Ravioli in Rome

Guest post by: Senior in Human Resources and Labor Studies, Becca Watsek. This Summer, she studied abroad with the UW Foster Rome Program at the UW Rome Center.

In Rome, cooking, eating, and sharing meals is not just a necessity or a common pastime. Food is an integral part of Italian culture and Rome is one of the best cities to experience the sense of family, love, passion, and tradition that goes into every meal. This past summer I was fortunate enough to experience the hard work that goes into preparing traditional Roman cuisine. My study abroad cohort and I, along with our professors and program coordinator, attended a cooking class in the heart of Rome where we crafted our own, handmade, ravioli and fettuccine pasta and indulged in our meal, along with the best of Italian wine.

Our cooking instructors, two joyous and enthusiastic men, helped us every step of the way. They showed us that making pasta is not just a means to an end, but a true Italian art. Although we made many mistakes along the way (me, especially), both instructors were patient with us and encouraged us to maintain our excitement and hunger throughout the process. Crafting the ravioli was my favorite part. Coming from a person with little to no cooking experience, this process really showed me how fun and captivating cooking can be. At the end of the meal, a couple other students and I served the meal to our cohort. The chefs told us all about their background, why they chose to pursue a career in this, and some of their favorite moments involving cooking. Their passion shone through their words and helped us enjoy our meals even moreso.