I admire restaurants that are passionate about the food they create. IDA is a better example of this than any other with their homemade pasta and Italian attitude to life. Located in fashionable Queen’s Park, IDA is a short bus ride from Notting Hill and Portobello.

On the morning of Saturday 12th March IDA will be holding one of their legendary pasta making courses. A brilliant opportunity for beginners and experienced cooks, the class is run by IDA owners Avi and Simonetta Reichenbach and the restaurant’s talented chef Giacomo Matera. Students learn the techniques of kneading, stretching and cutting pasta -everything from tagliatelle to gnocchi to cannelloni; how to make a traditional sugo, the not so dark art of the perfect risotto, and the secrets of Italian cake-making. At lunchtime, participants sit down together over a glass (or three) of wine to enjoy the fruits of their labours; and leave with a detailed recipe sheet and certificate.

You can win a place for two (worth £80) on this fantastic and fun course, taking place on Saturday 12th March on the IDA premises in Queen’s Park. If you don’t live in London you can still enter and give the gift to a foodie friend or family member. But be quick the competition must end on Thursday 10th March so a winner can be chosen at random in time.
All you have to do is:

1) Be a follower on my blog, and write a comment below, telling me your following name
2) ‘Like’ the IDA Restaurant facebook page, here
3) Include your email address so the winner can be contacted

This is a really special GIVEAWAY. Handmade pasta is rarely made in restaurants in Italy anymore, let alone in the heart of London, and you have a chance to be part of it for free.

All the information you need can be found here.

If you can’t make the 12th March please still enter as it may be possible to accommodate you on another day’s course.