Casa Barilla Shares the Healthy Taste of Italy at Eataly

Written by Carol Cain on 31 August 2011

I love pasta. Honestly, I confess I have loved pasta a lot more since I had kids because it allows for multiple recipes, with a variation of ingredients that are quick, easy, and delicious.

The idea that pasta is fattening and should be avoided at all costs is one we often hear, however, the truth is there is a way to enjoy these dishes and still stay healthy. A great part of it all is portion control, and another also includes healthier cooking methods and ingredients. I am not one to steer anyone away from great food, especially Italian food and I myself would never walk away from the opportunity to learn ways to prepare great, healthy pasta dishes, especially if the one teaching is Barilla‘s own Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni.

Eataly’s La Scuola was the setting and I couldn’t be more excited. I have been wanting to check out La Scuola since it first started hosting what I consider to be one of those New York City finds where guests can enjoy high quality culinary courses at a very reasonable price.

La Scuola offers classes featuring some of the profession’s most respected chefs, and many classes are interactive, as well as offer an opportunity to taste the dishes, wines, and any other element that may be the highlight or focus of any particular course in session. Chef Lidia Bastianich is the Dean and also the force behind the creativity one can find there.

To kick-off our cooking demonstration, a small chat about Eataly – the thought behind how Eataly is organized and why – was presented to us, followed by the presentation of the perfect wines for the evening, which are available right there at Eataly by one of the market’s expert. Honestly, this was enough to get me excited. Our selection for the evening were San Romano, Bricco delle Lepri, Il Dolcetto di Dogliani, 2009 and Bastianich, Adriatico, Friulano, 2009 – both great choices, both highly recommended.

Chef Lorenzo, a charming Italian man, down-to-earth and very approachable, explained many different techniques to us that evening, like for example, how to cook pasta half way to be put aside for later, when planning a large dinner party for example as this helps not only conserve time, but also preserve the pasta better for quick final cook and serving later on. He also gave us tips such as not rinsing your pasta after cooking, or using oils in the water (as it is wasteful because it doesn’t stick or really do much), and cooking your sauces before your pasta as it is not ideal to leave completely cooked pasta sitting and cooling.

Of course, we got to taste each and every one of the dishes he made. I mean, you do what ya gotta do, right?

Spaghettini con Pomodori e Pesto di Pistacchi ed Erbe Aromatiche

Castellini con Carciofi, Pomodorini, Mozzarella e Ricotta di Bufala

Penne Lisce con Fave, Pomodori Secchi e Pecorino

Chef Lorenzo also talked about Casa Barilla, a wonderful four-day celebration of Italian food and culture starting September 13 and ending September 16. Tents for Casa Barilla will be set up in Central Park and will feature interactive cooking classes, food and culture workshops, children’s activities just to name a few.

This is the first Casa Barilla in the US, but it is very similar to Casa Barilla recently held in Italy, which serves to reinforce the authenticity of the Italian experience no matter where it goes, which Chef Lorenzo hopes will be in various parts of the nation.

This event is all part of Barilla’s Summer of Italy here in NYC, which hosted the recent Meal for a Meal, and which will lead up to the sold out Andrea Bocelli Concert in Central Park on September 15, 2011. Barilla will further compliment this highly anticipated performance experience by being the food provider for the evening, meaning that instead of hamburgers, hot dogs and other fast food fare often found in outdoor concerts, Chef Lorenzo and his team will be serving guests with pasta and many other Italian dishes.

Sounds amazing right? Well, click here for even more news on how you can join on this truly unforgettable NYC/Italian moment!

As far as my experience with Chef Lorenzo at La Scuola, all I can say is that I know in my heart that if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would have stayed in Italy those many years back and pursued a career in Italian cuisine because all I wanted to do right then and there was take a plane to Academia Barilla and dedicate years to it all.

But in this one evening, I walked away with a few great healthy Italian pasta recipes to serve my family and friends, and I would say that at least for now, that accomplishment is certainly good enough. So good, I went up to Eataly’s Birreria to further contemplate on the wonderful experience on one NYC’s most beautiful evenings over more glass of wine.

I plan on joining in on more courses presented by Chef Lorenzo and the team of Italian Chefs presenting the workshops at Casa Barilla in a couple of weeks. Because though I can’t make it to Italy, I can certainly make it to Central Park!

Casa Barilla is a free event, open to the public. However registration for all workshops, classes, and seminars is required. Please check out http://www.sharethetable.com/casa-barilla.aspx for more information and to pre-register for all sessions.

Eataly’s La Scuola now has Fall sessions open for registration. I am signing up for a few of these myself and encourage you to check them out at http://eatalyny.com/learn.

Disclosure: I have entered into a paid partnership with Barilla to help promote and bring awareness to special events going on in New York City in the next few weeks. Events promoted will be based on personal experiences when possible and giveaways and contests are sponsored by Barilla. All opinions are strictly my own.