Natalia Lepore Hagan’s Midnight Pasta parties offer a seamless blend of a hands-on pasta-making workshop along with a decadent five-course meal — an experience sure to leave a lasting impression, writes Jenn Ladd for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
During the event, usually held around 6 PM at BLDG39 at the Arsenal — a former industrial warehouse turned event venue in Bridesburg — Lepore Hagan steps into the roles of host, instructor, entertainer, and director.
She usually kicks off the evening by sharing a bit about the class.
“It’s called Midnight Pasta because it’s based on a family tradition of mine to eat pasta at midnight, because I come from a very wild, wacky Italian-American family,” she explained. “In my family, you start making pasta as young as 5 years old. If I could make it at 5 years old, I promise you, you can do it today.”
Lepore Hagan demonstrates each step of the meal prep, with close-ups projected onto a big-screen TV so that all two dozen students can follow along. She also moves through the room, checking on everyone — adding a bit of spinning and dancing to keep the energy high.
Once the meal is finished — and thoroughly enjoyed — the group gets together for a photo.
Read more about Midnight Pasta and what makes it so popular in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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