Pasta, olive oil, cheese all featured at Week of Italian Cuisine

Pasta cooking classes with Italian chefs, olive oil tastings and cheese seminars are just a few of the events set to take place at the Embassy of Italy in Korea during the ongoing Week of Italian Cuisine in the World.

Chef Marco Ferrari kneads the dough for fresh pasta during a cooking class in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Tuesday, for the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World. [LEE JIAN]

Pasta cooking classes with an Italian chef, olive oil tastings and cheese seminars are just a few of the events set to take place at the Embassy of Italy in Korea during the ongoing Week of Italian Cuisine in the World.

The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World is an initiative by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote Italian cuisine and agricultural food products around the globe.

This year marks the event’s eighth edition, which takes the theme of “Dining with the Italian Cuisine: Well-being with Taste.” The Italian Embassy in Seoul is hosting a slew of events throughout Nov. 23.

“We see this event as not only a promotion but also as a dialogue,” Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto told the press Tuesday at her residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul. “I firmly believe culinary culture is part of national identity, but that doesn't mean we shouldn’t be curious and open to other [food cultures].”

Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto, left, and Italian chef Marco Ferrari stand for a picture at the ambassador's residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. [LEE JIAN]

The embassy has invited multiple guests to speak throughout the week, both from Korea and Italy, to offer greater insight into Italian cuisine and culture as well as general themes in the food industry, such as sustainability and nutrition.

Chef and consultant Marco Ferrari, who is visiting Korea from Italy to host cooking classes at the embassy, said that he is hoping to teach that healthy food doesn’t have to taste bad.

“Under the theme of wellness, I want to let other people know that food that is good for you can also be delicious,” he said Tuesday. "Italian cuisine fits well to this theme because it is all about accentuating the natural flavors. We strive to make the most out of very few ingredients."

He held a cooking class with journalists on the same day, making pasta, gnocchi and tiramisu.

“This is my first time visiting Korea, and I found that there are excellent ingredients here for which I can see great potential for both Italian and Korean cuisine here to further develop in the future,” Ferrari said.

Chef Marco Ferrari, left, is leading a cooking class at the Italian Ambassador to Koreas residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Tuesday, for the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World. [LEE JIAN]

“I hope that this event can lead to new insights into both Korean and Italian cultures and also pave the way to the important 140th anniversary of Korea-Italy diplomatic relations year, coming up in 2024,” Gatto said.

More information about the embassy’s program for the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World is available on The Embassy of Italy in Korea’s official Instagram (@ItalyinKorea_) or X (@ItalyinKorea).

Below are Ferrari’s easy-to-follow recipes for bona fide Italian dishes.

Fettuccine pasta with mushrooms

Fettuccine pasta with mushrooms [LEE JIAN]

Ingredients: 500 grams of fettuccine 200 grams of trumpet mushrooms

One onion

Two cloves of garlic

200 grams of vegetable broth

60 grams of powdered parmigiano reggiano 50 grams of butter

Freshly diced parsley

Instructions:

- Dice onions and cloves and cook them in butter in a hot saucepan until the garlic lightly browns.

- Dice the mushrooms and add them to the pan. Cook until the mushrooms release water.

- Cook fettucine until al dente.

- Add the fettuccine noodles to the mushrooms. Add vegetable broth and cheese powder, and stir well. - Turn the stove off and add more cheese, then mix. - Season with salt and pepper, and top it off with parsley.

Pumpkin gnocchi with walnuts and parmesan

Pumpkin gnocchi with walnuts and parmesan [LEE JIAN]

Ingredients: One medium-sized pumpkin

Half an onion

500 grams of gnocchi 100 grams of diced walnuts

Lemon zest 70 grams of powdered parmigiano reggiano

Instructions:

- Cut the pumpkin into squares, season with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake in an oven until soft.

- Cook gnocchi in generously salted water until they float to the top.

- Put the baked pumpkin squares in a bowl, add extra virgin olive oil and mash until creamy.

- Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. - Add the gnocchi and mix well. - Top it off with cheese and serve hot (You may cook it once more in the oven.)

Light tiramisu

Light tiramisu [LEE JIAN]

Ingredients: 250 grams of Greek yogurt 85 grams of unsweetened biscuits 80 grams of jam of choice 10 grams of brown sugar

Unsweetened cocoa powder 100 grams of whipping cream Instant coffee

Instructions:

- Whip cream and yogurt until well mixed. - Break the biscuits and put them in a glass cup. - Smear some jam on the sides of the cup. - Add a teaspoon of warm instant coffee.

- Fill the rest of the cup with cream and top it off with generous amounts of cocoa powder.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]