In Italy everyone believes that that their Nonna is the best cook in the world. And one of the things that Nonnas are especially good at in Italy is making pasta by hand. The only problem is that these cooking skills – taking flour and water, mixing them, and rolling them out into shapes – is a skill that is in danger of dying out. Yes, a lot of people know how to make pasta, but it’s that indefinable something, that is passed on from one generation to the next, that is in the well worn hands of the grannies.
Luckily there are still grannies, you just have to know how to find them. And my friend Vicki has not only been able to find them, she has spent the last 5 years documenting these amazing women on video. She has shared their skills charmingly on her YouTube channel, Pasta Grannies, and has also published a glorious cookbook documenting not just the women, but the recipes that have been passed down for generations.
I would like to invite you to join Vicki and me in Parma for an entire week exploring the culture surrounding these grannies. We will of course be meeting some of these woman, as well as learning how to make pasta. But we will also be digging deeply into some of the ingredients that this part of the world is best known for: Parmigiano Reggiano, Aceto Balscamico Tradizionale di Modena, Prosciutto di Parma and Culatello. And of course wine!
While pasta is made all over the country, the region of Emilia Romagna is particularly famous for some of the most delicious and unique pastas made in Italy. In fact, when most non-Italians think of pasta it is the dishes of this region – Lasagna, Ravioli, Tortellini and Tagliatelle – that they think of. And all have their roots in Emilia Romagna.
We will spend six nights and five full days diving deeply into this theme, through the eyes of the women who continue the traditions: the grannies. Each day we will be visiting markets and food producers as well as eating and cooking our way through as many types of pasta as possible.
What makes this week so special, of course, is the time we will be spending with the nonnas. In this part of the world the tradition of a woman firmly running the household from her kitchen is deeply entrenched and very much still alive. Often called cesarine or rezdore, the skill by which any of these women is judged is her ability to roll out a sheet of pasta dough as thinly as possible. We will be invited into the private homes of several of these women, where they will share their knowledge with us. While we will certainly come away with insight into pasta making skills, it is just as important to listen to the stories they have to tell.
Details of the Pasta Grannies Week in Emilia Romagna Food Tour
When: November 14-20, 2021
Who: This trip is limited to 12 guests.
Where: We will be based in Parma, in the region of Emilia Romagana
Nearest airport & Train Station: The nearest international airport is Milan. There are many ways to get to Parma from Milan.
Some of the things we’ll be doing:
- Pasta classes with Grannies
- Visits to Grannies (and Grandpas) homes
- Visit to Culatello producer
- Visit to Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale producer
- Visit to several historic castles
- Wine Tasting
- Pasta-filled dinners and lunches
- Visits to Modena and Bologna
- And much more….
There is lots more of course! If you think you’d like to join us, and would  to hear about the details, just send me an email. I’ll send you the brochure which has the detailed itinerary and price.
To learn more about this trip, including all the details, just send me an email.
For more about using your appetite as a guide to traveling around Italy, see my book:
Eating My Way Through Italy
And if you’d like to prepare your own Italian feast (including a complete menu from one of the pasta grannies I met) see my book:
The Italian Table: Creating Festive Meals for Family and Friends.
Anonymous
I’m so happy to have Pasta Grannies in my life! I spend several months a year in Umbria, and have been inspired by them. I now enjoy making fresh past from scratch on a regular basis while we are there…I have more time to explore the markets and spend in my tiny but mighty Umbrian kitchen! Thanks for sharing…I’ve been watching them for at least a couple of years now, and wait for new episodes with glee!
J
Anonymous
Hey Elizabeth when clicking the email link it doesn’t seem to work… please could you let me know how to send you an email as would love to find out more. All the best, Emma
Elizabeth
Hi. When the email link doesn’t work, it means that you don’t have your browser set up to open an email link. You can go to preferences to fix this. But in the meantime my email is [email protected]
Anonymous
I like that landscape photo very much! Many thanks!
Anonymous
Elizabeth,
I would LOVE to go to Italy in November with your group, however, my husband and I are caring for our 12 yo precious granddaughter while our son is overseas in the Middle East as a Chinook helicopter pilot for the Oregon National Guard for the next year and a half. If you go again in November 2021, I am signing up to go!
Visited southern Italy beginning in Bari last Oct for a month, a lifelong dream to begin my visits to Italy in the city where my father was born.
Best wishes to all going on your pasta making tour and keep your posts coming, this Italian Nonna loves reading them all.
Angela
Sisters, Oregon USA
Elizabeth
Good luck to you and also to your son! I hope to see you one of these days, and I’ll most certainly be repeating this trip. You can count on it!