Looking for a fun and tasty evening out? Consider taking a fresh pasta class and learn what wine to pair with the dishes you make.
The cooking class is by Gina Solazzi, co-owner of Pasta di Solazzi, and the wine pairing lesson comes via Liz Goldsmith Blakeley, co-owner of Uva Wine Bar. Solazzi and Goldsmith Blakeley offer the classes occasionally.
We attended the pasta class in early October and had a great time learning the finer points of making extruded pasta in Solazzi’s very old Italian pasta machine, which uses brass dies. As the pasta dough is pushed through the dies the surface of the resulting pasta gets rough, which makes sauces cling to the pasta.
The night of the class we made fettuccine and fusilli, the corkscrew-shaped pasta. While we took turns slicing the fettuccine and fusilli off the brass dies as it was pushed through the machine, we also made two sauces.
“What I want you take away from class this evening is how simple Italian cooking is,” Solazzi said. “We use only a few high-quality, fresh ingredients for the sauces. They are easy and come together quickly. We will make fettuccine carbonara and a fresh tomato sauce, fusilli al pomodoro fresco this evening for your dinner.”
Goldsmith Blakeley paired the pasta dishes with two Italian red wines and offered an opening glass of prosecco at the beginning of the class.
“We also do wine dinners at Uva, where Gina makes four different sauces to pair with different wines,” Goldsmith Blakeley said. “Watch our Facebook page or sign up for our newsletter to learn more about the classes and other tasting we do at the wine bar.”
The cooking classes are held at Chef’s Kitchen, 1753 S. Eighth St. That’s also where Solazzi makes pasta, sauces and her famous cheese torte.
You can order products from her Pasta de Solazzi online shop at pastadisolazzi.com for curbside pickup and local delivery. Uva Wine Bar, 1268 InterQuest Parkway, is also a pickup place for Solazzi’s Italian pasta and other products.
You can also find Pasta de Solazzi products at the following locations: Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer and Spirits, Bread & Butter Neighborhood Market, Salt Craft Meat Market, and Ranch Foods Direct.
Steak dinner
Steak Your Claim, 19 N. Tejon St. (inside Avenue 19 food hall), opened Aug. 8.
Since opening, the operation has adjusted its menu. Now you choose between a 12-ounce rib-eye ($28.95) or 12-ounce beef tips and mushrooms ($22.95). Both are served with blistered shishitos and a choice of loaded baked potato, scoops or a small house or Caesar salad. There are handhelds (sandwiches), including Super Beef ($15.95), which is a half-pound, top round roast beef with white American cheese, mayo and James River BBQ sauce on a grilled onion bun, and the Junior Beef ($11.95), a quarter-pound of beef prepared just like the Super Beef. There is also a Caesar steak wrap ($15.95), steak and cheese ($18.95) and Rib-eye Roll ($19.95).
Chad Henry is the chef and is doing a fine job of perfect preparation of the beef choices. Hours are 4-9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Visit tinyurl.com/43ae67v3.
Colorado Springs has a place to enjoy unique Ethiopian coffee ceremony | Table TalkDinners at the church
Brent Beavers, owner and executive chef of Immerse Cuisine, is gearing up for themed dinners at The Carter Payne, 320 S. Weber St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6 p.m. Visit tinyurl.com/bdf8z3zf for tickets. Here’s a look at the lineup:
• Nov. 1, Dinner in the Veil: A Night to Remember, 5:30 p.m. For $95 you celebrate the traditions of Dia De Los Muertos, Mexico’s Day of the Dead, with food and beverage pairing.
• Nov. 9, The Vegan: Spectacular. For $75 you get a family-style dinner paired with a choice of beer and wine.
• Nov. 22, The Flavors of Southeast Asia. For $55 you get dinner and drinks at a cash bar.
Free wine deal
Pizzeria Rustica, 2527 W. Colorado Ave., offers a free bottle of house wine on Thursdays with purchase of two pizzas. Dine-in or carryout. Hours are 5-9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and noon-10 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Details: 719-632-8121, tinyurl.com/3mkedn87.
New menu
My Neighbor Felix, 1645 Briargate Parkway, has introduced a new Colorado-proud menu featuring Denver’s Raquelitas Tortillas, Red Bird Chicken, Queso Campesino, Polidori Sausage and Milberger Farms. New dishes include Colorado striped bass ceviche, cochinita pibil tacos, which was a Taste of Pikes Peak winner, tacos arabes, camarones a la diabla, chilaquiles divorciados, churro French toast, and tres leches waffles. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays, and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays.
Details: (719) 759-4616, myneighborfelix.com.