A semester in Rome is a calling for homemade Italian food. We were to make fresh ravioli and fettuccine with the help of Anna Rita and Annalisa on a Friday afternoon
Anna Rita made the process look pretty straightforward; whip up dough from eggs and flour; flatten it out with a pasta maker roller machine; spoon out ricotta cheese and spinach filling; then cut it up into squares. As easy as it all appeared, we still ran into some setback along the way. Considering we’ve been building intricate models for 3 years now, we would think we could make pasta too. But somehow our ravioli turned out a lot like samosas. The highlight of the process was of course watching Anna Rita use the ravioli cutter wheel to make the scalloped edges. All the architects stared in amazement as if we just saw fire for the first time. I’m definitely using that cutter for my next building model.
The feast that came afterwards was like a dream of endless pasta. The pasta just kept on coming; bowls and bowls of different homemade sauced pasta such as fettuccine with pepper sauce and ravioli with mushrooms and artichokes. It felt like a rowdy but heartwarming family dinner, as we binged on as much pasta we could and shouted across the table not to eat all the food before it was our turn. At the end of the night, we retreated back to our own desks or apartments with some degree of food coma. This was by far the most satisfying meal I’ve had in Rome; just what I needed before I mentally prepare myself for the hell that is final review.
(All photos credit to Maddy Eggers)