In the beautiful village and with the backdrop of the castle of Pierle, there is the agriturismo ‘La Rocca di Pierle’, https://www.roccadipierle.com/ offering not only ‘charming’ accommodations but also the owner with her passion for Tuscan delicacies, home-made pasta and desserts, offer an amazing cooking course that will stay with you forever! https://www.roccadipierle.com/attivita/corsi-cucina/
Silvia Moretti along with her husband Andrea Luchini have owned and run the agriturismo since 2004 and have created a thriving business that sees return customers and clients reflecting their passion for the area and care for their guests.
Over the years they have developed the business and since 2018, Silvia has been offering cooking courses along with her friend and collaborator, Sheila, where you can learn the art of making handmade pasta, ravioli, sauces and of course desserts.
Silvia is original from the Umbertide area of Umbria, only 25 minutes from Pierle and her passion for food and cooking, like many others, stems from her ‘nonna’. As like many modern families, with parents being at work, the ‘nonni’ have the pleasure of watching the kids after school and imparting their secrets and traditions to the next generations. Silvia is no exception - with the help and guidance from her ‘nonna’, she made her first pasta dough and subsequently her first ‘tagliatelle’ at the age of 10 which lead her on to making lunch for the family at 14 years of age and this is when her love for the slow cooking and Tuscan dishes took hold and grew.
In true Italian style and Tuscan spirit she says… ‘con calma, non mi fa in fretta’ - cooking is done with calm and not to be rushed!
The courses she offers are vary in length, but a good three hours are needed! Guests prepare their own meal which is then served to them by staff in the romantic restaurant or panoramic terrace in the summer months.
Silvia starts the courses in the reverse order, with the desserts varying from small little cakes ‘tortini’ to cantucci biscuits - a rocca tradition , trifle and the dreaded ‘panna cotta’!
Once the preparation for the desserts has been done, Silvia turns her attention to the homemade pasta dough and sauce - sugo.
One of the many requested dishes for her to impart her wisdom is that of ‘tagliatelle a ragù’.
Homemade pasta dough is created with hands, kneaded and left to rest while she and the ‘students’ start on the ragu. Silvia starts to list the ingredients off, onions, carrots, celery, minced meat and tomatoes then slips in ‘oh and of course there are a couple of secret ingredients that have been passed down to me from my ‘nonna’ and her nonna before’. I enquiry after what these secrets are, but like all cooks and chefs, these are kept close to ones chest and are rarely shared! ‘That’s why your ragu is so good’ I say and we both chuckle.
As the dishes start to come together, she mentions the shock that many have that ‘once you have the pasta cooked, you add the pasta to the sauce’ - many people still think that the sauce goes over the top of the pasta, rather than being mixed together in the pan before serving! It’s a tip that all take home and change their ways!
What made you want to offer cooking courses, I ask Silvia as the perfume from her kitchen starts to waft through the room, making my stomach rumble and she offers me ‘bruschetta’ with this years new olive oil - and a starter plate!
‘It really is a negative of our society here (Tuscany/Italy), but also throughout the world, that we are losing our heritage, our connection to the past and with modern day life, the desire and time for staying in the kitchen is dwindling. I remember the joy that I felt just being with my ‘nonna’ in the kitchen on rainy autumn afternoons, the scent and sizzle of ‘aglione’ on the stove, stirring the ragu that would feed the whole family for days and just being amazed at how calm and at peace I felt there - kind of a therapy!’ ‘The skills for Tuscan style cooking, ingredients and dishes, should be continued and with this also passing on the passion and nurturing peoples curiousity of the Italian heritage and history of food, feels me with pride’.
‘When I receive a video or photo from students, showing me the dishes that they make back home and the joy they have on their faces at being able to create something, fills my heart and even more, when they send me photos of them teaching their children or nephews/nieces - I know it’s going to be a good day!’ Silvia concludes with a smile filled with pride showing me photos from previous attendees and their families.
As I hear the water boil, the homemade pasta is added…a few minutes later the pasta is drained and added to the aglione sauce, where Silvia tosses the pasta - salivating I take the plate she offers me with thanks and she beams back a smile of humility, pride and joy.
As I eat I one understand why she says what she does - ‘It’s not only a course, but it’s a beautiful experience’
