Fresh Pasta Primer

A hands-on in-person cooking class. This class is limited to 12 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here. 

All purpose flour or 00? Eggs or water? And what is semolina, anyway? Are you confused by fresh pasta? Take a deep dive with Viola Buitoni to discover the what, where, when and how of one of the Italy's culinary icons. In this workshop you will gain experience with different wheat flours and explore pasta's regionality. You will come away with the sensorial markers needed to understand how to knead fresh pasta and roll it with a pasta machine or by hand. Last but not least, Viola will teach you simple and elaborate way of cutting and folding pasta. A delectable bite of perfectly dressed homemade pasta in your own kitchen is within your reach!

MENU

Sfoglia di grano tenero all’uovo—Soft Wheat and Eggs Pasta Dough

Pasta di semola e acqua—Durum Wheat and Water Pasta Dough

Tagliatelle salsiccie e funghi—Tagliatelle with Sausage and Mushrooms 

Orecchiette alle cime di rapa—Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe

This menu contains the following common allergens: Egg, Dairy, Wheat. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

Let’s Cook Together! 

Viola Buitoni, chef instructor and food writer, was born in Rome and raised in Perugia, Italy. With stories and knowledge from six generations, her dishes cross the best of California agriculture with the finest Italian food imports. After moving to the US to attend NYU, Viola started Buitoni & Garretti, a catering kitchen and Italian fine foods shop in New York City. She later moved to San Francisco where she began lecturing and teaching Italian food tradition workshops at the SF Italian Cultural Institute and Italian Consulate. She teaches Italian cooking remotely for Boston-based Milk Street, and in person for 18 Reasons and The Civic Kitchen in San Francisco. She leads immersive foraging and cooking workshops in off-the-beaten-path Italy. She has contributed to La Cucina Italiana US and to italysegreta.com. Her opera prima, Italy by Ingredient, released in the Fall 2023 (Rizzoli). In 2020, the President of the Italian Republic awarded her the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia for her work to further the culture and business of Italian food. She lives in SF’s Mission District with her husband and tiny dog, while her son is away at college.

_{Photo by Viola Buitoni}