A POPULAR lunch spot in Darlington town centre has now expanded and is offering Italian cooking classes.
The Pasta Shop on 10 Woodland Road opened in 2018 and now the team at The Pasta Shop is passing on its culinary expertise at The Happy Place Next Door (2 Maude Street) with pasta-making masterclasses.
The Northern Echo went to a tagliatelle-making class to see what the fuss was all about.
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Veronika Lazarova greets the guests with a big smile, putting even the most timid of amateur cooks at ease.
She has the patience of a saint and demonstarted how to make the pasta dough and remained on-hand if/when something went wrong.
With small groups, each ‘student’ gets sufficient attention in the pasta-making process.
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With generous portions, Veronika created a relaxed atmosphere with an emphasis on easy, stress-free, fun cooking.
Veronika said: "Everyone thinks pasta is hard to make or hard to get right but it's actually really quick and easy, that's why it's so popular in Italy.
"It should be fun, make some pasta, play some music and have some Prosecco.
"Good food makes people happy so teaching these classes is really fun."
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Once the pasta is made, everyone in the class can choose a sauce off The Pasta Shop’s lunch menu and a delicious meal is cooked in front of the class.
Classes are £35 per person and include nibbles and Prosecco.
The team also offers private dining where a three course menu will be designed specifically for you for £25 per person and includes a welcome drink.
Classes are running until the end of February, including children's pasta-making parties.
For more details, visit The Happy Place Next Door on Facebook or click here.
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