotta, and make an elegant side dish to the chicken. And for dessert, we'll learn to work with phyllo dough, creating crisp, crunchy pastry triangles bursting with figs, walnuts, apples, and a hint of chocolate for good measure. A scoop of vanilla ice cream makes this dessert even more decadent...

$95 pp | Stuffed, Rolled, & Wrapped | Saturday January 9 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Spinach Linguine in Savory Leek Cream
• Bucatini in Chili-Pancetta Sauce
• Tuscan Penne in Walnut-Garlic Sauce
• Orecchiette with Fresh Ricotta, Basil, and Diced Tomatoes
• Fusilli in Spicy Fennel-Sausage Sauce
• Conchiglie with Spicy Broccoli & Pecorino
• Mom's Rigatoni Gratin with Gorgonzola Cream
• Linguine in Fragrant Basil Pesto
• Cavatelli with Tuna Sicilian-Style
• Gemelli with Crab, Asparagus, and Saffron

Is there any food that lends itself more to weeknight meals and impromptu dinners with friends than pasta? Pasta is not only healthy and versatile, it takes mere minutes to cook. But many of us have a limited repertoire of pasta sauces, relying on easy stand-bys like marinara sauce or ragu. In this informative and fun class, I'll unveil the secrets of cooking pasta (no spaghetti thrown on the wall to test for doneness, please!), then show you how to pair a variety of pasta shapes (some well known, others less so) with their ideal sauce. Next, we'll cook ten flavorful, authentic Italian pastas suited to everyday eating and simple entertaining, and enjoy them family-style with some fabulous white and red wines. The 10 pasta sauces you'll learn to make in this hands-on class are sure to change the way you cook and eat on a daily basis... They've become my absolute favorites over years of cooking, and they're sure to become favorites in your kitchen too. This date is now sold out, but we are offering this same class on March 15 and April 30. Reserve your spots now!

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$110 pp | The Ten Best Pasta Sauces | Monday January 11 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage-Scented Butter
• Filet Mignon with Leek & Chianti Glaze
• Cauliflower Gratin with Smoked Mozzarella & Pancetta
• Hazelnut-Chocolate Cakes with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

In Italy, home cooks create an amazing array of dishes drawing on regional ingredients and closely guarded family recipes. In this new class, we'll prepare four fabulous dishes that draw on the best of Italian home cooking from four distinct regions of Italy. From the rolling plains of the Po River Valley in Lombardy, we'll prepare the most delectable ravioli ever, stuffed with roasted butternut squash, Parmigiano, Ricotta, and a secret ingredient that turns a simple pasta into an elegant feast. From the serene countryside of Tuscany, we'll rub a picture-perfect beef tenderloin with rosemary and garlic, roast it until it's rosy inside, and serve it in generous slices with a Chianti and leek glaze. From the Austrian-influenced towns of Trentino-Alto Adige, we'll roast cauliflower with a hint of nutmeg and plenty of smoked Mozzarella, not to mention some savory Pancetta. And from the mountainous region of Piedmont, renowned for its chocolate and its hazelnuts, we'll bake an addictive chocolate and hazelnut cake.

$110 pp | Italian Home Cooking | Friday January 15 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Perfect Homemade Pasta with Two-Meat Ragu
• Chicken Scaloppine with Fontina & Prosciutto in Marsala Glaze
• Escarole with Garlic & Chili
• The Ultimate Tiramisu

Although we designed this class with beginner cooks in mind, the techniques we'll be covering are so basic and so important to Italian cooking that anyone who enjoys Italian cuisine is sure to learn something new. We'll start off by making fresh egg pasta; I have devised a special formula that is foolproof and yields consistently delicious results, no matter what shape of pasta you're craving... it's all about which flour you use and how many eggs you add to your dough. We'll cook a perfect ragu sauce for our pasta, and there's a key to success here too, one that many advanced home cooks often skip, with disappointing results. As a main course, we'll brown chicken scaloppine, top them with cheese and Prosciutto, and finish them in the oven as we create a flavorful pan sauce with Marsala wine. Escarole with garlic and chili makes a refreshing accompaniment to the chicken. And for dessert, I'll share my recipe for tiramisu with you... it's so good, you'll never be able to eat the store-bought stuff again. This date is sold out, but we are offering this same class on March 13. Reserve your spots now!

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$95 pp | Italian for Beginners | Saturday January 16 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Sausage & Fennel Risotto
• Drunken Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine & Pancetta
• Butternut Squash & Gorgonzola Gratin
• Vanilla-Roasted Pears with Marsala, Walnut, & Mascarpone Mousse

I was born in Milan, and my parents still live about an hour away from this bustling northern Italian city... so I often make my way over there, and whenever I do, I try to discover a new restaurant and taste the local cuisine. A savory interplay of butter, cow's milk cheeses, rice, polenta, fresh pasta, veal, beef, and pork, and humble vegetables and beans, Milanese cooking is robust, perfumed, and just right for a winter feast. This new class highlights a few of my favorite Milanese-style dishes. We'll start with a hearty sausage and fennel risotto, best made with the short-grained rice variety known as Carnaroli (not the more common Arborio); we'll follow that with tender, falling-off-the-bone short ribs in a rich red wine and Pancetta sauce, and a lovely saffron-hued butternut squash gratin with Gorgonzola and cream. We'll finish our Milanese feast with a sumptuous dessert that calls for layering wedges of sweet roasted pears with Marsala, crushed walnuts, and a creamy Mascarpone and honey mousse, a spectacular ending to our night in Milan.

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$95 pp | Winter in Milan | Monday January 18 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Crispy Crab Ravioli with Saffron Aioli & Caramelized Asparagus
• Classic Cioppino (Ligurian Seafood Soup) over Garlic-Rubbed Bread
• Red Snapper & Scallops in Parchment Paper with White Wine & Capers
• Roasted Plum Tomatoes with Balsamic Vinegar & Tarragon
• Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake in Brown Sugar-Almond Crust

I have to admit to selfish motives when I planned this class: I really love seafood. So this class just HAD to happen. We'll talk about how to select and store seafood, and then roll up our sleeves to create a veritable seafood feast starring crab, shrimp, mussels, cockles (similar to clams, but much sweeter and more delicate in texture), scallops, and red snapper... We'll start with crispy crab-filled ravioli, an elegant appetizer served with an addictive garlic-kissed sauce. Next, we'll cook up a flavorful seafood soup from northern Italy called cioppino; I use a secret ingredient in my cioppino that infuses the broth with a heady scent, and of course I love to serve the soup over a slice of garlic-rubbed bread to soak up the rich cooking juices. As a main course, we'll learn to cook fish and seafood al cartoccio (in parchment paper), a time-honored Italian technique that yields succulent, moist fish amply perfumed with whatever seasoning is tucked into the parchment paper packets; we'll serve our snapper and scallops with juicy roasted tomatoes, and for dessert, we'll whip up the most decadent chocolate cheesecake imaginable, featuring deep, dark, bittersweet chocolate swirled inside a buttery brown sugar and almond crust...

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$110 pp | Winter Seafood Feast | Friday January 22 at 6PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Tagliatelle with Savoy Cabbage, Fontina, & Sage (Lombardy)
• Ricotta Gnocchi with Mom's Roasted Pepper-Olive Sauce (Tuscany)
• Cavatelli with Spicy Sausage, Three Cheeses, & Tomatoes (Basilicata)
• Mixed Greens in Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Crunchy Almond Biscotti

Italians are world-famous for their pasta, and with good reason: whether it's light, ethereal egg tagliatelle from Lombardy, rich, cheesy gnocchi from Tuscany, or rustic semolina creations from southern Italy, fresh pasta made the traditional Italian way rarely disappoints. And while a few recipes have won the hearts and stomachs of many, there are hundreds of other, lesser-known treasures that few gourmets have had the pleasure to taste. In this class, we'll learn to make three very different pastas from three different Italian regions, and pair each with their ideal sauce. From Lombardy, my native region: silky tagliatelle in a rich, creamy cabbage and Fontina sauce studded with strips of sage and sweet caramelized onions. From Tuscany: light Ricotta gnocchi tossed with my mother's colorful roasted pepper and olive sauce, a family favorite since I could barely talk. From Basilicata, in Italy's south: handmade cavatelli made only from semolina flour and water, sauced with a chili-laced sausage ragu and three cheeses. And to round out the meal, we'll enjoy a refreshing salad and some homemade biscotti…

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$95 pp | Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 | Saturday January 23 at 12PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Crepes with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce
• Lamb Saltimbocca with Provolone & Sage
• Roasted Asparagus Bundles with Speck & Smoked Mozzarella
• Creamy Ricotta Cheesecake in Brown Sugar-Almond Crust & Dark Chocolate Glaze

If you love cheese, don't wait too long to sign up for this one time-only hands-on class! You’ll cook with a half-dozen fantastic Italian cheeses, and our dinner will highlight Italian cheeses in every course, from antipasto to dessert. We’ll stuff homemade crepes with a Gorgonzola-laced sauce, fold them in quarters (prettily known as “handkerchiefs” in Italy), and bake this sumptuous first course under a veil of Parmigiano; this is a sumptuous dish I first sampled in my native city of Milan. Lamb scaloppine are a delicious alternative to veal scaloppine; tonight we'll top lamb saltimbocca with nutty Provolone to play off the fragrant sage. Speck, a smoked Prosciutto from northern Italy, is a lovely wrap for roasted asparagus, especially when smoked Mozzarella is added to the mix. Light, creamy Ricotta is one of Italy’s most versatile cheeses; we’ll transform ours into a light, ethereal cheesecake that needs nothing more than a dusting of confectioner’s sugar to shine... but a luxurious drizzle of bittersweet chocolate glaze will make the evening that much sweeter.

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$95 pp | The Ultimate Cheeselovers' Class | Friday January 29 at 6PM

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Wines Served:
Bertani Due Uve Bianco 2007
Tenuta La Lumia Nero D'Avola 'Cadetto' 2007
San Giovanni 'Leo Guelfus' Rosso Piceno 2004

• Individual Parmigiano Soufflés over Baby Greens
• Chicken Scaloppine Pizzaiola-Style
• Old-Fashioned Polenta with Mascarpone & Chives
• Double Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding in Warm Caramel Sauce

Italy's cuisines are as varied as they are delicious. Italy’s northern regions tend to have a temperate climate with mild summers and cold winters. Butter and lard, rather than olive oil, are essential cooking fats in these areas. Rice and corn thrive in the hills and plains of northern Italy, rendering dried pasta somewhat less important than it is further south; egg pasta, however, is a much-loved staple. After the fall of the Roman Empire, these regions fell to invaders and plunderers from the North: Celts, Vikings, Franks, and Austrians—and in some regions the Spanish—arrived on the scene, contributing to the culinary palette of the land. Savory dishes laced with nutmeg or cinnamon hint at ancient contact with Byzantium and a more recent interaction with Austrians, and some of the more elaborate pastries show a decided central European and French flair. In this new class, we’ll explore the cuisines of Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy, both northern Italian regions with noble culinary traditions. We’ll begin by whipping up a light, airy Parmigiano soufflé from Emilia-Romagna, the region responsible for the inimitable Parmigiano Reggiano, known as The King of Cheeses. We’ll cook chicken cutlets with tomatoes and oregano, a classic from Milan (this was the one way I would eat meat when I was a little girl growing up in Milan), and serve a golden, creamy polenta alongside to catch the fragrant sauce. For dessert, we’ll look to the country homes of Lombardy, where bread puddings are often made with day-old bread, eggs, and cream. Our bread pudding, though, will feature brioche and chunks of bittersweet and white chocolate... perhaps not a peasant dish, but a memorable one indeed, especially topped with warm rum-spiked caramel sauce!

$95 pp | Northern Italian Favorites | Saturday January 30 at 12PM

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Wines Served:
Terruzi & Puthod "Carmen Puthod" Bianco 2002
Vigneti Reale "Norie" Negroamaro 2007
Per Linda Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2008

• Crispy Goat Cheese Ravioli with Caramelized Fennel, Roasted Pears, & Balsamic-Honey Splash
• Stuffed & Rolled Mediterranean Sea Bass with Sweet Peppers & Three-Herb Pesto
• Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Chili
• Lemon & Chive Risotto
• Molten Chocolate Cake with Warm Strawberry Sauce & Vanilla Whipped Cream

Here's a unique evening of hands-on cooking and in-depth wine tasting! First, you'll enjoy a brief hands-on cooking class during which you'll learn to prepare five fabulous Italian dishes. We'll make crispy goat cheese ravioli laced with basil and lemon zest, served with sweet roasted pears and caramelized fennel; we'll stuff delicate Mediterranean sea bass filets with colorful peppers and scallions, and serve our fish with a side of garlicky broccoli and creamy chive-scented risotto; and for dessert, we'll bake perfect, rich molten chocolate cakes, the ideal indulgence on a cold winter night. As for the wine tasting, our charismatic Wine Director Costas Mouzouras has a secret treat in store for you: Not only will you taste 8 or more classic and innovative Northern Italian wines... Costas will reveal the secrets of professional wine tasting by providing the essential tools that will enhance your tasting ability. You will learn basic aspects of sensory evaluation, appearance, aroma, and flavor. Moreover, Costas will reveal the origins of desirable and undesirable flavors in wine, and discuss stylistic contributions of winemaking techniques. Dinner will be paired with a tasting of 8 or more wines!

Course price includes...

• hands-on cooking lesson
• four-course dinner
• 8 or more wines presented by RUSTICO's Wine Director Costas Mouzouras
• a free apron

$150 pp | Wine Tasting: Northern Italian Wines | Monday February 1, 6 to 9PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Homemade Focaccia with Olive Oil & Coarse Sea Salt
• Crepes With Broccoli Raab, Sausage, & Three Cheeses
• Baby Calamari Stuffed with Bread Crumbs & Garlic in Light Tomato Sauce
• String Beans with Basil and Pine Nut Pesto
• Strawberry & Ricotta Tart

Southern Italy is decidedly Mediterranean in climate, except in the high mountains of Calabria and Basilicata. Sun-kissed vegetables and fruits form the basis of a gutsy cuisine, and pasta reigns supreme. Greek settlers and Arab invaders left an unmistakable imprint on the foodways of these regions, and staple dishes combine sweet and savory flavors in often-surprising ways. This brand new menu features five delicious southern Italian favorites. We'll begin by kneading dough for a classic focaccia, topping it only with the best quality fruity extra-virgin olive oil and coarse sea salt before baking to golden perfection (once you've mastered the dough for this basic focaccia, you'll be able to bake a variety of focaccias in the comfort of your very own kitchen, without any special ingredients or equipment). Next, we'll prepare an heirloom primo piatto: thin, delicate crepes wrapped around sautéed broccoli raab and sausage, dusted with cheese, and baked until bubbling. Our main course pays homage to the sea: baby calamari stuffed with a garlicky bread crumb and cheese mixture, slow-cooked in a subtle tomato sauce until tender. Green beans tossed with a traditional pesto made with basil, garlic, and pine nuts make a splendidly flavorful side dish, and a colorful berry and Ricotta tart completes our feast in southern Italy.

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$95 pp | Southern Italian Feast | Friday February 5, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served:
Ca'Lojera Lugana 2008
Scilio "Phiale" Etna Rosso 2003
Frescobaldi 'Nipozzano' Chianti Rufina Riserva 2005

• Homemade Cannelloni with Ricotta, Prosciutto, & Mozzarella
• Chicken Cacciatora with Tomatoes, Capers, & Garlic
• Old-Fashioned Polenta with Mascarpone & Chives
• Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti

This class is one of our most popular... reserve quickly, before it sells out! Some of the most well-loved dishes in Italian cuisine are also longtime classics: Ricotta-stuffed cannelloni, chicken cacciatora, creamy, soft polenta, and crunchy nut & chocolate biscotti... In this class devoted to favorites of the Italian kitchen, we'll learn to prepare pasta dough, roll it out thin, wrap it around a delicious cheese stuffing, and bake our cannelloni under a veil of creamy bechamel sauce. As a main course, we'll brown boneless chicken in olive oil, then slow-cook it with herbs and onions in a delicate marinara sauce. We'll cook polenta using a shortcut you won't believe... no more stirring for 45 minutes (no, we're not making instant polenta: it's the real thing), and flavor it with a beguiling combination of creamy Mascarpone and delicate chives. And for dessert, we'll knead a sweet, sugary hazelnut dough and shape it into biscotti; after they're baked, we'll dip our biscotti in melted bittersweet chocolate, a treat with espresso any time of day!

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$95 pp | Essentials of Italian Cooking | Saturday February 6, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served:
Guado Al Tasso Vermentino 2008
Zenato Valpolicella Superiore 2007
Ognissole Primitivo Di Manduria 2007

• Spinach Linguine in Savory Leek Cream
• Bucatini in Chili-Pancetta Sauce
• Tuscan Penne in Walnut-Garlic Sauce
• Orecchiette with Fresh Ricotta, Basil, and Diced Tomatoes
• Fusilli in Spicy Fennel-Sausage Sauce
• Conchiglie with Spicy Broccoli & Pecorino
• Mom's Rigatoni Gratin with Gorgonzola Cream
• Linguine in Fragrant Basil Pesto
• Cavatelli with Tuna Sicilian-Style
• Gemelli with Crab, Asparagus, and Saffron

Is there any food that lends itself more to weeknight meals and impromptu dinners with friends than pasta? Pasta is not only healthy and versatile, it takes mere minutes to cook. But many of us have a limited repertoire of pasta sauces, relying on easy stand-bys like marinara sauce or ragu. In this informative and fun class, I'll unveil the secrets of cooking pasta (no spaghetti thrown on the wall to test for doneness, please!), then show you how to pair a variety of pasta shapes (some well known, others less so) with their ideal sauce. Next, we'll cook ten flavorful, authentic Italian pastas suited to everyday eating and simple entertaining, and enjoy them family-style with some fabulous white and red wines. The 10 pasta sauces you'll learn to make in this hands-on class are sure to change the way you cook and eat on a daily basis... They've become my absolute favorites over years of cooking, and they're sure to become favorites in your kitchen too. This date is sold out, but we are offering this same class on March 15 and April 30. Reserve your spots now!

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$110 pp | The Ten Best Pasta Sauces | Monday February 8, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served:
Planeta ' La Segreta' Bianco 2007
Cantina Val Di Neto 'Melissa' Mutro 2004
Ca'Viola Dolcetto D'Alba 'Vilot' 2007

• Spinach & Two-Cheese Ravioli with Light Tomato Sauce & Wild Arugula
• Garlic-Rubbed Rack of Lamb
• Sage- & Pancetta-Roasted Fennel
• Berry & Lemon Semifreddo

A playground for the rich and famous from all corners of the globe, Tuscany has attracted tourists and visitors since the golden age of Michelangelo, Leonardo, and the de' Medicis. From the Renaissance marvels of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to the colorful costumes of the horse Palio in Siena and the splendors of its hilltop towns, Tuscany combines art, culture, architecture, and natural beauty in a seamless tapestry. Our Tuscan menu features spinach, fennel, lamb, and fresh berries, cooked in true Tuscan form and served with three fabulous wines. We'll learn to make fresh pasta and roll it out into gossamer-thin sheets; we'll prepare a sumptuous cheese and spinach filling and create the most amazing ravioli ever, just perfect tossed with a light tomato sauce and peppery arugula. Tuscans are quite fond of lamb, and we'll roast ours after marinating it with plenty of rosemary and garlic; the meat will emerge from the oven so succulent and rosy that it requires no sauce, perhaps just a splash of fruity olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Roasted fennel has an amazing affinity for lamb, and we'll cook ours with savory bits of Pancetta and fragrant sage leaves. For dessert, we'll whisk raspberries and whipped cream into a luscious semifreddo; the same technique can be used for any fruit you like, making this semifreddo recipe a must-have for your Tuscan cooking repertoire (there's a secret ingredient in this semifreddo that will have you sneaking back for more)!

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$95 pp | Tempting Tuscany | Friday February 12, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served:
Panizzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2008
Banfi Rosso di Montalcino 2006
Salviano Turlo 2005

• Crispy Crab Ravioli with Saffron Aioli
• Wine-Poached Shrimp over Spicy Pepper Purée
• Roasted Asparagus with Parmigiano
• Five-Herb Risotto
• Light-as-Air Limoncello & Berry Mousse

This class was heavily wait-listed last year, so don't wait to sign up! This year, treat your Valentine to a delicious cooking class... join us for our third Valentine's Cooking Class, featuring five amazingly luxurious (and quite possibly aphrodisiac) recipes. We'll cook with crab, shrimp, chili peppers, fresh herbs, berries, and more, creating a delectable seafood meal that will leave your loved one smiling long after the last bite has been devoured. We'll begin this heavenly meal with a stunning starter: chunks of fresh crab meat wrapped in crispy layers of fresh pasta, served with a garlic-scented saffron sauce. Next, we'll poach shrimp in a fragrant white wine broth and serve it over a subtly spicy pepper sauce, lovely with a side of roasted asparagus and a fragrant five-herb risotto. For dessert, we'll whip up a light Limoncello mousse and serve it with a medley of fresh, colorful berries. Note: This class is open to couples only... Choose your option: buy two spots only for $250.00, or get the Lovers Package which includes 2 spots, 2 embroidered RUSTICO COOKING aprons, and 1 autographed copy of Micol's cookbook, The Italian Grill, for $300 a combined savings of $15!

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Wines Served:
Riondo Prosecco
La Cala Vermentino di Sardegna 2007
Campomaggio Chianti Classico 2003
Bertani Catullo 2006
Riondo Pink Prosecco

• Saffron-Scented Pasta with Shrimp & White Wine (Sardinia)
• Drunken Chicken with Prosciutto, Tomatoes, & Eggplants (Sicily)
• Three-Cheese Potato Gratin (Sicily)
• Sweet Ricotta & Orange Mousse with Fresh Berry Medley (Sardinia)

Sicily and Sardinia are magical places, islands with millennia of history and very proud, distinctive culinary traditions. In this brand new class, we'll explore the cuisine of these two regions and enjoy the fruits of our labor over dinner with three top-rated wines. First up: a handmade pasta from Sardinia, imbued with saffron and tossed with shrimp and white wine and a mere whisper of tomatoes. Our main course is from Sicily: succulent chicken slow-cooked with morsels of eggplants, creamy onions, and savory Prosciutto, the ideal partner for a cheese-laced potato gratin. For a sweet finale, we're back in Sardinia: we'll whip creamy, fresh Ricotta cheese with a secret ingredient and serve it over fresh berries and liqueur-soaked ladyfingers... what a way to end our feast in Italy's most beautiful islands!

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$95 pp | Taste of Sicily & Sardinia | Friday February 19, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served:
Argiolas 'Costamolino' Vermentino Di Sardegna 2008
Planeta Cerasuolo Di Vittoria 2008
Mazzei Zisola 2006

• Truffled Eggplant & Mushroom Lasagna
• Slow-Cooked Pork Chops with Olives & White Wine
• Stuffed Baby Zucchini with Herbs & Parmigiano
• Light-as-Air Tiramisu

Homemade lasagna is one of the pinnacles of Italian cuisine, it is only as delicious as its individual components. Learn to make the ultimate lasagna in this brand new class devoted to classic Italian home cooking. Our lasagna today will be made according to a recipe I discovered in Umbria, in the kitchen of an inspiring chef named Mimma… Mimma has quite a way with fresh pasta, and her lasagna manages to be both light and sumptuous at the same time (I'll show you Mimma's trick, promise!). As a main course, we'll cook pork chops with olives, fennel seeds, garlic, and white wine, just the way the Tuscan farmers have done for centuries, so they emerge tender and juicy. We'll stuff baby zucchini with a delicious mix of herbs, cheese, and a secret ingredient that provides a haunting note to the finished dish, creating a lovely side for our pork chops. And for dessert, we'll whip up a memorable (and memorably decadent) tiramisu, made just the way it's been done in Italian home kitchens for decades.

$95 pp | Classics of the Italian Home Kitchen | Saturday February 20, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served:
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica 2006
San Patrignano 'Aulente' Rosso Rubicone 2007
La Mondianese Ruche 2005

• Wild Mushroom & Goat Cheese Ravioli in Sage-Infused Butter
• Classic Veal Ossobuco Milanese-Style
• Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash & Leeks
• Caramelized Savoy Cabbage with Caraway Seeds & Garlic
• Nonna's Chocolate Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Cream

There are people who claim that there is no such thing as Milanese cuisine, that Milan is all about fast food, business lunches, restaurants where you can sample the best Italian cooking while never getting a sense of the local cuisine. I grew up in Milan, and I can vouch for the opposite. Milan may be Italy's business capital, its nerve center, its most business-like of business cities-but even here, a mere hour from the gorgeous Lake District, smack in the heart of the most heavily populated Italian region, people passionately cling to their culinary roots. The best place to sample real Milanese cuisine, of course, is at somebody's house. (This is true for all Italian regions, not just Lombardy.) Failing that, the next best thing is a trattoria, an unpretentious restaurant where the food mirrors the area's home cooking. Milan's venerable trattorias-and there are quite a few, some with most untrattoria-like prices-serve as the inspiration for this brand new menu. We'll begin by making pasta the old-fashioned way, with eggs and flour, roll it out, stuff it with a beguiling medley of wild mushrooms, goat cheese, and Parmigiano, and shape it into luxuriant ravioli. We'll slow-cook veal shanks (aka Ossobuco) with a hint of tomatoes and a splash of white wine until they become meltingly tender and juicy, and serve them with a rich butternut squash risotto and garlicky, slow-roasted cabbage. And for dessert, we'll bake my Nonna Eva's classic chocolate cake, an after-school treat she baked for my father and two uncles nearly every day when they were growing up in Milan: dense, dark, and lightly perfumed with a touch of cinnamon, this cake will surely find its way into your family's repertoire after just one sinful bite.

$110 pp | Favorites from Milan | Monday February 22, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served:
Antica Fonte Passerina 2008
Scarzello Nebbiolo 2007
Il Puntone 'Le Vignacce' Morellino di Scansano 2004

• Homemade Tagliatelle with Herbed Chickpeas
• Braised Beef Short Ribs with Caramelized Onions & Red Wine Glaze
• Slow-Roasted Butternut Squash, Parsnips, & Fennel with Nutmeg & Parmigiano
• Mom's Flourless Chocolate-Almond Cake in Dark Chocolate Glaze

This is the ultimate cooking class for anyone hungry for soul-satisfying comfort food. On a cold winter night, nothing is as heart-warming as a delectable homemade dinner paired with fabulous wines. We'll begin by kneading and rolling out homemade pasta dough; we'll braise chickpeas with herbs and garlic to create a rich, redolent sauce for our rustic tagliatelle. Our main course: tender, wine-laced short ribs, delicious on their own but even better with a soulful side of caramelized winter vegetables scented with fresh-grated nutmeg and a dusting of Parmigiano. And for dessert, I'll share my mom's secret recipe for flourless almond and chocolate cake; this cake is so good, so light, and yet so easy to make, you'll find yourself baking it time and again.

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$95 pp | Italian Comfort Food | Friday February 26, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served:
Falesco Ferentano Bianco 2006
San Giovanni 'Leo Guelfus' Rosso Piceno 2004
Cos 'Nero di Lupo' Nero D'Avola 2007

• Potato Gnocchi with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce (Lombardy)
• Butternut Squash Ravioli in Sage Butter (Emilia-Romagna)
• Cavatelli with Red Wine-Laced Ragu (Basilicata)
• Baby Greens in Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Lemon & Anise Biscotti with Espresso

If you love fresh pasta, don't miss this hands-on cooking class. This is your chance to learn to make three different (and very delicious) regional Italian pastas: light potato gnocchi from Lombardy, rolled out by hand and topped with a creamy Gorgonzola sauce; plump ravioli stuffed with fresh Ricotta and roasted squash drizzled with sage-infused butter and showered with freshly grated Parmigiano, a specialty of Emilia-Romagna; and rustic cavatelli from Basilicata in southern Italy, tossed with a hearty red wine-laced ragu. You'll not only learn to make, roll out, and shape the dough for these three very different pastas, you'll participate in preparing the sauce for each so you can recreate these three delectable first courses at home for family and friends. After the cooking is done, we'll sit for a pasta-lover's feast, accompanied by three fabulous wines and a refreshing green salad to cleanse the palate. And since no meal is really complete without dessert, we'll indulge in crispy, addictive biscotti and some freshly brewed espresso. Don't wait too long to sign up for this class; like all our pasta classes, it's sure to sell out!

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$95 pp | Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 | Saturday February 27, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served:
Suavia Soave Superiore Classico 2008
Antica Enotria Nero di Troia 2007
Taburno 'Fidelis' Aglianico del Taburno 2005

• Parmigiano & Ricotta Tartlets in Pancetta Cups over Baby Greens
• Fennel-, Chili-, and Rosemary-Rubbed Filet Mignon in Red Wine Glaze
• Asparagus & Saffron Risotto
• Miniature Apple Puff Pastry Pies with Almond Paste Crumble & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

In Italy, food is the source of endless pleasure, of passionate conversation and great debate. People love to sit around the dinner table and talk about past meals, future meals, celebratory meals, meals shared with loved ones. There is no greater joy for Italians than to spend hours discussing and dissecting food: the art of cooking is very much alive in Italy, and everyday eating remains a celebration of the pleasures of the table. But most everyday Italian cooking is rustic, and family favorites tend to be simple dishes that deliver big flavor without much fuss. That's the sort of cooking we'll be celebrating in this new class: rustic cooking from all corners of Italy. We'll begin with crispy little tartlets baked not in the usual crust, but in Pancetta... a fun way to start the meal, and so satisfying served atop baby greens in a light lemon dressing. I'll share my secret recipe for the most tender roast beef imaginable: it's so good, you'll be making it time and again, slicing leftovers for panini, inviting friends over just to revel in it. Saffron-hued risotto laced with white wine is the ideal partner to our filet. For dessert, a crispy apple tartlet topped with a buttery almond crumble completes the meal deliciously.

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$110 pp | Rustic Favorites | Monday March 1, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served:
Collavini Friulano Bianco 2008
Ascheri Dolcetto D'Alba 'Nirane' 2007
Bottega Vinaia Lagrein 2005

• Tuscan Tartlets with Caramelized Onions, Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, & Basil over Baby Greens
• Neapolitan Beef Scaloppine with Mozzarella & Oregano Pizzaiola-Style
• Roman Peas with Prosciutto & Onions
• Piedmontese Hazelnut & Chocolate Crostata

Home cooking is often the best cooking of all: tasty, satisfying, never pretentious, it delivers great flavor and a comforting sense of being taken care of. In Italy, home cooking varies from region to region, town to town, cook to cook. This class features four typical home-cooked dishes from all over Italy: Tuscany, Rome, and Piedmont. We'll start with crispy tartlets stuffed with golden caramelized onions, sweet sundried tomatoes, savory goat cheese, and fragrant basil, a delectable Tuscan appetizer served over baby greens in a light lemon dressing. Another home favorite from Naples is beef cooked pizzaiola-style… My mother made it often when I was a child, preparing a fragrant tomato sauce and a rich, cheesy Mozzarella topping to cover the tender, browned beef scaloppine. We'll serve our pizzaiola-style beef with baby peas with Prosciutto and onions, a Roman side dish that brings the much-anticipated flavors of spring to any winter table. And for dessert, we'll bake a crispy, buttery tart filled with bittersweet chocolate and toasted hazelnuts, in the time-honored tradition of Piedmontese grandmothers.

$95 pp | Italian Home Cooking | Friday March 5, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Homemade Tagliatelle with Mussels, Clams, & White Wine
• Skate in Saffron Broth over Baby Spinach
• Smashed Baby Potatoes with Chives & Garlic
• Berry & Lemon Tartlets

Mussels and clams cooked with a splash of white wine, a hint of parsley and garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil: nothing could be simpler, and nothing could be better tossed with silky, fresh tagliatelle. Join me in this new class as we explore the flavors and techniques of traditional Italian seafood cuisine, and learn to prepare a classic seafood pasta from scratch... I guarantee that you'll be making this pasta time and again, it's that good! Skate, an understated (and often underused) fish has a delectable silky texture and sweet taste; if you've never tried it, this is your chance to cook it in an elegant saffron-hued broth and savor it atop baby spinachs; this visually striking dish delivers big flavor in every bite. We'll roast baby potatoes with white wine and herbs as a satisfying side for our fish. And to finish off our seafood feast in style, we'll bake colorful berry-topped tarts whose lemon-scented creamy centers hide a crisp, flaky pastry crust.

$95 pp | Seafood Lovers' Feast | Monday March 8, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Handmade Cavatelli Pasta with Seafood & Prosecco Sauce
• Chicken Scaloppine in Marsala Glaze
• Risotto with Caramelized Radicchio & Chianti
• Mini Apple Cakes in Moscato Wine Syrup

Italians take wine very seriously. And just as they eat regionally, Italians drink regionally. Go to Tuscany, and you'll find locals drinking Chianti, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Brunello di Montalcino, and other Tuscan wines with their meals. Head to Abruzzo, and you'll find Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, or Trebbiano d'Abruzzo on the table. Italy is the largest producer of wine in the world, and it exports much of its wine to North America. Every Italian region produces good wine (some more than others, of course). And every Italian region cooks with wine-using it in every dish from antipasti to desserts to lend flavor and body, to add depth and complexity, and to elevate the simple to the sublime. Join me for a brand new class on cooking with wine Italian-style. We'll start our wine-centric menu with homemade cavatelli pasta in a chunky seafood and Prosecco wine sauce. Marsala (the dry variety) becomes a velvety sauce for tender chicken scaloppine, and a dry Chianti lends color and fruitiness to a radicchio-laced risotto. And for dessert, we'll bake delectable little cakes and bathe them in an aromatic Moscato wine sauce... of course, our menu will be paired with three fabulous wines, so get ready for a night of amazing food, wine, and fun!

$110 pp | Cooking with Wine | Friday March 12, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Perfect Homemade Pasta with Two-Meat Ragu
• Chicken Scaloppine with Fontina & Prosciutto in Marsala Glaze
• Escarole with Garlic & Chili
• The Ultimate Tiramisu

Although we designed this class with beginner cooks in mind, the techniques we'll be covering are so basic and so important to Italian cooking that anyone who enjoys Italian cuisine is sure to learn something new. We'll start off by making fresh egg pasta; I have devised a special formula that is foolproof and yields consistently delicious results, no matter what shape of pasta you're craving... it's all about which flour you use and how many eggs you add to your dough. We'll cook a perfect ragu sauce for our pasta, and there's a key to success here too, one that many advanced home cooks often skip, with disappointing results. As a main course, we'll brown chicken scaloppine, top them with cheese and Prosciutto, and finish them in the oven as we create a flavorful pan sauce with Marsala wine. Escarole with garlic and chili makes a refreshing accompaniment to the chicken. And for dessert, I'll share my recipe for tiramisu with you... it's so good, you'll never be able to eat the store-bought stuff again.

$95 pp | Italian for Beginners | Saturday March 13, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Spinach Linguine in Savory Leek Cream
• Bucatini in Chili-Pancetta Sauce
• Tuscan Penne in Walnut-Garlic Sauce
• Orecchiette with Fresh Ricotta, Basil, and Diced Tomatoes
• Fusilli in Spicy Fennel-Sausage Sauce
• Conchiglie with Spicy Broccoli & Pecorino
• Mom's Rigatoni Gratin with Gorgonzola Cream
• Linguine in Fragrant Basil Pesto
• Cavatelli with Tuna Sicilian-Style
• Gemelli with Crab, Asparagus, and Saffron

This class sells out very quickly every time we offer it, so don't wait too long to reserve your spot! Is there any food that lends itself more to weeknight meals and impromptu dinners with friends than pasta? Pasta is not only healthy and versatile, it takes mere minutes to cook. But many of us have a limited repertoire of pasta sauces, relying on easy stand-bys like marinara sauce or ragu. In this informative and fun class, I'll unveil the secrets of cooking pasta (no spaghetti thrown on the wall to test for doneness, please!), then show you how to pair a variety of pasta shapes (some well known, others less so) with their ideal sauce. Next, we'll cook ten flavorful, authentic Italian pastas suited to everyday eating and simple entertaining, and enjoy them family-style with some fabulous white and red wines. The 10 pasta sauces you'll learn to make in this hands-on class are sure to change the way you cook and eat on a daily basis... They've become my absolute favorites over years of cooking, and they're sure to become favorites in your kitchen too. This date is sold out, but we are offering this same class on April 30. Reserve your spots now!

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$110 pp | The Ten Best Pasta Sauces | Monday March 15, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Risotto with Shrimp, Saffron, & Asparagus
• Veal Scaloppine with Artichokes, Pine Nuts, & Olives
• Smashed Peas & Baby Potatoes with Mint
• Light-as-Air Vanilla Cake with Caramel Glaze

Spring: the magical moment when winter's dark days give way to the bright new light of the season, a time to revel in the pleasures of nature and taste all that the garden offers. This new class celebrates spring in all its bounty: each of the four dishes in this menu is a veritable ode to spring and its delectable, edible glory. We'll cook up a rich, creamy risotto studded with tender shrimp, flavored with golden saffron and the season's perfect asparagus, a true tatse of spring. We'll brown tender scaloppine of veal with artichokes, pine nuts, and olives, a Ligurian specialty that truly makes the most of a few splendid ingredients. We'll sauté baby potatoes and sweet peas with mint, gently crushing them to release their vegetal goodness before devouring them alongside the veal. And we'll bake an ethereally light vanilla cake and top it with the most sinful caramel glaze ever... what a way to usher in the pleasures of spring!

$95 pp | Spring Celebration | Friday March 19, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Tagliatelle with Basil Pesto & String Beans
• Ricotta & Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli in Light Tomato Sauce
• Beet & Potato Gnocchi in Sage Butter Sauce
• Mixed Baby Greens in Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Lemon & Almond Biscotti

This is your chance to learn to make three different (and very delicious) regional Italian pastas: egg tagliatelle from Liguria in northern Italy, sauced with the most fragrant basil pesto imaginable; cheese-filled ravioli tossed with a delicate tomato sauce, a specialty of Romagna; and Tuscan beet and potato gnocchi, made according to a secret recipe that yields the lightest results possible, napped in a sage-scented sauce. You'll not only learn to make, roll out, and shape the dough for these three very different pastas, you'll participate in preparing the sauce for each so you can recreate these three delectable first courses at home for family and friends. After the cooking is done, we'll sit for a pasta-lover's feast, accompanied by three fabulous wines and a refreshing green salad to cleanse the palate. And since no meal is really complete without dessert, we'll indulge in crunchy biscotti and some freshly brewed espresso.

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$95 pp | Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 | Saturday March 20, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Creamy Asparagus & Shrimp Lasagna
• Sea Bream in Prosecco Glaze with Basil & Chives
• Caramelized Lemon & Garlic Brussels Sprouts
• Mini Tiramisu Tartlets

Join me for a brand new class on Venetian cuisine and allow yourself to be transported to this magical corner of the world. We'll begin our taste journey with an elegant asparagus and shrimp lasagna; after all, Venice is famous for its delectable pasta dishes, and its shrimp is among the best on the Adriatic Sea. Prosecco, one of the Veneto's prized wines, makes a splendid cooking medium for sea bream (orata in Italian), among Italy's most delicate fish varieties. We'll serve our orata with lemon-kissed roasted Brussels sprouts, and finish with a playful twist on Venice's beloved tiramisu: miniature tiramisu-inspired tartlets, bite-size morsels of pure espresso and chocolate delight.

$95 pp | Taste of Venice | Monday March 22, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Spinach & Two-Cheese Ravioli with Wild Arugula
• Garlic-Rubbed Rack of Lamb
• Tarragon-Roasted Asparagus
• Light-as-Air Berry Tiramisu

A playground for the rich and famous from all corners of the globe, Tuscany has attracted tourists and visitors since the golden age of Michelangelo, Leonardo, and the de' Medicis. From the Renaissance marvels of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to the colorful costumes of the horse Palio in Siena and the splendors of its hilltop towns, Tuscany combines art, culture, architecture, and natural beauty in a seamless tapestry. And there may be no better time to explore Tuscan cuisine than in the spring, when the markets offer a bounty of fruit and vegetables ready to be transformed into memorable meals. Our own Tuscan spring menu features spinach, asparagus, lamb, and fresh berries, cooked in true Tuscan form and served with three fabulous wines. We'll learn to make fresh pasta and roll it out into gossamer-thin sheets; we'll prepare a sumptuous cheese and spinach filling and create the most amazing ravioli ever, just perfect with a topping of fruity olive oil and peppery arugula. Tuscans are quite fond of lamb, and we'll roast ours after marinating it with plenty of rosemary and garlic; the meat will emerge from the oven so succulent and rosy that it requires no sauce, perhaps just a splash of fruity olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Spring brings the best asparagus, and asparagus has an amazing affinity for tarragon, so we'll roast our tender asparagus with a shower of fresh tarragon leaves and a hint of garlic. For dessert, we'll whisk berries, lemon-scented sabayon, and whipped cream into a luscious mousse; the same technique can be used for any fruit you like, making this tiramisu recipe a must-have for your Tuscan cooking repertoire.

$95 pp | Spring in Tuscany | Friday March 26, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Classic Pizza Margherita
• Pizza Rosa with Truffle Oil and Mascarpone
• Pizza with Artichoke Hearts, Goat Cheese, and Olives
• Pizza Dolce with Apricot and Chocolate

I've been teaching Italian cooking for years, and the thing that seems to scare people off more than anything is working with yeast. Maybe it's the fear that, left to its own devices, yeast will take over the kitchen--just think of dough ballooning out of the oven in that episode of "I Love Lucy". But I've found that once people get their hands into the dough and get familiar with how yeast works, the fear disappears. All it takes is understanding a few rules, getting comfortable with basic techniques such as kneading and shaping the dough, and a reliable recipe. Whether you're making bread, focaccia, pizza, or any other yeast-risen dough, the principles are the same. It's all about temperature, ingredients, and technique. If you've ever wanted to bake crisp, thin-crust pizzas, this hands-on class is for you: I'll take you through the essential techniques of kneading, rolling, topping, and baking pizza dough and demystify the process of working with yeast. We'll bake Italy's most famous pizzas, starting with the classic tomato- and Mozzarella-topped Pizza Margherita, then set our imaginations free and combine various toppings for a true pizza-lover's fantasy. We'll even make a sweet pizza with chocolate and apricots... delicious with a glass of sweet wine at meal's end!

$95 pp | Neapolitan Pizzeria | Saturday March 27, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Homemade Cannelloni with Ricotta, Prosciutto, & Mozzarella
• Chicken Cacciatora with Tomatoes, Capers, & Garlic
• Old-Fashioned Polenta with Mascarpone & Chives
• Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti

This class is one of our most popular... reserve quickly, before it sells out! Some of the most well-loved dishes in Italian cuisine are also longtime classics: Ricotta-stuffed cannelloni, chicken cacciatora, creamy, soft polenta, and crunchy nut & chocolate biscotti... In this class devoted to favorites of the Italian kitchen, we'll learn to prepare pasta dough, roll it out thin, wrap it around a delicious cheese stuffing, and bake our cannelloni under a veil of creamy bechamel sauce. As a main course, we'll brown boneless chicken in olive oil, then slow-cook it with herbs and onions in a delicate marinara sauce. We'll cook polenta using a shortcut you won't believe... no more stirring for 45 minutes (no, we're not making instant polenta: it's the real thing), and flavor it with a beguiling combination of creamy Mascarpone and delicate chives. And for dessert, we'll knead a sweet, sugary hazelnut dough and shape it into biscotti; after they're baked, we'll dip our biscotti in melted bittersweet chocolate, a treat with espresso any time of day!

$95 pp | Essentials of Italian Cooking | Monday March 29, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served:
To be announced

• Herbed Ricotta Gnocchi with Prosciutto Ribbons & Peas
• Filet Mignon with Balsamic Vinegar-Herb Glaze
• Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts & Pancetta
• Amaretto Crème Caramel

Ask Italians where the best food in Italy is found, and when they don't name their own city, they will likely say Parma. With its rosy Prosciutto, nutty Parmigiano cheese, and heavenly fresh pastas, Parma offers an astounding array of savory and sweet dishes that bespeak a golden past and a rich culinary legacy. Some of the tastiest, most honest food imaginable comes from this elegant northern Italian city... and we'll explore it all in a brand new, one time-only cooking class. We'll begin by preparing my signature herbed Ricotta gnocchi-the trick to light, melt-in-the-mouth gnocchi is not adding any eggs to the dough, and using a very delicate hand with the flour. We'll sauce our gnocchi with a subtle combination of peas, Prosciutto ribbons, a splash of cream, and a handful of Parmigiano... after all, this is the cooking of Parma, where Prosciutto and Parmigiano appear in most savory dishes. We'll roast filet mignon to rosy perfection and serve it with a balsamic vinegar-spiked glaze... what an elegant main course served with roasted asparagus topped with toasted pine nuts and golden cubes of Pancetta. And for dessert, we'll whip up a batch of amaretto-scented crème caramel: a comforting, and rather addictive, dessert whose creamy texture and almondy taste are the perfect counterpoint to our rich meal.

$110 pp | Taste of Parma | Monday April 5, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Chianti & Gorgonzola Risotto with Rosemary
• Smoked Pork Chops in Vin Santo-Apple Glaze
• Savory Wild Mushroom "Souffle'"
• Pine Nut & Chocolate Crostata

Tuscany: gentle green hills; solemn cypress trees dotting the skyline; vineyards in their geometric perfection; silver-leafed olive groves as far as the eye can see… If you haven't had a chance to visit Tuscany this year, join me in this class inspired by the Tuscan countryside. We'll begin the evening's menu with a simply sumptuous risotto laced with fruity Chianti wine and nutty Gorgonzola cheese; a hint of rosemary lends fragrance to this rich risotto. Next, we'll slow-cook smoked pork chops with a bold sauce that features apples, fresh herbs, shallots, and Vin Santo (you may have enjoyed Vin Santo, an amazing dessert wine, in the company of crunchy almond biscotti, but it is a wonderful addition to savory sauces such as the one we'll be making for our pork chops, and it will elevate this delectable main course to new heights of luxury). A woodsy wild mushroom and Parmigiano souffle is the perfect complement to our pork chops, and a pine nut-topped chocolate tart (crostata in Italian) is a fitting close to an elegant Tuscan dinner.

$95 pp | Evening in Tuscany | Friday April 9, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Wild Mushroom & Goat Cheese Ravioli with Crispy Sage Butter
• Cavatelli with Roasted Grape Tomatoes, Arugula, & Ricotta
• Potato Gnocchi in Light Beef Ragù
• Mixed Greens with Lemon Vinaigrette
• Biscotti & Espresso

It seems like the universe of pasta is never-ending. There are so many delicious pastas in Italy, some made with all-purpose flour, others with semolina or unusual grains like rye, buckwheat, and farro; some made with eggs, others with white wine, still others with only egg yolks... the techniques for kneading and rolling out pasta dough are timeless, and once you've learned how to handle the dough, you'll be on your way to making some exceptional Italian primi piatti (first courses) at home. Join me for a class devoted to fresh pasta from 3 different Italian regions: Piedmont's delectable mushroom and goat cheese ravioli, shaped by hand and sauced with a decadent sage butter; Puglia's rustic cavatelli, made with semolina flour and tossed with a vibrant roasted tomato sauce; and Friuli's famed potato gnocchi, ethereally light and just delicious with a long-simmered ragu. We'll round out our meal with a light green salad and finish up with homemade biscotti and espresso.

$95 pp | Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 | Saturday April 10, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Oversize Two-Cheese & Basil Ravioli in Sage & Black Pepper Butter
• Herb-Rubbed Chicken Morsels with Tomato, Yellow Pepper, & Tarragon Salsa
• Balsamic-Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, & Chive Tartlets
• Mint-Infused Dark Chocolate Cake

I love fresh herbs. My refrigerator is always stocked with a variety of fresh herbs-rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley, sage, mint, chives, dill, cilantro, oregano, marjoram… whatever smells heavenly at the market, whatever inspires me to get in the kitchen and cook. There really is no substitute for fresh herbs, for their intensity and fragrance, for the inimitable flavors they bring to any dish-dried herbs pale by comparison. Tonight's class features fresh herbs from antipasto to dessert, and may inspire you to plant an herb garden after the cooking is done. We'll start off our herb-laced menu with my favorite ravioli ever: oversize ravioli (ravioloni in Italian) stuffed with fragrant basil leaves and a light Ricotta filling, boiled to perfection and sauced with nothing more than a sage- and black pepper-infused butter. Marinating chicken with an abundance of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, and more) not only flavors it, it tenderizes it; we'll serve our herb-kissed roasted chicken with a bright, fresh-tasting salsa of sweet tomatoes, peppers, and tarragon. We'll bake miniature goat cheese, chive, and caramelized onion tartlets as a side to our chicken, and finish our feast with a decadent chocolate cake laced with fresh mint.

$95 pp | Cooking in an Italian Herb Garden | Monday April 12, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Handmade Cavatelli Pasta with Spicy Sausage Ragù & Three Cheeses
• The Most Tender Spice-Rubbed Roasted Pork Tenderloin Ever with Dad's Fresh Chili Sauce
• Roasted Sweet Pepper Medley with Chili-Basil Oil
• Chili-Laced Molten Chocolate Cake

Spicy, spicy, spicy... These four dishes all feature chili one way or another (yes, even the chocolate cake: after all, when the Aztecs used to brew their chocolate drink, they didn't add any sugar, but they did add chilies). But in true Italian fashion, the chili taste in these dishes is never overpowering, just flavorful enough to make its presence felt. Most of these dishes hail from central and southern Italy, where chilies (known as "diavolicchio", or The Little Devil) are abundantly used. A dish from Basilicata will kick off this special menu: homemade cavatelli pasta, rustic and toothsome, tossed with a chunky sausage and tomato ragu, fresh Ricotta, Pecorino, and Ricotta Salata. Our main course: the most unbelievably tender roasted pork tenderloin, rubbed with an unusual smoked chili and plenty of garlic, served with my dad's chili-fennel sauce and a side of roasted peppers in spice-infused herb oil. And the cake... well, suffice it to say that chefs in Italy nowadays are experimenting with adding a touch of chili to their chocolate creations. The pairing is really quite lovely when it's done right.

$95 pp | Hot & Spicy Italian | Friday April 16, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Risotto with Basil Pesto
• Sea Bass Sicilian Style with Olives, Raisins, & Pine Nuts
• Roasted Garlic String Beans
• Warm Pecan & Chocolate Tart with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Rustic cooking is my favorite kind of cooking. I don't go in for ornate presentations and complicated recipes requiring days of preparation. I prefer to cook (and eat) dishes that pay homage to the very best ingredients, like fresh cheese, fragrant herbs, fruity olive oil, seasonal vegetables, and whatever the market has to offer. This cooking class is all about the pleasures of rustic cuisine, and features an all-star line-up of four rustic dishes I crave more often than I can tell you. First up: a luscious plate of risotto, flavored with an intense, basil-kissed pesto and plenty of Parmigiano, a specialty we enjoyed in Liguria. Our main course is Sicilian in spirit: fillets of branzino (Mediterranean sea bass) cooked to perfection with a scattering of raisins, olives, pine nuts, capers, and onions, quite lovely served with garlicky string beans. For dessert, we'll bake a rich, buttery tart filled with toasted pecans and bittersweet chocolate, absolutely delicious with or without vanilla ice cream.

$95 pp | Rustic Home Cooking | Monday April 19, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Roasted Pear, Toasted Walnut, & Young Goat Cheese over Baby Arugula
• Individual Four-Cheese Lasagna
• Veal Scaloppine with Parmigiano and Wild Mushroom Medley
• Cheese Course Paired with Honeys & Preserves
• Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake in Brown Sugar Crust

I have to admit to selfish motives when I planned this class: I really love cheese. In fact, there's no food I enjoy more than cheese... so this cooking class just HAD to happen. You'll cook with a half-dozen fantastic Italian cheeses, and our dinner will highlight Italian cheeses in every course, from antipasto to dessert. We'll even enjoy a tasting of fabulous (and little-known) Italian cheeses paired with preserves and honeys after the main course is served, before we indulge in dessert. We'll start by preparing a light, boldly flavored salad of roasted pears, arugula, and goat cheese, then bake an amazing cheese lasagna. We'll sear thin slices of veal in hot butter, dust them with Parmigiano, and top them with an intense wild mushroom sauté. And we'll whip up the most decadent chocolate cheesecake imaginable, featuring creamy Mascarpone cheese and deep, dark, bittersweet chocolate swirled inside a buttery brown sugar and almond crust...

$110 pp | The Ultimate Cheeselover's Class | Friday April 23, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Homemade Cannelloni with Ricotta, Prosciutto, & Mozzarella
• Chicken Cacciatora with Tomatoes, Capers, & Garlic
• Old-Fashioned Polenta with Mascarpone & Chives
• Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti

This class is one of our most popular... reserve quickly, before it sells out! Some of the most well-loved dishes in Italian cuisine are also longtime classics: Ricotta-stuffed cannelloni, chicken cacciatora, creamy, soft polenta, and crunchy nut & chocolate biscotti... In this class devoted to favorites of the Italian kitchen, we'll learn to prepare pasta dough, roll it out thin, wrap it around a delicious cheese stuffing, and bake our cannelloni under a veil of creamy bechamel sauce. As a main course, we'll brown boneless chicken in olive oil, then slow-cook it with herbs and onions in a delicate marinara sauce. We'll cook polenta using a shortcut you won't believe... no more stirring for 45 minutes (no, we're not making instant polenta: it's the real thing), and flavor it with a beguiling combination of creamy Mascarpone and delicate chives. And for dessert, we'll knead a sweet, sugary hazelnut dough and shape it into biscotti; after they're baked, we'll dip our biscotti in melted bittersweet chocolate, a treat with espresso any time of day!

$95 pp | Essentials of Italian Cooking | Saturday April 24, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Caramelized Onion Cheesecake in Crisp Cornmeal Crust over Wild Arugula
• Tender Chicken Morsels in Wild Mushroom-Cream Sauce
• Risotto with Butternut Squash & Leeks
• Slow-Roasted Savoy Cabbage with Smoked Paprika, Pancetta, & Garlic
• Pecan & Brown Sugar Cake with Cinnamon-Scented Whipped Cream

Join us for a memorable evening of hands-on cooking and in-depth wine tasting! First, you'll enjoy a brief hands-on cooking class during which you'll learn to prepare five fabulous Italian dishes. We'll prepare a savory cheesecake embellished with caramelized onions and a crispy cornmeal crust, delicious over a refreshing salad of baby arugula. We'll slow-cook tender morsels of chicken with a medley of wild mushrooms, and serve a decadent butternut squash risotto and roasted cabbage alongside. And for dessert, we'll bake a moist, buttery pecan and brown sugar cake, and top it with a tuft of homemade whipped cream. As for the wine tasting, our charismatic Wine Director Costas Mouzouras has a secret treat in store for you: Not only will you taste 8 or more classic and innovative northern Italian wines... Costas will reveal the secrets of professional wine tasting by providing the essential tools that will enhance your tasting ability. You will learn basic aspects of sensory evaluation, appearance, aroma, and flavor. Moreover, Costas will reveal the origins of desirable and undesirable flavors in wine, and discuss stylistic contributions of winemaking techniques. Dinner will be paired with a tasting of 8 or more wines!

Course price includes...

• hands-on cooking lesson
• four-course dinner
• 8 or more wines presented by RUSTICO's Wine Director Costas Mouzouras
• a free apron

$150 pp | Northern Italian Wine Tasting | Monday April 26, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To Be Announced

• Spinach Linguine in Savory Leek Cream
• Bucatini in Chili-Pancetta Sauce
• Tuscan Penne in Walnut-Garlic Sauce
• Orecchiette with Fresh Ricotta, Basil, and Diced Tomatoes
• Fusilli in Spicy Fennel-Sausage Sauce
• Conchiglie with Spicy Broccoli & Pecorino
• Mom's Rigatoni Gratin with Gorgonzola Cream
• Linguine in Fragrant Basil Pesto
• Cavatelli with Tuna Sicilian-Style
• Gemelli with Crab, Asparagus, and Saffron

This class sells out very quickly every time we offer it, so don't wait too long to reserve your spot! Is there any food that lends itself more to weeknight meals and impromptu dinners with friends than pasta? Pasta is not only healthy and versatile, it takes mere minutes to cook. But many of us have a limited repertoire of pasta sauces, relying on easy stand-bys like marinara sauce or ragu. In this informative and fun class, I'll unveil the secrets of cooking pasta (no spaghetti thrown on the wall to test for doneness, please!), then show you how to pair a variety of pasta shapes (some well known, others less so) with their ideal sauce. Next, we'll cook ten flavorful, authentic Italian pastas suited to everyday eating and simple entertaining, and enjoy them family-style with some fabulous white and red wines. The 10 pasta sauces you'll learn to make in this hands-on class are sure to change the way you cook and eat on a daily basis... They've become my absolute favorites over years of cooking, and they're sure to become favorites in your kitchen too. Don't miss this class, it's sure to sell out quickly!

$110 pp | The Ten Best Pasta Sauces | Friday April 30, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

Our standard gift certificates have a value of $95 - which is the cost of most of our cooking classes. Occasionally we have premium classes that are priced a at $110 (for instance due to the higher cost of the ingredients, or because they are more complicated to set up). We also offer wine tastings priced at $150. This section allows you to add to the value of your certificate so you can redeem it towards a premium class ($15 extra per spot) or a wine tasting ($55 extra per spot).

| Choose your Gift Certificate Upgrade Below |

Standard Class Upgrades

$95 Certificate to $110 Premium Class - $15.00 $95 Certificate to $150 Wine Tasting - $55.00

enter date or name of class

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Wines Served: To be announced