Page 147 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL FALL 2024 SPAIN

University of Bologna, was the ideal
teacher.
On the way to Rita’s place we got to
see Bologna through the eyes of someone
who has lived there most of her life. At one
time, she pointed out, the Asinelli and
Garisenda had giant wooden structures
bolted to their sides, like tree houses. Peo-
ple lived in these appendages, which occa-
sionally collapsed into the street with the
expected casualties. We also stopped
along Via Piella and peered through the
“canal window.” Bologna, much like Venice,
once was interlaced with a system of
canals that served as sources of energy
and transport. Most of those canals have
been overbuilt with roads, but this is one
place where an old watercourse comes
into view as it funnels between multicol-
ored buildings.
Rita operates cooking classes in her
apartment, which is located within the
walls of Bologna’s old city. Vendors selling
fruit, vegetables and herbs were lined up
on her street, which seemed appropriate.
As we climbed the stairs to her place, she
explained that we were now in what was
once Bologna’s Jewish ghetto.
Rita’s place is a light-filled exemplar
of Italian design, with an emphasis on
food. We were soon wearing aprons and
mixing flour, eggs and olive oil to make
pasta for home-made tagliatelle, tortel-
loni and ravioli.

Bologna chef and teacher Rita Mattioli
presses her pasta sfoglia for tortelloni
and tagliatelle using a long wooden roller.

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