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:

• Essentials of Tuscan Cooking July 9
• Neapolitan Pizzeria July 10 at 12PM
• Italian Seafood for Beginners July 16
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 July 17 at 12PM
• Essentials of Neapolitan Cooking July 23
• Italian for Beginners July 24 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces July 30
• Essentials of Italian Cooking August 7 at 12PM
• Neapolitan Pizzeria August 13
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 August 14 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces August 20
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 September 11 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces September 24
• Italian for Beginners September 25 at 12PM

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:

• Summer Entertaining Italian-Style July 12
• Northern Italian Favorites July 26
• Italian Home Cooking August 2
• Cooking in an Italian Herb Garden August 6
• Summer in Tuscany August 9
• Neapolitan Pizzeria August 13
• Taste of Puglia August 23
• Italian Home Cooking September 17
• Hot & Spicy Italian September 18 at 12PM
• Funghi! Funghi! Funghi! September 20

Saturday Classes

Lunch classes from 12PM to 3PM:

• Neapolitan Pizzeria July 10 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 July 17 at 12PM
• Italian for Beginners July 24 at 12PM
• Essentials of Italian Cooking August 7 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 August 14 at 12PM
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 September 11 at 12PM
• Hot & Spicy Italian September 18 at 12PM
• Italian for Beginners September 25 at 12PM

Theme Classes

Focus on one ingredient or technique in depth:

• Neapolitan Pizzeria July 10 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces July 30
• Cooking in an Italian Herb Garden August 6
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces August 20
• Hot & Spicy Italian September 18 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces September 24
• Funghi! Funghi! Funghi! September 20

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:

• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 July 17 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces July 30
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 August 14 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces August 20
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 September 11 at 12PM
• The 10 Best Pasta Sauces September 24

Seafood & Healthy Cooking

Three-course menus based on fish and seafood cuisine:

• Italian Seafood for Beginners July 16

Regional Cuisine

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

• Essentials of Tuscan Cooking July 9
• Essentials of Neapolitan Cooking July 23
• Northern Italian Favorites July 26
• Summer in Tuscany August 9
• Neapolitan Pizzeria August 13
• Taste of Puglia August 23
• Summer in Piedmont September 10
• Ligurian Favorites September 13

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:

• Chianti Classico Wine Tasting September 27

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:

• Essentials of Tuscan Cooking July 9
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #1 July 17 at 12PM
• Essentials of Neapolitan Cooking July 23
• Cooking in an Italian Herb Garden August 6
• Neapolitan Pizzeria August 13
• Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 August 14 at 12PM
• Summer in Piedmont September 10
• Ligurian Favorites September 13

• Fresh Ricotta & Spinach Ravioli in Light Tomato Sauce
• Lemony Chicken with Slow-Cooked Onions & White Wine
• Braised Cannellini Beans with Rosemary
• Crunchy Almond Biscotti

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 summer, when the markets offer a bounty of fruit and vegetables ready to be transformed into memorable meals. Our Tuscan summer menu features ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, creamy Ricotta, homemade pasta, and tender chicken, cooked in true Tuscan form and served with three fabulous wines. We'll begin our Tuscan taste journey by stuffing fresh pasta with creamy Ricotta and spinach, making agnolotti (round ravioli) that are the very essence of summer tossed with a vibrant, light tomato sauce. Our main course combines tender chicken morsels with slow-cooked onions, just right served alongside braised beans with garlic and rosemary. And for dessert, we'll bake picture-perfect, delicious almond biscotti… you'll never buy biscotti again after you get a hold of my foolproof recipe.

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$95 pp | Essentials of Tuscan Cooking | Friday July 9, 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!

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$95 pp | Neapolitan Pizzeria | Saturday July 10, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Risotto with Shrimp, Asparagus, & Saffron
• Veal Scaloppine with Artichokes, Olives, & Lemon
• Grilled Sweet Peppers in Basil & Garlic Marinade
• Walnut & Chocolate Crostata Squares

Here's a brand new menu that highlights the pleasures of summer cooking: fresh, bright flavors that pay homage to the season's bounty, the sort of food that encourages us to linger just a little longer at the table with friends with family. We'll learn the key to perfect risotto first (a hint: yes, you have to stir, stir, stir constantly, but it's not just that... it's all about the temperature of the stock, how often you add the stock, and most of all, the variety of rice you use). After indulging in a creamy risotto with asparagus, shrimp, and saffron, we'll savor thin slices of veal cooked with a splash of lemon, a handful of artichokes, and some olives; the lemon is essential to the flavors of this dish, counterbalancing the richness of the meat perfectly. Grilled sweet peppers are a summer favorite, and in Italy, they are often showered with fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, and a hint of wine vinegar... what a lovely and colorful pairing for the veal scaloppine. And finally, we'll knead the dough for Italy's famous crostata; called pasta frolla, this rich, buttery crust is flavored with citrus zest and vanilla, and encases a heavenly combination of chopped walnuts and chocolate, plus a secret ingredient that will have you sneaking back to the kitchen for more.

$95 pp | Summer Entertaining Italian-Style | Monday July 12, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Handmade Cavatelli Pasta with Shrimp & Mussels Pugliese-Style
• Wine-Poached Red Snapper with Fragrant Tarragon Pesto
• Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Chili
• Summer Blueberry Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

The Italian seaside: lush visions of blue waters, gentle breezes, golden sun… Take a virtual journey to the Italian seaside with me in this new class devoted to the pleasures of Italian seafood cooking. Before we cook, we'll talk about how to select and store fish and seafood; next, we'll roll up our sleeves prepare a first course you'll find yourself making time and again: homemade pasta tossed with a garlicky seafood ragù featuring a hint of tomatoes, a touch of wild fennel, and a secret ingredient that elevates this dish to surprising heights (no, it's not white wine; it's much better than that!). Our main course is a savory ode to the sea: tender fillets of red snapper, poached in a delicious white wine broth and napped with a heady tarragon pesto. A savory side of crisp roasted broccoli infused with garlic and a hint of chili rounds out the meal in true Italian style. Dessert is my favorite summer pie: fresh blueberries encased in flaky, buttery pastry dough of our own making. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you're all set for a true summer feast.

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$95 pp | Italian Seafood for Beginners | Friday July 16, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Tagliatelle with Basil Pesto & String Beans (Liguria)
• Cavatelli with Classic Two-Meat & Red Wine Ragu (Basilicata)
• Mom's Potato Gnocchi with Leeks, Peas, and Saffron (Lombardy)
• Mixed Baby Greens in Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Almond Biscotti & Espresso

Don't wait too long to sign up, our pasta classes always sell out! 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; Basilicata's famous cavatelli, a rustic specialty that is especially succulent paired with a rich, wine-laced ragu; and my mom's potato gnocchi, the best I've ever tasted, made according to a secret recipe that yields the lightest results possible, napped in a creamy saffron and leek sauce studded with peas. 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 #1 | Saturday July 17, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Handmade Maccheroni in Puttanesca Sauce (with Capers, Olives, & Tomatoes)
• Beef Scaloppine with Roasted Mushrooms, Oregano, & Garlic
• Summer Eggplant Parmigiana
• Almond-Scented Ricotta Pie in Rich Butter Crust

Best known around the world for its pizza and pasta, Naples' exuberant cuisine relies on sun-kissed vegetables and herbs, dried pasta, and fresh farmhouse cheeses (chief among them water buffalo's Mozzarella). In the nineteenth century, people living in the capital city of Naples were nicknamed Mangia Maccheroni (Maccheroni Eaters); to this day, Neapolitans remain devout pasta eaters, and their pasta is among the best and the most varied in all of Italy. Join me for a taste of Naples right here in Manhattan, a chance to explore the cuisine of this lively southern Italian city without getting on a plane. We'll begin our Neapolitan feast with a timeless classic: homemade pasta tossed with a vibrant, racy tomato sauce flavored with capers, olives, and anchovies. (If you find yourself short on time at home, you can use store-bought rigatoni or penne instead, and the results will still be delectably authentic). Our main course: thin slices of beef topped a tangle of herb-kissed, roasted, garlicky mushrooms. A lighter take on Naples' classic eggplant parmigiana, layered with summer tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella, and grilled (rather than fried) eggplant is a heavenly side to our beef, and a buttery pastry dough stuffed with almond-scented Ricotta cream closes the meal on a decadent sweet note.

$95 pp | Essentials of Neapolitan Cooking | Friday July 23, 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 July 24, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Lasagna with Shrimp & Asparagus in Bechamel Sauce
• Herb-Rubbed Filet Mignon in Salsa Verde
• Garlicky Artichoke Sformato
• Mascarpone, Fresh Berry, & Orange Tiramisu

Northern Italy: a vast area covering Val d'Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy, Trentino, Friuli, The Veneto, and Liguria. Each of these regions boasts its own distinct cuisine, and one class can't possibly do justice to the many traditions of this fascinating area. What we can do in this one class, though, is learn to prepare a fool-proof summer menu that draws its inspiration from this glorious part of the world. We'll begin our northern Italian feast with a light, elegant Venetian lasagna studded with tender shrimp and creamy asparagus. We'll roast an herb-rubbed beef tenderloin (aka filet mignon) until it is perfectly rosy, and serve it in hearty slices with a bracing caper-and-parsley sauce known as salsa verde in Lombardy and Piedmont; this recipe will not only demistify the cooking of filet mignon, it underscores the fact that a delicious, versatile sauce need not be difficult to make. We'll cook a classic Ligurian sformato featuring artichokes, dried porcini mushrooms, onions, and plenty of Parmigiano to serve with our filet; a sformato is similar to a frittata, but lighter and studded more heavily with vegetables and cheese rather than eggs. Once you've learned to make an artichoke sformato, you can apply the same basic technique to other vegetables: string beans, potatoes, peppers, zucchini, or whatever strikes your fancy at the market. For dessert, we'll whip up a colorful berry-laden tiramisu starring creamy Mascarpone, one of northern Italy's most luscious fresh cheeses... what a way to end a summer feast!

$110 pp | Northern Italian Favorites | Monday July 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. This date is sold out, but we are running the same class on August 20 at 6PM. Sign up here before this new date sells out too!

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

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Tuscan Shrimp Soufflé over Baby Greens
• Filet Mignon with Garlicky Rosemary Rub & Chianti Glaze
• Fennel & White Wine Risotto
• Dark Chocolate & Walnut Pie

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 Tuscany, Lombardy, and Piedmont, ideal for summer entertaining: and best of all, most of the preparation can be done entirely ahead of time, leaving you free to relax with your guests over a glass of wine. We'll begin with a sophisticated Tuscan shrimp soufflé; served in generous scoops atop peppery arugula, it's a delicious opener to a summer meal. Our main course: rosemary-rubbed filet mignon (aka beef tenderloin), roasted to rosy perfection and served with a rich, garnet-hued Chianti wine glaze. Risotto is always impressive, and when it's flavored with caramelized fennel and white wine as in my native city of Milan, it makes an ideal partner to the filet. For dessert, we'll bake a decadently rich walnut and chocolate pie, a heavenly offering from northern Piedmont, where chocolate and nuts are kitchen staples.

$110 pp | Italian Home Cooking | Monday August 2, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Homemade Tagliatelle Pasta in Portofino Basil & Rosemary Pesto
• The Most Tender Herb-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Ever
• Roasted Tomato, Yellow Pepper, & Tarragon Salsa
• The Ultimate Rosemary & Garlic Roast Potatoes
• Figs Stuffed with Goat Cheese & Mint in Orange Blossom Honey

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 a delectable pasta from Portofino: tagliatelle tossed with a heady pesto featuring basil and rosemary, quite heavenly with silky fresh pasta ribbons of our own making. Marinating pork 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 pork tenderloin with a bright, fresh-tasting salsa of sweet tomatoes, peppers, and tarragon. We'll roast rosemary-scented potatoes using an ingenious trick I learned in Puglia to achieve an extra crispy crust (the secret is all in the pan!), and finish our feast with figs stuffed with young goat cheese and fresh mint, just perfect drizzled with honey.

$95 pp | Cooking in an Italian Herb Garden | Friday August 6, 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 August 7, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served:
To be announced

• Rosemary-Scented Focaccia
• Pappa al Pomodoro (Basil-Scented Summer Bread & Tomato Soup with Pecorino Crisp)
• Rosemary-Rubbed Rack of Lamb
• Tarragon-Roasted Asparagus
• Vanilla Crème Caramel

If you'd love to visit Tuscany this summer, take a virtual journey in this new hands-on cooking class featuring a sumptuous line-up of 5 classic Tuscan dishes. Our Tuscan summer menu features tomatoes, asparagus, lamb, and peppery Pecorino cheese, cooked in true Tuscan form and served with three fabulous wines. We'll begin by kneading and baking rosemary-scented focaccia (known as schiacciata in Tuscany); once you master this recipe, you'll find yourself making it time and again, with various herb combinations, topped with cheese, or flavored with olives. Next, we'll prepare a deceptively simple summer soup of ripe tomatoes, bread, onions, and basil, topped with a deliciously addictive Pecorino cheese crisp. 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. Since asparagus has an amazing affinity for tarragon, we'll roast our tender asparagus with a shower of fresh tarragon leaves and a shower of Pecorino. For dessert, we'll whip up a light, ethereal crème caramel subtly scented with vanilla; I prefer this luscious spoon sweet to panna cotta, and once you learn the technique for making crème caramel, you can play with flavor variations at home (add a bit of almond extract or Grand Marnier, stir in some chopped bittersweet chocolate, infuse the custard with espresso beans… the possibilities are endless, and endlessly delicious).

$95 pp | Summer in Tuscany | Monday August 9, 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

This class ALWAYS sells out fast so book your spots now! 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 | Friday August 13, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Chive-Scented Ricotta Gnocchi with Smoked Prosciutto & Caramelized Fennel (Trentino-Alto Adige)
• Cavatelli with Crushed Eggplants, Tomatoes, & Ricotta Salata (Calabria)
• Potato, Cheese, & Mint Ravioli in Light Tomato Sauce (Sardinia)
• Mixed Baby Greens in Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Lemon-Anise Biscotti

Don't wait too long to sign up, our pasta classes always sell out! This is your chance to learn to make three different (and very delicious) Italian pastas: light-as-air gnocchi from northern Italy, sauced with caramelized fennel and slivers of smoky Prosciutto; southern Italy's famous cavatelli, a rustic pasta that complements our chunky eggplant and tomato sauce beautifully, especially with a shower of creamy Ricotta Salata; and Sardinian potato ravioli, fragrant with mint and pungent Pecorino cheese, napped in a light tomato sauce of our own making. 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 anise-scented biscotti and some freshly brewed espresso.

$95 pp | Fresh Pasta Workshop #2 | Saturday August 14, 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.

$110 pp | The Ten Best Pasta Sauces | Friday August 20, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Cavatelli with Clams & Broccoli Raab
• Lamb Scaloppine alla Pizzaiola (with Olives, Tomatoes, & Provolone)
• Roasted Peppers with Toasted Bread Crumbs & Garlic
• Nonna's Handmade Jam Tart

Puglia, with its wide, sandy beaches, rocky coves and grottoes, and sprawling, fertile plains, is home to an incredibly delicious and diverse cuisine. In its sprawling plains, much of Italy's wheat, as well as other cereals and grains, is grown; along the coast, sea urchin, baby cuttlefish, and octopus are plentiful; in the Murgia Plateau, olives, vines, and almonds dominate; and in the Gargano Peninsula and in the highlands, cattle-breeding and sheepherding are vital. The result is a diet based on pasta and vegetables (mostly broccoli raab, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, eggplants, fava beans, peppers, or tomatoes) complemented by sheep's milk or cow's milk cheese, small amounts of meat, and seafood from the waters of the Mediterranean-all drizzled with the inimitable olive oil drawn from the region's olive trees. The Pugliesi are avowed bread lovers, so it isn't surprising that most of their meals begin with bread in one form or another. Platters of tomato-topped bruschetta are passed around ceremoniously to friends and relatives at nearly every gathering, and refreshing bread and vegetable salads abound. But if the Pugliesi love their bread, they love their pasta even more. This menu features four traditional Pugliese dishes: an amazingly flavorful handmade pasta tossed with tiny clams and peppery broccoli raab, a favorite by the sea; tender slices of lamb finished under a cloak of melted Provolone, napped with a deeply aromatic tomato sauce; roasted summer peppers with garlic and bread crumbs, a specialty across Puglia that can be savored as a side dish or antipasto; and a rich, sumptuous jam-filled tart. You won't believe you're in New York when you taste this food.

$95 pp | Taste of Puglia | Monday August 23, 6PM to 9PM

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• Ricotta & Spinach Gnocchi with Parmigiano Cream sauce
• Chicken Tonnato (Tender Chicken in Tonnato Sauce)
• Savory Zucchini & Three-Cheese Bread Torta
• Light-as-Air Lemon Cake with Berry Coulis

If you're a gnocchi lover, don't miss this class: I've had (and I've made) a lot of gnocchi over the years, but the recipe I'll be featuring in today's class is by far my favorite. We'll learn to knead and shape fresh gnocchi, and you'll be amazed at how delicious they are when we add a touch of fresh mint to our creamy Parmigiano sauce; the mint lightens the gnocchi and sauce, making it a perfect dish for a warm summer evening. Thinly sliced veal in tonnato sauce is a classic in Piedmont and Lombardy, where I was raised; chicken is often used instead of veal in this fantastic summer dish. My favorite version of tonnato sauce is my mom's, and there's a trick to her sauce that I'll share with you in class (who knew something so simple as a carrot could make THIS much difference?). A delectable herb-scented cheese and zucchini torta is the ideal complement for our chicken. And of course, what could be a more elegant ending for our northern Italian meal than a sophisticated lemon cake bathed in a colorful berry coulis? Light, airy, and refreshing, this cake is sure to impress your guests at your next alfresco Italian dinner.

$95 pp | Summer in Piedmont | Friday September 10, 6PM to 9PM

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• Tagliatelle with Peas, Prosciutto, Saffron, & Cream (Emilia)
• 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 noodles from Emilia, 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 Emilia, the heartland of fresh egg pasta: silky tagliatelle in a rich, creamy saffron sauce studded with peas and strips of Prosciutto. 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...

$95 pp | Fresh Pasta Workshop #3 | Saturday September 11, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Homemade Basil & Ricotta Ravioli in Garlic-Walnut Sauce
• Chicken with Green Olives, Lemon, Pine Nuts, & White Wine
• Potatoes & String Beans in Basil Pesto
• Moist Apple Cake with Cinnamon-Scented Whipped Cream

The Italian Riviera: Portofino, Cinque Terre, Santa Margherita, and dozens of other beautiful sun-kissed towns that dot the magical coastline of northern Italy. This is where I spent every summer of my childhood, and it is where I first experienced basil pesto at its best... not to mention the lightest, most fragrant focaccia, the most ethereal handmade pastas stuffed with wild greens, and the best gelato ever. Join me for a new class that delves into the unique cooking of this amazing region. We'll learn to prepare a handmade pasta stuffed generously with basil, Ricotta, and Parmigiano; the sauce for this heirloom pasta is a rich, creamy walnut pesto made with a handful of pine nuts and a splash of cream. Few pastas are as addictive or as special, so don't miss out on this class. After our pansotti, we'll enjoy a rustic chicken flavored with lemon, white wine, and green olives; this chicken is just delicious served alongside string beans and potatoes tossed in garlicky basil pesto. And for dessert, we'll bake a light, fluffy apple cake with a crisp brown sugar topping.

$95 pp | Ligurian Favorites | Monday September 13, 6PM to 9PM

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• Beet Ravioli with Smoked Mozzarella & Warm Poppy Seed Butter
• Filet Mignon with Leek & Chianti Glaze
• Savoy Cabbage with Bacon, Caramelized Onions, & Caraway Seeds
• Nonna's Dark Chocolate Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Cream

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 mountainous reaches of the Veneto area, we'll prepare the most colorful ravioli ever, stuffed with a pink beet puree' and sauced with a delightful poppy seed butter. From the stunning 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 saute' Savoy cabbage with a hint of caraway seeds. And from the kitchen of my very own grandmother in central Milan, Lombardy, we'll bake a chocolate cake with a touch of cinnamon and lemon zest, a family favorite topped with a cloud of whipped Mascarpone cream.

$110 pp | Italian Home Cooking | Friday September 17, 6PM to 9PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Crispy Chili Flatbread with Dad's Fresh Hot Pepper Sauce
• Rigatoni with Double-Spicy Calabrese Ragu
• Chili-Rubbed Roasted Rack of Lamb with Lime-Saffron Aioli
• Roasted Broccoli with Chili & Garlic
• The Ultimate Chili-Laced Molten Chocolate Cake

Spicy, spicy, spicy... These five 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 crispy focaccia from Molise will kick off this special menu: rolled out thin, scented with crushed chilies and fennel seeds, it is absolutely addictive dipped in my dad's very unique chili sauce. Next up: homemade rigatoni pasta with a Calabrese sauce featuring spicy pork sausage and plenty of garlic (after all, chili and garlic are meant to be together). As a main course, we'll marinate a rack of lamb with a dry chili rub, roast it to rosy perfection, and serve it with a succulent lime-scented aioli and a hearty portion of chili-tossed roasted broccoli. And the cake on tonight's menu combines two Mexican dried chilies and two classic American spices to create a hauntingly flavored, deliciously different molten creation.

$95 pp | Hot & Spicy Italian | Saturday September 18, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Risotto with Dried Porcini & Truffle Oil
• Veal Scaloppine with Wild Mushroom Medley & Marsala
• Roasted Fingerling Potatoes & Oyster Mushrooms with Garlic Gremolata
• Creamy Mushroom Flan
• Crispy Fruit- and Chocolate-Stuffed Phyllo Triangles with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

What could be better on the eve of autumn than a feast of mushrooms Italian-style? With their heady woodsy scent and their satisfyingly toothsome texture, mushrooms are one of my favorite go-to ingredients when I want to create an elegant dinner. And there are so many varieties of mushrooms to play with! Creamy oysters, intense shiitakes, pungent porcini, bold chanterelles, delicate cremini, playful morels… The list goes on and on. Join me for our first ever Mushroom Lover's Night, a true ode to funghi in all their versatile glory. We'll start our mushroom extravaganza with a creamy cheese-laced risotto featuring an abundance of dried porcini and white truffle oil… Next up: thin slices of golden veal, sautéed in butter and showered with a medley of wild mushrooms splashed with dry Marsala wine. Our two mushroomy sides showcase the distinct personalities of roasted versus steamed mushrooms: a succulent combination of roasted potatoes and mushrooms, and a sophisticated wild mushroom flan (tortino in Italian) bound together with eggs and Parmigiano. For a sweet finale, we'll bake up crispy apple, walnut, and chocolate pastry triangles, a lovely ending to our mushroom extravaganza.

$110 pp | Funghi! Funghi! Funghi! | Monday September 20, 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.

$110 pp | The Ten Best Pasta Sauces | Friday September 24, 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 September 25, 12PM to 3PM

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Wines Served: To be announced

• Light-as-Air Ricotta Gnocchi with Leeks, Sweet Peas, and Tomatoes
• Braised Beef Short Ribs with Caramelized Onions and Chianti Classico
• Fennel Gratin with Parmigiano
• Old-Fashioned Polenta with Chives
• Maple Syrup-Apple Cakes with Crunchy Cinnamon Sugar & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

This new wine tasting and cooking class will bring us to the greatest wine-making region of Italy: the small yet amazingly productive zone between Pisa and Siena, where centuries-old Chianti Classico is produced from Sangiovese and other grapes. There are seven distinct Chianti classifications, all of which will be explored in this unforgettable night of Tuscan food and Tuscan wine. We'll begin with a brief hands-on cooking class during which you'll learn to prepare five fabulous dishes ideal for fall feasting. We'll roll out feathery light Ricotta gnocchi, braise beef short ribs with herbs and onions and Chianti until the meat literally falls off the bone, roast wedges of fennel under a cloak of grated Parmigiano, stir up a pot of creamy, luscious chive-kissed polenta, and bake the most sinful, crunchy sugar-coated apple and maple syrup cake. After our cooking class, you'll sit down to enjoy your dinner paired with a tasting of 8 or more Chianti wines, each of which will be presented by our Wine Director Costas Mouzouras.

Course price includes...

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

$150 pp | Chianti Classico Wine Tasting | Monday September 27, 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 at $110 (due to the higher cost of the ingredients and/or longer 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) Standard to ($110) Premium Class Fee $15.00 ($95) Standard to ($150) Wine Tasting Fee $55.00 ($110) Premium for 1 to ($190) Standard for 2 Fee $80.00 ($95) Standard for 1 to ($220) Premium for 2 Fee $125.00

enter date or name of class

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Wines Served: To be announced