Italian grandma hosts virtual pasta making classes for people in quarantine

Italian grandma hosts virtual pasta making classes for people in quarantine

03/23/2020

A grandma who lives just north of Rome has gained quite the culinary reputation over the past few years, as travellers come from far and wide to make pasta with her.

But, with Italy now in lockdown, she’s had to look to alternative methods to share her pasta-making skills with the world – so her relatives came up with the idea to take her classes online.

The sessions are usually booked through the Airbnb Experiences page, but the family had to start cancelling bookings in February, when coronavirus hit Italy.

Granddaughter, Chiara Nicolanti, then came up with the idea to take her Nonna Nerina’s classes online.

The virtual experience, called Nonna Live, runs for two hours and costs $50 (or £43). Ahead of the class, a list of ingredients and tools are sent out to participants  – including eggs, flour, something to roll the pasta out with – as well as a time at which the online class will take place.

Chiara runs the classes during the week, while 84-year-old Nonna Nerina assists during weekends with her granddaughter translating her Italian. 

As well as pasta-making, online students can expect music, dancing and lots of conversation.

Chiara – who lives in the small town of Palombara Sabina – told Insider: ‘The first time trying to let her understand that people could see her and hear her [over video chat] was like the craziest thing.

‘It was supposed to be an hour class, and it lasted two hours, and people were laughing all the time. She never stops, she never waits for me, so it was really crazy, but I think this is what people want. They want an Italian grandma making a mess with them for an hour.’

Speaking about the pasta-making process itself, Chiara added: ‘For the handmade pasta it’s not just the ingredients. It’s really the hand technique, and it is something that an Italian grandma can teach you.’

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