Chef Candy Argondizza held a small wooden board with a handle in one hand, rolling a piece of dough against its grooved surface while her other hand gently pressed down until the dough curled and rolled off the board in a concave shape.

Her live instruction last week at Kara’s Kitchenware involved the making of gnochetti, a pasta shape with a curved shell and ridges on its outer surface. It’s typically made with semolina flour, a high-protein, high-gluten flour milled from durum wheat.

“The Italians are geniuses because they’ve created pasta shapes that capture the sauce,” Argondizza said.

Argondizza has Italian blood running through her veins. She grew up in a big Italian family from Calabria, a region occupying the toe of the country’s boot-shaped peninsula. Semolina flour is from there, she said.

After Argondizza demonstrated how to shape the dough, she opened the floor up to the live audience, inviting volunteers to attempt to roll the pasta shape.

Teri Tith, a cheesemonger, walked up to the instruction area to attempt the technique. With the first lump of dough, she pressed too hard and it came out flat. But with Argondizza’s encouragement, she made several more attempts, until the movement of her thumb made a gentle impression on the dough and it resembled the traditional pasta shape.

Attendees were served gnochetti in a rich sauce with savory pork ragu with a side of sauteed broccoli rabe and tiramisu for dessert. They were also provided a copy of the recipe and a pen for taking notes.

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Cooking with confidence

As Argondizza taught the class, she dispensed tidbits of cooking knowledge, gleaned from working in the industry for over 40 years.

She stressed the importance of mise-en-place, a term for organizing and arranging ingredients ahead of time. She demonstrated the proper technique for holding a knife, choking up on the handle for control while using the opposite hand as a claw. And she urged the practice of tasting the meal as it came together, determining the best level of seasonings to elevate the dish.

“Maybe one of the biggest differences between a professional cook and a home cook is we season, we taste our food,” Argondizza said to the class. “You have so many opportunities to make it the best it could be. So taste while you’re cooking.”

Argondizza worked at New York’s French Culinary Institute for 17 years, where she served as vice president and ran the culinary and pastry programs. She continues to pass on her culinary expertise through classes at Kara’s Kitchenware, Central Oregon Community College (COCC) and Ingredient Studio, a business she runs with her wife, Marité Acosta.

Argondizza teaches her processes clearly and concisely to empower her students in the kitchen. If a recipe doesn’t work, make it again, she said.

“I want them to go home and cook,” she said, of her students. “I talk about the things that they can do at home so that they’re more efficient and comfortable and confident in the kitchen.”

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More classes at Kara’s Kitchenware

Argondizza regularly teaches classes at Kara’s Kitchenware along with Molly McCallum, author of “Living Legacy: Stories of a Restaurant Family,” and Brian Kerr, program director at COCC’s Cascade Culinary Institute.

On Feb. 19, Kerr will demonstrate how to make two flavorful Cajun dishes from Louisiana: gumbo and shrimp étouffée, which roughly translates to “smothered shrimp.” On Feb. 26, Argondizza teaches another pasta-making class on agnolotti, a type of stuffed fresh pasta.

Often, tickets for the classes sell out, Argondizza said.

If You Go

What: Cooking classes at Kara’s Kitchenware

When: 6-8 p.m. most Wednesdays

Where: Kara’s Kitchenware in the Old Mill District, 375 SW Powerhouse Drive, No.120, Bend

Cost: prices vary

Contact: karaskitchenware.com and

541-617-0312