I'm the pasta master

FORGET THE BEACH AND PUT DELIA TO SHAME IN THE KITCHEN

IT was supposed to be just a cookery lesson, an Italian version of one of those hit culinary TV shows with everything turning out like it does in the best-selling book that always goes with the series.

So, bored with the usual beach holiday and dreaming of future telly glory - Simply Deborah does have a certain ring - I prepared to master the minor matter of the actual cooking.

The setting could not have been better...a spotless kitchen in a farmhouse in Ferrara in north-east Italy that attracts hundreds of cooks and would- be cooks each year.

And those helping with the lesson were already more like members of the family - the wonderful Franca Turra and her husband Romano, who run the Agriturismo La Rocchetta, a farmhouse bed and breakfast where guests are treated to fine food and a large slice of La Dolce Vita, Turra style.

The only apparent weak link seemed to be Mr Sherwood, known fondly as "He Who Isn't Obeyed".

The dish to be prepared was cappellacci di zucca, a traditional Ferrarese dish of pasta shaped like old-fashioned nuns' head-dresses stuffed with pumpkin.

I was looking forward to the lesson (I've got shelves of cookbooks and years of "He Who Isn't" saying whatever I cook is lovely).

And Franca and Romano know what they are talking about. They have been doing this sort of thing for years. It all seemed too good to be true. Soon I would be making those wonderful dishes I had only eaten before in expensive restaurants.

But before we started, we had lunch. And that's where it all started going wrong.

Two hours later and I still hadn't seen as much as a pinny or a rolling pin, although I was fully briefed on what we were going to be doing.

Three hours and a lot more wine later I could hardly see when Franca appeared with an apron.

Cappellacci di zucca, I thought, here I come.

Franca took some flour then broke eggs into the middle of them. Soon I was kneading the flour and eggs with fists, weak from Repetitive Drinking Strain, as the yellow dough became more and more elastic.

Next we rolled it out, folded the dough and sprinkled it with flour. But it was growing and growing. I needed a whole kitchen table - perhaps another one in reserve - and a rolling pin the size of Harry Potter's broomstick.

At this point I looked down at my feet and found they were covered in flour. I was also up to my elbows in flour when Romano appeared, laughing, with another bottle. This was hardly Delia - more like Keith Floyd when he was really thirsty

It seemed impossible - how could anyone produce so much dough from five eggs and a mound of flour.

He Who Isn't Obeyed wasn't cooking like he promised. Instead he was trying to talk Italian with Romano. At least he was making more sense than when he tried English.

The dough now looked like a Marigold glove, worn by the Jolly Green Giant.

With a smile Franca took control as we cut the pasta into three inch- wide pieces. We now moved on to the zucca stuffing. Thankfully it was made earlier by the Madonna of the Cappellacci, the young girl who had prepared the cappellacci we'd had for lunch.

After adding a spoonful of baked then mashed zucca with parmesan and nutmeg we tackled the science bit - folding the squares into triangles, pressing down the edges and wrapping them round our fingers, remembering to dent the pouch and nip the two bottom corners together.

Franca showed me how, three, four, fifteen times. I tried hard, but mine still looked like mutants. Romano's dog then came in and howled followed by Romano shouting, "Mamma Mia" which roughly translates as, "I don't think so." Nobody can accuse me of being a quitter and 72 cappellacci later mine were vaguely resembling Franca's.

Just then the Madonna of the Cappellacci came running in with a bouquet of red roses. Fantastico...she must be impressed with my efforts, I thought. Simply Deborah was going to make the small screen after all.

Then the Madonna burst into tears, "Massimo, Massimo" she sobbed, leaving me confused as it was not an Italian accolade I'd heard before. Must be something to do with producing the perfect cappellacci.

Nope. It turned out that her new young man has sent her flowers after a date. Oh well, another bottle of Malvasia, a sweet fizzy dessert wine, eased the pain.

By now my notebook was covered in flour, wine and pumpkin, but before me was a table full of cappellacci. Behind me Romano and He Who Isn't seemed quite impressed.

All the cookery lessons are tailor- made by the Emilia Romagna company, who can also arrange other activity holidays in the region. As well as cooking I learned about the local wines. One worth trying is Fortana which is grown by the seashore. The seawater gives the wine a slightly salty tang, that's delicious.

The Emilia Romagna area is also blessed with plenty of other delights and the Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori is a kind of pilgrims' way for foodies with breaks at farmhouses.

We also stayed with Domenico and Tiziana Marzetti in their newly- converted farmhouse Agriturismo Alla Cedrara just outside Ferrara.

Each morning at breakfast we were treated to new cheeses to try or the mouth-watering tarts and cakes Tiziana had generously made for us.

And in the evening after a hard day in the kitchen there are some great restaurants to dine out in.

It's only fair to give the others a chance to show their culinary flair in the kitchen...

FOR FOOD LOVERS

Trattoria La Rosa, Via Del Bosco, San Agostino Modern-style restaurant which specialises in truffle dishes. Try the thinly- sliced celery with shaved parmigiano and sliced white truffles sprinkled with a drizzle of olive oil or linguini with melted butter tossed in the pan and sprinkled with shaved truffles.

Trattoria Locanda la Chiocciola, Via Runco, Quartiere di Portomaggiore Translates as The Snail. It's 20 minutes out of town but well worth the effort.

Visit the Mattarelli wine producers. They come up with a new wine every year and best of all you can try before you buy. (44049 Vigarano Mainarda (Fe) Via Marconi, 35.

FOR CULTURE LOVERS

Ferrara Cathedral You can't miss it. Dates back to the 12th Century with various additions through the centuries. Splendid paintings and bronze statues.

Ferrara Castle. Right opposite the cathedral. Museum and art gallery with fascinating Renaissance artefacts.

Palazzo dei Diamanti Gallery museum named after the facade that looks like it has been covered in milk chocolate Toblerones.

Museo della Cattedrale Versace and Armani are said to have looked at the statues to get some ideas. Don't miss the collection of 15th Century illuminated choral books and huge tapestries.

THE FACTS FILE

SIX cooking lessons with all materials and six nights on a bed and breakfast basis at La Rocchetta costs from around pounds 500 or pounds 253 for just six lessons. The menu of what you will be cooking varies. Azienda Agrituristica La Rocchetta Via Rocca, 69 I-44040 S.Egidio (Ferrara); tel +39 0532 725824; fax +39 0532 729084 or larocchetta@ larocchetta. com; www.larocchetta.com

PRICES for an overnight stay, at the Agriturismo Alla Cedrara start at around pounds 50 a night for a double room on a B&B basis and around pounds 30 for a single room. Agriturismo Alla Cedrara Via Aranova, 104 I-44044 Porotto (Ferrara); tel +39 0532772293; fax +39 0532 593033 or www.allacedrara.it

ASSOCIAZIONE Strada dei vini e dei Sapori della Provincia di Ferrara (The Association of the Wine and Gastronomy Route of the Ferrara Province)

Via Baruffaldi 18 - 44100 Ferrara ; tel +39 0532 234232; - fax +39 0532 205999 or log on to stradavinisapori_fe@yahoo.it Here you can find out about cooking courses and gastronomy tours.

TOURIST Information Office in Ferrara Castello Estense

44100; Tel +39 0532 299303 -209370; Fax +39 0532 212266 or

infotur@provincia.fe.it

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