Ciao! Benvenuti
My name is Ileana, and I have this undying passion for making fresh pasta, so much so I left my career in advertising in NYC to pursue my fresh pasta making passion in Florence in 2016. The journey started after taking a specialty class in Bologna to learn how to roll pasta al matterello that changed my life, and then enrolled into a 2 year culinary program in Florence and here we are….
Following my passions turned into a career and now I’m teaching pasta making from my tiny apartment in Florence and working as a private chef. I switched from the corporate environment to a less stressful path, and following my true calling.
One of my favorite activities is going to my local farmer’s market in Sant’Ambrogio. Nothing excites me more than seeing a new vegetable or fruit pop up at the market as the seasons progress and to dream up new recipes or make Tuscan classics.
My local food purveyors have become friends, they’re always sharing their passion for the simple bounty of Italy and the freshest of ingredients. Italians love talking about their next meal, while they’re eating their current meal and that’s how I knew I was in the right place. I have a guy for everything, my vegetable guy, my Sicilian fruit couple, my butchers, the cheese guy and a civaio (someone who sells fresh beans and grains).
I want to share my passion with you and show you how to use local ingredients to bring Italy to your plate
Follow along on my social media, take a pasta class or farmer’s market tour with me in Florence, try out some recipes at home or shop my pasta making tools.