La Caseddha Rural Experience:An Unforgettable Pasta Class in Puglia

Imagine yourself in Puglia, where golden light spills over ancient olive groves as the sun dips toward the horizon. The air is rich with the aroma of hand-rolled pasta and slow-simmered tomato sauce, promising an unforgettable evening ahead.

If you’re the kind of traveler who believes the best way to understand a place is through its food, then you’re in for a treat.

Nestled in the countryside between Bari and Ostuni, La Caseddha Rural Experience isn’t just a cooking class. It’s a full-on flour-dusted, olive oil-drizzled, hands-on immersion into Puglian tradition.

Here, you’ll learn to shape orecchiette like a local. You will taste award-winning olive oil straight from the source and step inside a historic masseria. This place where generations of farmers have worked the land.

Get ready to roll up your sleeves, sip some wine, and discover why Puglia’s culinary magic is best experienced one bite at a time.

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Why Choose La Caseddha Rural Experience in Puglia?

Puglia is the land of sun-drenched olive groves, whitewashed villages, and some of the best traditional cuisine in Italy. While restaurants offer a taste of local dishes, nothing compares to taking a pasta-making class in Puglia. Learning directly from someone whose family has been making pasta and olive oil for generations is an unparalleled experience.

Antonella, the heart and soul behind La Caseddha Rural Experience, runs her cooking classes with patience, warmth, and a deep love for her land.

As soon as you step onto her farm, you’ll feel welcomed. She invites visitors to gather around the table, transforming a group of strangers into friends. The simple act of making pasta together with strangers can create such an unreal bond.

Discovering the Masseria at La Caseddha

One of the most unique aspects of La Caseddha Rural Experience is the presence of a traditional Masseria on the property.

A Masseria is a historic rural dwelling typical of Puglia, dating back to the Middle Ages.

Originally, these buildings served as agricultural centers. They were self-sufficient farms that housed everything from living quarters to production facilities for olive oil, wine, and cheese.

Many were fortified to protect against pirate and bandit attacks. Today, they have been lovingly restored into accommodations, event spaces, and cultural landmarks.

Antonella’s Masseria, though small, still serves an important function. We were able to walk through the structure, stepping into a space rich with history and tradition. Inside, she stores many of her farm’s products, including olive oil, grains, and seasonal vegetables.

The Masseria also features a small kitchen and worktable, making it the perfect setting for more intimate cooking classes.

Meet Antonella: The Woman Behind La Caseddha Rural Experience

Antonella’s passion for agriculture and food comes from generations of dedication to the land. Her grandfather, Masino, began as a sharecropper over 70 years ago.

He tended to the olive trees first by hand and later with the first tractor in the Brindisi area.

Her father carried on the tradition of cultivating wheat and seasonal vegetables on this same land near the Brindisi coast with a deep commitment to organic farming.

Today, Antonella has taken over the reins of the family business. She has combined her background in tourism with her deep-rooted love for the land.

Alongside her father, husband, brother, and even her young son Carmine. Antonella is dedicated to producing high-quality olive oil, grains, and vegetables using sustainable farming practices.

Since their land is continuously tilled to aerate the soil, they ensure a complete absence of herbicides. Just as her grandfather and the local farmers taught them, they also avoid chemical additives.

Her passion for tradition and sustainability shines through in every experience she offers at La Caseddha.

The Pasta-Making Class at La Caseddha

We get out of the car, and we are one of the first to arrive. Antonella greets me with a smile and a kiss on the cheek, “Buongiorno, Kimberly and Isaac!” She shows us around, and then her eyes catch my camera.

“Oh, take all the pictures you want!” she says warmly.

She’s incredibly welcoming, and I feel like I have known her forever.

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Five other individuals roll in, all from different places like the Netherlands, Canada, and Germany. The experience starts with an introduction to Puglia’s most iconic pasta: Orecchiette.

This little ear-shaped pasta is often paired with turnip greens (cime di rapa) or a simple tomato sauce.

Antonella guided us through each step. We learned from rolling out the dough to shaping the perfect orecchiette with a flick of the wrist.

At first, I struggled with my technique, but Antonella’s encouragement made all the difference.

As she gently placed her hand over mine, she smiled and said, “AllooooorrA!” and demonstrated how to create the little ears with compassion. This moment made the experience feel even more personal. After a few attempts, my pasta started to take shape. It proved that with patience and practice, anyone can learn this age-old cooking methond.

Beyond orecchiette, we learned to make other traditional pasta shapes. She had a way of telling us how to make specific shapes with stories that helped folks remember the method in which they were made. It was quite adorable.

Tasting Olive Oil and Learning About Puglia’s Agricultural Challenges

After the pasta-making session, we moved on to an olive oil tasting. Antonella produces her own olive oil from trees that have been in her family for generations. She guided us through three different varieties, explaining how to recognize the quality and flavors of a good extra virgin olive oil.

During the tasting, she shared a heartbreaking reality. Many ancient olive trees in Puglia are being destroyed due to Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterial infection that has been devastating Southern Italy’s olive groves. Farmers are now facing difficult decisions, many having to cut down centuries-old trees.

Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterium that clogs the xylem, the vessels that carry water from the roots to the leaves. This process slowly chokes trees to death. The disease spreads by spittlebugs, common insects that transfer the bacteria when they feed on a plant. According to an article written by the BBC, “When a spittlebug bites an infected leaf, the bacteria move into its saliva, and the bug transmits the disease to the next healthy plant it feeds on.” This devastating cycle has put thousands of olive groves at risk. It threatens Puglia’s rich olive oil heritage.

This discussion gave us a new appreciation for the hard work that goes into each bottle of olive oil. We understood the importance of supporting small, local producers like Antonella.

Why This Pasta Making Class in Puglia

La Caseddha Rural Experience is more than just a cooking class. It’s a cultural exchange and an opportunity to connect with Puglia on a deeper level. From Antonella’s warm hospitality to the hands-on learning process, this is an experience that stays with you long after the pasta has been eaten.

Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a beginner, Antonella’s patience and encouragement make this a perfect activity. Anyone looking to immerse themselves in Puglian traditions will find it rewarding. Plus, knowing that you’re supporting a small, family-run business makes it even more rewarding.

Final Thoughts

La Caseddha Rural Experience was one of the highlights of our time in Puglia. It wasn’t just about learning how to make pasta. It was about the stories, the traditions, and the feeling of being welcomed like family. If you’re looking for an authentic, hands-on food experience in Southern Italy, don’t miss this one.

Does this sound like something you’d do? Let me know in the comments!