Passport to Pasta: The Essentials

Overview:

Begin your passport into the world of fresh pasta with a new fall menu in this interactive, beginner-friendly workshop with Chef Cheo Smith. You’ll learn the fundamentals of mixing, kneading, rolling and shaping pasta dough by hand — skills that form the foundation of countless regional Italian dishes. This hands-on class is relaxed, tactile and designed to build confidence step-by-step.

Guests will start by making their own pasta dough from scratch. From there, you’ll master rolling and cutting an Italian classic: pappardelle, creating wide, elegant ribbons perfect for capturing rich, comforting seasonal flavors. As your dough rests and pasta cooks, Chef Cheo will demonstrate how to prepare two versatile, fall-inspired sauces: a hearty bolognese simmered for deep complexity and a smooth, creamy butternut squash sauce.  You’ll enjoy tasting the finished dishes together in class and leave with recipes and techniques you can easily replicate at home.

Whether you’re brand new to pasta or looking to strengthen your kitchen fundamentals, this workshop offers a warm, engaging environment filled with fresh ingredients, approachable guidance and plenty of delicious learning.

In this class you will: 

• Mix, knead and rest fresh pasta dough
• Use a pasta machine to roll and cut pappardelle
• Cook and taste fresh pasta 
• Watch demonstrations of two sauces: hearty bolognese and creamy butternut squash sauce
• Learn timing, texture and flouring techniques for successful pasta making
• Gain tips for pairing pasta shapes with different sauce densities

On the Menu: 

• Freshly Rolled Pappardelle: Serve with a rich, comforting bolognese and a velvety butternut squash sauce.
• Harvest Field Salad: Crisp orchard greens tossed in a bright vinaigrette, topped with seasonal apples and shaved hard Italian cheese.

Take-Home Items:

• Fresh pasta dough
• Printed recipes for the pasta dough and both seasonal sauces

Notes:  We are unable to accommodate individualized changes to the menu.

Instructor: 

Chef Cheo Smith brings his experience in kitchens of all sizes — from the home oven to producing hundreds of school lunches a day, and now, to the Farm at the Arb. A Minnesota native, Cheo is a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and descendant of the White Earth Nation. He seeks to bridge the gaps in access and knowledge that prevent many people from getting farm fresh ingredients to their dinner table. His mission is to make preparing great tasting and healthy foods accessible to the home cook.