Cibo Cooking at Home

How? Enroll at Cibo, Buon Compleanno by Casa Artusi of course!

When Chris Yam Daez told me about the class, and then Kris de Guzman shared the poster with me and our friend Jen too, I took it as a sign to, well, sign up for a class. We love dining at Cibo and the thought of being able to cook the same dishes at home? Winner!

Class photo! Well, just with my front row seatmates heehee

Kris and I excitedly went together,  and Chris came early to save us seats. We sat at the table right in front of this big wheel of parmagiano reggiano.

Behind which was Gaita Fores of Cibo herself.

OMG, even before the class started, we were already so thrilled, just being there.

First things first. Here are some of the reasons why Cibo makes the yummiest pastas in town:

They use the juiciest ripe tomatoes to make stewed tomatoes from scratch

The pesto is made by hand using a mortar and pestle. Food processor pesto on the left, hand mortared pesto on the right.

No palengke rock salt here, even the salt is Italian at Cibo

Don't get me started on the butter. I can lick this whole can clean. So creamy with just the right hint of saltiness, I can slather this on warm crusty bread and never leave the table.

Our class was from 2 pm to 5:30 pm and in that span of time, I learned about the history of Casa Artusi, the ingredients used at Cibo and Grace Park and where to buy them (mostly from Bacchus), how to make stewed tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms, the benefits of pasta water, how to reconstitute pasta, and of course, how to cook five of Cibo's best selling pasta dishes:

Penne al Telefono

Farfalle alla Genovese

Rigatoni all'Alfonso

Spaghettini alla Pescatora

Lingiuine alla Ghiotta 

Let me tell you, none of the food hacks recipes online have gotten close to how these are made. But they are all so deceptively simple, you'd be surprised at how easy they are to make. 

Bottomline is, you just need to use the best, and freshest ingredients. I'll share with you the recipe for Penne al Telefono, but won't share the recipes for the rest because well, I'd rather you go and sign up for a Casa Artusi class instead to get the full experience! ;) 

Cibo Penne al Telefono

Ingredients:
750 ml cooking cream
2 tablespoons butter
340 grams penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
120 grams stewed tomatoes
30 grams mozzarella cheese, cubed
freshly ground nutmeg
chili flakes
20 grams white cheese/kesong puti
fresh basil leaves
salt, to taste
grated Parmesan cheese, to finish
extra virgin olive oil, to finish
bread, to serve

Preparation: In a pan, pour whipping cream and add butter. Stir until sauce thickens. Add the stewed tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add the cheeses and pasta. Toss. Tear fresh basil leaves and add to the pan, along with nutmeg and chili flakes. Adjust seasoning. Transfer to plate. Top with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve with bread.

Here's a Bonus! Gaita's tomato salad recipe: Cut up tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and top off with basil leaves. Quick and easy, you can just imagine how simple the pasta recipes are, taking off from here.

I've tried cooking the Penne al Telefono and Linguini alla Ghiotta for Dada and the kids at home, and both were certified hits, I am so excited to have them try the rest. 

The class is Php4,500 per session, but it's time and money well-spent. At the very least, I can say I am Gaita Fores and Casa Artusi certified! Heehee.

Chris, Kris and I with Gaita Fores, proudly brandishing our certificates!

That said, you ought to know the next class is on September 26, at Ascott BGC. To reserve a slot, email m.commissary@gmail.com or text/call  Marga at +63 905 445 9643. 

Stay peeled to the Casa Artusi Facebook Page to learn more of their activities. I hope they teach us how to make the Cibo potato chips next time.

For more on Casa Artusi in the Philippines, visit www.casartusiphilippines.com and Like the Casa Artusi Philippines Facebook Page. 

To reserve a slot for the September 26 class at Ascott BGC, email m.commissary@gmail.com or text/call  Marga at +63 905 445 9643.