Tastes of Abruzzo Cooking Class | Fri May 2

About this experience

Don’t miss this chance to explore the delicious and often overlooked cooking of Abruzzo, during a special hands-on class led by chef Marco Rosati, who grew up in Abruzzo and whose family still manages their olive farm in the region!  Abruzzo is a green, mountainous, coastal region located in Central Italy that has strong cultural connections with the South – at various times in its past it was part of the Kingdoms of Sicily and Naples.  

Chef Marco Rosati will teach us a variety of typical dishes this evening, starting from pallotte cac' e ove – a great example of Abruzzese ingenuity. These simple, hearty snacks are traditionally made with leftover bread and cheese – because non si butta niente (nothing goes to waste) in Italian home cooking! 

For the main course this evening we'll make the popular street food, arrosticini (often called spiedini or speducci here in Toronto) – made by deboning and skewering a good quality cut of lamb shoulder. (We’ll also make a few chicken skewers for less adventurous eaters!). 

As you might expect, Marco will make good use of the leftover bones to make a delicious lamb-tomato sugo for the pasta course. This will be paired with the fresh pasta we’re making from scratch: spaghetti alla chitarra, which gets its name from the guitar-like pasta maker used to make it.  

We’ll also be making two great veggie dishes to accompany the meal: a hearty winter squash and bean stew, made with dried sweet peppers, plus a side of sauteed seasonal greens.  And of course, dessert: the classic cicerchiata, a honey-glazed wreath of tiny deep fried confections about the size of cicerchie (grass peas) and almonds, a traditional dish often prepared at Carnival time in Abruzzo! 

When we're done cooking these great dishes, you'll be seated with fellow guests at a harvest table to enjoy the meal we've prepared together, served by our staff. And don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC to serve with the meal! 

MENU

Pallotte cac' e ove – Literally “cheese and egg balls” in Abruzese dialect – a savoury fried snack made with pecorino cheese and stale bread, served in tomato sauce.  

Spaghetti alla chitarra con sugo di agnello – Homemade “square” spaghetti with tomato-lamb sugo 

Arrosticini di agnello - Traditional abruzzese lamb skewers (plus a few chicken skewers for picky eaters!)     

Zucca e fagioli con peperone secco - Squash and bean stew with dried pepper

Erbe di campo saltate - Sauteed bitter greens 

Cicerchiata – Honey glazed mini “donuts” with almonds, shaped in a ring (like ciambella) 

ABOUT ABRUZZO 

Abruzzo is one of Italy’s best kept secrets and the greenest of its regions – in fact, over fifty precent of the territory is protected through national parks and nature reserves. Its mountainous, forested landscape is dotted with pretty towns, medieval castles, olive groves, vineyards, and along its Adriatic coast, many beaches and small resort towns. 
 
Amongst Italians, Abruzzo is particularly known for its tratturi, a remarkable network of wide grassy paths that span three regions, from Abruzzo to the north, Molise in the middle, and finally Puglia to the south. These paths were used for many centuries by shepherds who would make the long trek every six months, to avoid the cold of Abruzzo’s winter or the heat of Puglia’s summer. 

Although it is fairly central in location, Abruzzo has historically been more connected to southern Italy – both culturally and politically. Like it’s southern neighbours Abruzzo has an important agricultural sector and produces one of Italy’s most popular wines: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. 

BEVERAGES 

A selection of wines, beers and soft drinks will be available for purchase at the event. Our wine list can be viewed here: https://cucinato.ca/collections/wines

We also offer corkage, the fee is $15 per bottle. 

TERMS & CONDITIONS 

• No refunds after purchase
• Exchanges (one per ticket) permitted up to 5 days prior to the event.
• Tickets to Cucinato events are transferable - you can give them to someone else if you can’t attend (but please notify Cucinato in advance!)
• We will do our best to accommodate dietary needs – please contact us before booking