Massimo Bottura, chef of the three-Michelin-star Osteria Francescana, treats his world-renowned restaurant as a laboratory of ideas. In his MasterClass, he shares how he transforms classic, regional Italian recipes into exciting modern dishes. You’ll learn how to make rich, flavorful tagliatelle al ragù, pumpkin risotto, and a MasterClass-exclusive Emilia Burger recipe. Develop your palate and embark on a culinary adventure.

Syllabus

Introduction

Meet your new instructor: Massimo Bottura, chef of the three-Michelin-star restaurant Osteria Francescana. Massimo explains why he believes in evolving classic recipes, developing your palate, and embracing creativity in the kitchen.

An Evolution of Pesto

Start learning how to experiment with traditional recipes as Massimo shares his unique take on pesto, using bread crumbs in place of pine nuts. Joining Massimo is Taka Kondo, his sous-chef.

Tortellini Part 1: Broth and Sauce

In the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, tortellini is the quintessential dish. Massimo shows you how to make the two classic tortellini accompaniments: il brodo, the rich, delicious broth, and a Parmigiano-Reggiano cream sauce.

Tortellini Part 2: Dough, Filling, and Assembly

Some special guests join Massimo to help make a very traditional tortellini dough and filling. Learn how to assemble this essential Emilia-Romagna dish.

Emilia Burger

Massimo shows you his interpretation of a burger that features regional ingredients from Emilia-Romagna. He then challenges students to create their own regionally-inspired burgers.

Passatelli Part 1: Vegetarian “Broth of Everything”

Zero-waste cooking is one of Massimo’s guiding principles in the kitchen. Massimo demonstrates how a vegetarian brodo di tutto (“broth of everything”) makes beautiful use of vegetable scraps.

Passatelli Part 2: Bread Crumb Pasta

Massimo shows you how he’s evolved his grandmother’s recipe for passatelli, fresh bread crumb noodles that are light and full of umami. The passatelli are served in the “broth of everything.”

“Spin-Painted” Beet

Discover the secret ingredient in this striking vegetarian dish of roasted beets that is inspired by one of Massimo’s favorite artists, Damien Hirst. Its highly versatile sauces can be used in many other meat and vegetable preparations.

Sogliola al Cartoccio (Mediterranean-Style Sole)

Massimo teaches you how to make a delicious parchment-baked sole using classic Mediterranean flavors: lemons, capers, olives, tomatoes, and parsley.

Tagliatelle With Hand-Chopped Ragù (Meat Sauce)

Tagliatelle with ragù is the dish that put Osteria Francescana on the map. Massimo teaches you his version that uses hand-chopped (not ground) beef and time to maximize flavor.

“Better Than Panettone” Soufflé

Massimo shows you how to transform leftover cakes and sweet breads into a delicious, light soufflé that’s better than the sum of its parts. In this recipe, he uses panettone, an Italian sweet bread with raisins and candied fruit.

Pumpkin Risotto

Massimo teaches you a unique approach to risotto, using fresh orange juice and roasted pumpkin purée rather than the traditional white wine, butter, and onions. It turns out like a dessert, and you can riff on the recipe any way you’d like.

Bonus: Tasting Demonstration

To help you develop your palate, Massimo walks through the tasting of three ingredients that are fundamental to his version of Italian cuisine: tomatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and balsamic vinegar.

Bonus: The Story Behind Two Dishes From Osteria Francescana

Massimo shares how he came up with the recipes for two signature dishes served at Osteria Francescana—The Crunchy Part of the Lasagna and Mediterranean Sole—and demonstrates how they each come together as final plates.