Fresh Pasta Cooking Class in NYC!

If you love fresh pasta but are lacking the confidence to make it from scratch at home, don't miss this hands-on class on July 27 at noon!

This class was designed for anyone who longs to learn to make fresh pasta from scratch. You'll begin by kneading your very own egg pasta (the ratio is simple and foolproof), working alongside your class companions as you master the timeless techniques of incorporating egg into flour and working the dough into a supple and silky mass with your hands. After the dough rests, we'll roll it out into thin lasagna sheets and finish it two ways: cutting it with the aid of a pasta machine, into picture-perfect tagliatelle; and stuffed with a luscious three-cheese filling, yielding delicate ravioli worthy of elegant entertaining. We'll also learn to prepare two classic sauces of the Italian kitchen: a light, herb-laced tomato sauce, and a delicate ragu slow-cooked with plenty of herbs and wine. Next, we'll knead and roll out the dough for crunchy, addictive almond biscotti. And after the cooking is done, we'll savor our fresh pasta paired with our homemade sauces, followed by a light green salad and our just-baked biscotti. The techniques you'll learn in this class will serve you whenever you make any type of pasta: long or short, flat or filled, from lasagne and ravioli to pappardelle and tagliatelle. Don't wait too long to sign up for this class; it's sure to sell out quickly!

Menu, July 27:

Basic Egg Pasta Dough
Fresh Tagliatelle
Three-Cheese Ravioli
Basil-Scented Tomato Sauce
Mom's Classic Two-Meat Ragu
Mixed Greens in Balsamic Vinaigrette
Crunchy Almond Biscotti

This hands-on cooking class lasts from 12PM to 3PM. The cost is $110 per person and includes a full lunch paired with wine. Be sure to sign up here before class sells out or call 917-602-1519.

And we are also very excited about our Summer in an Italian Herb Garden Cooking Class on August 2 at 6pm... After all, we love fresh herbs. Our 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 us 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. This 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. You can sign up here for our Summer in an Italian Herb Garden Cooking Class.

We've also posted our online class calendar through September 2013 here.

Private Cooking Parties & Team-Building Events NYC

For those of you looking for a memorable team-building event, bachelorette party, or birthday celebration, consider a private cooking party. Parties can be held in the daytime or evening and last 3 hours, and the cost is just $162 per person inclusive of gratuity. And the best part: you get to pick the menu you want, and you can add on a wine tasting if you are really into wine! We've even created a chocolate lover's dream event: a hands-on cooking class followed by dinner, a wine tasting, and a chocolate tasting... Call 917-602-1519 to inquire about availability for your private cooking event. Our corporate clients include A & E Television Network, HBO, Unilever, Google, Colgate Palmolive, Credit Suisse, David Yurman, Newsweek, Victoria's Secret, NBC, and many more... Click here for more on our clients and testimonials.

Here's what a client recently said about her company's team-building event at RUSTICO COOKING: "I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful time last night. Everyone truly enjoyed themselves. We laughed and cooked and ate!! What more could you want!!! Gerry, Caitlyn and Lance were exceptional. We had more fun with them and they quickly became part of the crew. We learned a lot and everyone was excited to go home and make the dinner for their loved ones. Even folks who had never set foot in a kitchen before, were impressed. Thank you again for everything. We will definitely be back and I will definitely be recommending Rustico." Geri J., The Priceline Group

We look forward to cooking with you soon!

Micol Negrin & Dino De Angelis

And why not forward this email newsletter to your food-loving friends? The more people around our kitchen table, the better!

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New Recipes

We've added 2 delicious new recipes to our site: sausage and cheese frittata (delicious with a crisp green salad as a main course) and a comforting, homey rice pudding. Let us know which dishes you prepare! These are perfect recipes for everyday eating or entertaining. And consult our complete recipe index here.

Here are links to this month's recipes: