… and learn to cook pasta and sauces. With our time at Il Ciocco winding down, we wanted to do those things we hadn’t made time for. High on that list was a stop at an unusual stone bridge on the way to Lucca. The bridge was built in the 1300s; its asymmetrical arches and its peculiar shape are explained by a legend which says that the architect got partially finished, and then was baffled about how to complete the project. In despair, he made a deal with the Devil in which the Devil would finish the bridge and in return, claim the soul of the first one to cross the completed bridge. The Devil built the rest of the bridge in just one night, and waited to claim a soul. But the architect, being clever, sent a dog across the bridge first, and the Devil was left with the dog’s soul. The bridge is very steep and the stonework is exceptional. It is a beautiful landmark along the way.
Of course after we had slowly and carefully trudged our way to the very top of the bridge, a group of kids came running up one side of the bridge and down the other! After catching our breath, we stopped briefly in Borgo a Mozzana, the town where the bridge is located; it’s a pretty little town like most in Tuscany, with several beautiful churches and winding streets.
We had extra time before our 4 pm cooking class, so we went back to Lucca, our favorite Tuscan town. We found a great parking space inside the city walls, with the magnificent San Frediano church nearby. Founded in the 8th C., it was rebuilt in the 12th C., consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147, then restructured in the 13th C. The exterior features a large Byzantine mosaic. Inside, the church has an embarrassment of riches. As the Pope’s church it received special embellishments, including ancient marble columns brought to Lucca from Rome, a marble baptismal font from the 12 C., a large della Robbia terra cotta decoration, beautiful carved marble crypts in the floor - and the whole incorrupted body of Saint Vita, encased in a glass coffin.
We also stopped by the old Roman ampitheater, now an oval area of little shops and restaurants; it’s a great place to spend time.
Our main activity for the day was a cooking class with chef Paolo Monti, at the Hotel & Ristorante La Cantina di Carignano outside Lucca. We selected Lesson 5, Fresh pasta, ravioli and sauces. In the first hour, we made six different sauces as well as a chicken stock: tomato sauce from fresh cherry tomatoes, tomato sauce from canned whole tomatoes, a creamy mushroom sauce, a spicy curry sauce with blood orange juice and peel, a matriciana sauce (tomato sauce with pancetta), and a creamy tomato sauce made with fresh mozzarella cheese.
In the second hour, we made six types of pasta: a white pasta, a green spinach pasta, a red tomato pasta, a black squid ink pasta, and a chocolate pasta, as well as potato gnocchi. We also made two kinds of ravioli filling: ricotta and spinach, and for the squid ink pasta, shrimp filling. We had a quick break for spaghetti with carbonara sauce, eaten as soon as we made it. And so good!
After that, it was all just good eating! The chef combined the pastas and sauces, and we were served each dish in the dining room of the restaurant. It was so much food we couldn’t begin to do it justice.
After our pasta main courses, we went back to the kitchen to help the chef prepare our special dessert: chocolate ravioli with caramelized pears, in a a caramel and strawberry sauce. It was magnificent!
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