La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese

Bologna, fresh egg pasta. This is the serious one. Founded by Alessandra Spisni, the school trains professional sfogline, Bologna's hand pasta makers, on a three-month course with compulsory attendance. Holidaymakers get a concentrated taste of that teaching in one day. The Saturday Tortellini Day gives you about three hours on the filling, the dough, rolling the sheet by hand with a rolling pin, then cutting, filling, shaping and sealing, taught in Italian and English. Separate days cover sfoglia on its own and lasagne alla bolognese. It is a working school rather than a party, so arrive on time and ready to concentrate. The pay-off is a skill that needs nothing at home but flour, eggs, a board and a rolling pin.