Cooking up a Storm: Chicago cooking school chef shares pasta recipe

CHICAGO (WLS) -- ABC7 Chicago's Tracy Butler was cooking up a storm Thursday with the founder of a new cooking school in Chicago.

Tutore Cooking School just opened up in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood.

Co-founder and chef, Dean Zanella, joined Butler to illustrate how to make a "ricotta cavatelli with cherry tomato ragu sauce."

Zanella said the recipe is accessible to everyone.

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It's important to lightly salt the pasta water when making this dish.

To find out more about the cooking school, visit their website, TutoreCookingSchool.com.

It's located at 2755 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.

Recipe

Cherry Tomato Ragu

- 1/4 cup olive oil

- 2 cloves garlic

- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved

- 1/4 cup water

- 1/4 cup basil chiffonade

- Kosher salt, black pepper

Heat a medium sauté pan over moderate heat.

Add your olive oil and garlic.

Brown the garlic on all sides being careful not to burn the garlic. Discard the garlic.

Add the cherry tomatoes to the garlic oil and cook until the tomatoes start to break down -- five minutes or so. You may need to add a little water here so that your tomatoes do not get too dry; remember this is a sauce.

Add your basil and some salt and pepper. Taste and adjust your seasoning.

Toss your cooked pasta into the sauce.

Plate, serve and enjoy.

Ricotta Cavatelli

- 242 G Ap Flour

- 85 G Duram Flour (or 00 Pasta)

- 1/2 pound ricotta cheese (drained)

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1 egg

- 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Add all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Kneed with hands for a bit until dough is firm and smooth.

Cut off a piece of the dough and roll into a thin log. Run through a cavatelli machine.

Notes: The ricotta needs to be as dry as possible. A few days before making cavatelli, place your ricotta in a strainer, or cheese cloth, and suspend over a mixing bowl to dry out the ricotta.