Join us for a fun, interactive cooking class and dinner event featuring one of the most overlooked Central Italy regions!
ABOUT LE MARCHE
Le Marche is one of Italy’s quietly captivating regions, stretching from the Apennines to the Adriatic, where hilltop villages, fertile valleys, and fishing ports shape a cuisine both rustic and refined. Its plural name reflects its medieval past as several “marches,” or frontier districts—once borderlands of the Holy Roman Empire. That layered history still lives on in its food: mountain lentils and wild boar, handmade pastas like vincisgrassi, olive all’ascolana from Ascoli, and brodetto from the coast all reflect a region of many landscapes and influences—truly a mosaic of flavours worthy of exploration in today’s cooking class.
ABOUT TONIGHT'S MENU
The class begins in Ascoli Piceno with one of the region’s most iconic antipasti: olive all’Ascolana — plump green olives stuffed, breaded, and fried to golden perfection — alongside fritto misto all’Ascolana, a delicious assortment of lightly fried vegetables and tender lamb bites. Crisp on the outside and savory within, these bites set the tone for a menu rooted in conviviality and tradition.
For the primo, we’ll roll up our sleeves to prepare pincinelle by hand, a rustic fresh pasta dressed with a rich ragù of local sausage and wild dandelion greens. The slight bitterness of the tarassaco balances the savory depth of the meat, creating a dish that perfectly reflects Le Marche’s countryside flavors.
Our main course is coniglio in porchetta, rabbit seasoned with fennel, garlic, and herbs in the style of the region’s beloved porchetta (chicken available upon request), served with patate in potacchio — potatoes gently braised with garlic, rosemary, and tomato — and sautéed Swiss chard, a simple nod to the region’s farm kitchens.
For dessert, we’ll enjoy crescia fogliata, a delicate, layered pastry from Fabriano made from the chef’s own nonna’s recipe — a sweet and heartfelt finish to our Marche feast!
MENU
ANTIPASTI Olive all’Ascolana – Traditional stuffed and fried green olives from Ascoli Piceno. Fritto Misto all’Ascolana – Lightly fried seasonal vegetables and tender lamb bites.
PRIMO Pincinelle al Ragù di Salsiccia e Tarassaco – Handmade rustic pasta with sausage ragù and wild dandelion greens.
SECONDO Coniglio in Porchetta – Herb-roasted rabbit with fennel, garlic, and rosemary (chicken substitute available upon request).
CONTORNI Patate in Potacchio – Potatoes gently braised with garlic, rosemary, and tomato. Bietola Saltata – Simply sautéed Swiss chard with olive oil and garlic.
DOLCE Crescia Fogliata – Delicate layered pastry from Fabriano made from the chef’s family recipe.
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
Your Host
Marco Marani
Originally from Fabriano, in the Marche region of Italy, Marco Marani has called Toronto home since 2012. After a solid tenure in the kitchens of the Terroni family (Sud Forno, Spaccio), he felt the need to create something of his own: and Intellectual Honesty Private Chef was born. The project stems from his desire for creative autonomy and his ability to deliver an experience that is, above all, real: Marco isn’t the kind of chef who’s going to tell you "grandma’s fairytales" in the kitchen.
