Published by: Julia
Italian cooking has undergone a revolution. Let Massimo Bottura show you how to create Italian classics like pesto and ragu, with a modern twist.
Why take this masterclass.com cooking class
Even if you are not a big fan of Italian food, I would urge you to take this interesting cooking course.
It is about so much more than Italian cuisine.
I promise you after spending a few hours with Massimo you will be inspired to experiment and create remarkable food. You will have a whole new skill set and be able to turn anything, including leftovers, into fantastic dishes and ingredients.
Plus, your instructor is the owner of the best restaurant in the world … literally.
In 2018, Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana, in Modena, Italy, was once again voted as the best restaurant in the world.
The establishment has 3 Michelin stars. It is also rated 20/20 in the Italian food guide l’Espresso – Ristoranti d’Italia, which means it holds the top spot in Italy.
By the way, we recommend purchasing Masterclass for more than just one single course. The value comes when you take several. If you want to read our review of the whole platform, check out this Masterclass review article.
If you want to just find out what some of the best masterclasses are, this is the article for you.
Let Massimo Bottura inspire you to create truly tasty food
I would say that Massimo Bottura is a brave, as well as a very clever, man. Anyone who is lucky enough to have an Italian Mamma in their life will know they are fiercely protective of their food traditions.
Italians adore food, it is a huge part of their culture. Recipes are passed down from generation to generation.
So, anyone who says, hey let’s do things differently is, in my book, either brave or a genius. Massimo is both.
He is respectful of the traditions of Italian cooking. But, he cooks it with a twist…actually, lots of twists.
He has rethought the classics and I can tell you, once you taste them you really will not look back. Take this course to enjoy free the creative chef that is locked away in every single one of us.
Take your family traditions, experiment. Learn to take advantage of new ingredients and make dishes that will appeal to the next generation and the ones after that.
We never look at the past in a nostalgic way. We look at the past in a critic way. To get the best of the past into the future.
Massimo Bottura – Masterclass.com – Modern Italian Cooking
This course taught me new ways to look at ingredients. How to delicately add extra layers of flavor. As well as techniques and ideas I would never have thought of on my own.
The recipes in Massimo’s masterclass
Before I go into more detail and show you what you can expect to learn from a few of the videos. Here is a quick overview of what is included in the course. First, the recipes. Then, the techniques:
- A modern pesto sauce
- The perfect chicken broth
- A soft and creamy Parmigiano sauce
- Tortellini dough, filling, and assembly
- Massimo’s interpretation of a burger
- Uniquely flavored
mayonnaises - Numerous sauces
- A tasty vegetarian broth
- Passatelli pasta (breadcrumb pasta)
- How to make mushroom powder flavoring
- Spin painted beets
- Red or yellow pepper sauce
- Roast potato style sauce
- How to make your own garlic powder
- Panettone powder
- A chlorophyll sauce
- Mediterranean style sole
- Tagliatelli a ragu – One of Osteria Francescana’s signature dishes
- Leftover Panettone souffle
- Dried rosemary powder
- Hand made tagliatelli
- Vanilla salt
- Candied orange peel
- Pumpkin risotto
Most of the above recipes are demonstrated in the videos. However, there are a few, like the tagliatelli, that are simply written up in the workbook. Either way, all of Massimo’s recipes are really easy to follow.
I was particularly pleased to see some very good vegetarian and vegan dishes being included in this masterclass.
Learn Italian cooking techniques
Massimo wants people to experiment and be adventurous with their cooking. To encourage his students to do this, he teaches a range of techniques.
Some you will know, but no doubt a few of them will be new to you. These skills are the ones that will help you to think outside of the box a little. Ensuring that your cooking continues to evolve and improve. Here are the techniques Massimo will teach you:
- How to substitute ingredients
- How to subtly add flavor
- How to control the temperature of your ingredients
- The right way to knead pasta
- How to train your palate
As Massimo says – your palate is the most important tool in your kitchen. Throughout this course, he reminds you of this fact and explains how your palate is every bit as good as his or any other professional chef’s. In the workbook, he explains how to train and use your palate.
How to make the perfect tortellini
I have watched Italian chefs make tortellini before. But, the pasta making technique I saw demonstrated here was a little different. It looked a little easier and more intuitive. So, I am looking forward to giving it a go. The section on how to fold the tortellini was very clear. Simple enough for a child to follow.
Make your own version of Massimo’s famous Emilia burger
Having a world-famous Italian chef teach me how to make a burger was not what I expected when I signed up for this cooking masterclass. But, when Massimo moved to New York, he was challenged to come up with a unique burger. The result was this remarkable recipe.
Making this will take time. But, I suspect it will be worth the effort. As usual, Massimo shows you how to infuse flavor at every stage. Importantly, he adds moisture too, which is why the final burger looks so juicy.
Once again, you realize the role that temperature plays in the final flavor and texture. At the end of the lesson, Massimo encourages you to experiment with the flavors that are a part of your food culture.
He skillfully explains how to come up with innovative mayonnaises and sauces that you can use to dress your burger. Learning how to experiment and create unique dressing is a skill that is sure to benefit any chef.
The perfect vegetarian broth – Massimo’s broth of everything
Broths are the best way to create layers of flavour in your cooking.
Massimo Bottura – Teaches Modern Italian Cooking on Masterclass.com
More and more people are becoming pescatarians, vegetarians, and vegans. Being able to cook vegetarian and vegan food is important. So, it is wonderful to see this world-class chef providing a recipe for a flavorsome vegetarian broth recipe.
You will not believe what he puts into this broth. At points, I looked at the video and thought – no way! But, the result is zero waste and an amazing clear broth that can be used to flavor all kinds of vegetarian or vegan dishes.
How to make passatelli pasta from leftovers
Massimo hates food waste. He points out that around one-third of the food produced in the world is thrown away. This is totally unnecessary. You can use everything, even vegetable peelings, including onion skins, to produce delicious food.
His
Once he and his assistant had prepared the breadcrumb noodles, he cooked them in his vegetarian “broth of everything”.
Panettone souffle
At Christmas time, we all have loads of leftovers. The Italians are the same. It is a real shame to throw away a nearly whole Panettone, which is something a lot of European families do most years.
If that is you, Massimo has the solution, turn it into a souffle. I would never in a million years have thought of doing this. But, the resulting dish looks delicious. Plus, the way it is made opens up the potential to enjoy cooking panettone souffle weeks after Christmas has passed.
Plus, cooking this dish teaches you two transferable skills. The correct way to make a souffle and how to dry cook waste ingredients so you can continue to use them for many weeks to come.
Extra skills Massimo shares
Massimo takes things a little further than most chefs do. His biggest lesson is not being afraid to experiment, to edit his recipes and add your own touches. In his workbook, he also teaches you to:
- Grow your own herbs
- Make your own
flavorings - How to use up leftovers
- How to improve and use your palate
Your palate is going to talk to you and tell you where to go.
Massimo Bottura – Modern Italian Cooking Masterclass
When it comes to flavorless is often more
One of the things I noticed was how Massimo subtly added flavor. For example, I was not convinced that rubbing the inside of the blender with garlic before blending the pesto would work. Yet, when I tried it, the flavor was there.
In fact, when I made homemade chips, I rubbed the inside of the bowl with garlic before tossing them in a little salt and herb. Try it yourself, you will be surprised by how tasty they are. The taste of the garlic is subtle, but, is definitely there.
The same is true of his parred down broth. It is very, very simple. His approach is clean and pure. Look out for his two surprise ingredients. I personally would never have thought to use them.
Salt makes visible the invisible, for you palate.
Massimo Bottura – Masterclass.com Modern Italian Cooking
Massimo Masterclass bonus classes
This is one of the shortest courses on the masterclass platform. But, please do not think you are being shortchanged. Far from it. Massimo packs a lot of learning in.
Plus, from the looks of things, he plans to keep on adding more value. He has already published 2 extra videos.
Massimo is passionate about helping you to unlock your creativity. So, you can expect to get a good level of support when you take this course.
Like most of the best masterclass experts, he offers his students something called “office hours”. Simply put, this gives you the chance to ask this 3 star Michelin chef a question and get a direct answer from him. I love this feature of Masterclass.com. It is just one of the reasons I recommend these courses to everyone who will listen. You can find out about some of the others, by reading my full masterclass.com review.
Even if, like me, you have already taken some of the other masterclass.com cooking courses, I still recommend you take this. Massimo’s approach is slightly different from Gordon Ramsay’s, Thomas Keller’s or any of the other world-class chefs who are featured on the platform.
If you can, treat yourself to the all-access pass. For just $180 you can access all of the 60+ courses that are currently available on Masterclass.com.
