Villa Paola Bed & Breakfast in Rome
Cooking Classes available for the guests of the Villa Paola B&B in Rome

EAT BETTER, LIVE LONGER! At Villa Paola Bed & Breakfast in Rome, in the romance and tranquillity of the place, we arrange enjoyable cooking classes, a real "ITALIAN HOME COOKING" available only for our guests. In her classes, Fabiana, Paola and Irma teach the real "quick and easy" healthy Italian every-day cooking. The dishes, tasty but light flavoured with herbs and vegetable from the house, are based on the rich traditions and art of Italian cookery and are all based on the benefits of organic and natural products. After a long day sightseeing the beautiful attractions of Rome, you can taste Italian dishes usually accompanied by fine red wines and genuine desserts. In the summer and autumn months classes are taken in the quite atmosphere of the patio overlooking the multicolored garden. During winter in the comfortable corner of the luminous dining room decorated with antiques. Paola is an excellent cook specializing on pasta fresca. Her homemade recipes include Fettuccine (flat noodles, stranded homemade pasta) saute' with fresh vegetables, Ravioli or Gnocchi with different sauces and seasonal courses whose products are picked directly from the garden of the Villa.

Rates : our Cooking Classes are available for a minimum of eight guests at the cost of 30 euro each person. Duration is about 2 hours. The class includes food and wine tasting of delicious red or white local wine.

For your Cooking Class Reservations please write to info@villapaola.com

Bruschetta - a tasty and quick antipasto

Bruschetta is a perfect meal's appetizer. Great for hungry kids - but they have to like garlic and olive oil. Bruschetta is simply toasted bread with garlic and olive oil. Some places brush it with oiled garlic, others just oil, and some with other stuff. Our is with chopped garlic, diced Napolitan cherry tomatoes, olive oil and basil. That's all. It's very popular and, with a glass of red wine tastes delicious!

Ingredients

* thick and chewy bread - a wide baguette is good * ripe Napolitan cherry tomatoes * some garlic or onion * fresh basil * olive oil * glass of red wine - optional

Directions

Toast the bread, don't burn it, chop the garlic and onion, dice up some tomatoes. Sprinkle the garlic or onion on top - to your personal tastes, sprinkle the diced tomatoes and torn leaves of basil on top, and pour on the olive oil - to your personal tastes.

Gnocchi with herbs - one of our favourite main courses

Ingredients

* gnocchi for four people - 400 g or more * herbs: rosemary, thym,sage.

Directions

Boil your gnocchi in a full pot of water. About the time the gnocchi is done, in the pan add a small amount of herbs, say a spoon or so, and begin melting these with a little of the water from your gnocchi pot and pure olive oil. Begin spooning the gnocchi into the second pot with herbs and oil. Stir the gnocchi around. In the end you have your little dumplings in a parfumed sauce. That's it. It may not sound like much, but it is very very tasty and healthy.

Fettuccine alla mediterranea - the taste of spring

Ingredients

* home made Noodles (fettuccine) * Napolitan cherry tomatoes * fresh basil finely chopped * olive oil * red pepper * garlic

Directions

Bring lightly salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut cherry tomatoes in half and add olive oil, garlic and basil. Put into a large frying pan and cook stirring occasionally for a few minutes, season with salt and red pepper. Before sauce is ready add the fettuccine to pot of boiling water and stir to prevent sticking. Cook them for about 10 minutes. Drain well and place in the skillet with the sauce for a few seconds, mix well. Remove pot from stove. Sprinkle a little fresh basil on each serving.

Pasta al Pesto - summer is here

Here is one of the recipes that reflects the simple elegance of a Ligurian pesto. Liguria, the moon shaped region that hugs the Mediterranean just south of France, is the home of pesto. Also the area of the Amalfi Coast boasts good large basil plants and thanks to that we are now proud of our own unique recipe, accompanied by a bottle of superb red wine that we have choosen in the Etruscan Arean north of Rome. The following recipe reflects the basics of what makes a pesto work, and lends itself well to a villa as all you need is a pot, bowl or a jar of good pesto and spaghetti to prepare a night's good meal.

Ingredients

two large bunches of fresh basil * 2 cloves of garlic * 1 tablespoon of pine kernels - pinoli * 2/3 wine glass of pure olive oil

Directions

One needs either a food processor or great patience and toil to make an adequate pesto, as the leaves of basil must be chopped into a near dust. Wash and dry the basil and discard the stalks. Finely chop the basil, garlic and pinoli. As you near the end of the "finely chopping" mix thoroughly with oil to create a thick paste. Be sure to reserve a cup of the water from your drained pasta. In a bowl mix your cooked - al dente - pasta with the pesto and slowly add the drained water until your mixture has a creamy coating to your liking. For noodles, try a flat noodle, it's more interesting. BUON APPETITO!

DISCOVER THE FAMILY TASTE OF ITALY! 

Details about our Mediterranean Cooking Class

Come learn the Life-Extending Secrets ofThe Mediterranean Diet  and how our local products and Olive Oil contributes the long life of the mediterranean people...

In addition to learning how to prepare this delectable food, you will explore why this is one of the healthiest diets in the world and, most importantly, how to make these healthy habits part of your daily life. They will cover topics ranging from the Truth About Wine, to Health Secrets of Olive Oil, to Weight Loss Facts and Fiction and much more.
Throughout the course the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, Low Fat Lies, the Healthiest Diet in the World as well as all the recipes in English. This is one of the few culinary courses in all of Italy that integrates nutrition with culinary education, and the only one to do so at such beatiful location and with such a fun program. What is the Mediterranean Diet and Why is it So Good for You ? These simple pleasures – good food, good talk, and long walks are the secret to a long, happy, and healthy life.Come join us and we will show you how it is done.

Available only on advanced request and in certain period of the year. For your cooking class reservations please write Fabiana at: info@villapaola.com