9 Best Cooking Classes in Italy – From Venice to Rome and Beyond

Looking for the best cooking classes in Italy? You’re in the right place!

In this guide, we share the top Italian cooking classes we discovered while traveling through the country.

Whether you want to roll out pizza in Naples, craft orecchiette in Puglia, make tortellini in Bologna, or cook the perfect cacio e pepe in Rome, you’ll find the perfect class for you. 

These foodie experiences run throughout the year, but it’s best to book in advance if you want a specific date or time.

All the classes listed here are led by professionals, offered in small groups, and guarantee you’ll enjoy some of the most delicious food in Rome, Florence, Venice, and beyond.

Perfect for anyone dreaming of a cooking vacation in Italy. Our list contains only family-friendly cooking classes in Italy. When planning a trip to Italy in 2026, be sure to look for hands-on cooking experiences.

1. Pasta and sauces cooking class in Rome

This isn’t your typical touristy cooking class. It's one of the top Italian pasta making classes.

At Chef Riccardo’s Roman cooking school, authentic pasta traditions come alive in a cosy local neighbourhood—far from the busy city center. It’s truly one of the best Rome cooking classes.

From the moment you arrive, it feels like being welcomed into a friend’s kitchen rather than joining a formal class. Groups are small—just 10 people max—creating a relaxed, friendly, and personal atmosphere.

In this hands-on Roman pasta-making class, you’ll roll up your sleeves and learn to make fresh pasta from scratch. Expect flour-dusted counters, laughter as you shape ravioli, tortellini, fettuccine, or spaghetti alla chitarra, and the mouthwatering aroma of classic Roman sauces like carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and arrabbiata simmering nearby.

👌 Chef Riccardo also offers private classes with custom menus, including gnocchi, risotto, tiramisù, or tailored recipes for gluten-free, vegan, or dairy-free diets. Perfect for food lovers looking for an authentic hands-on culinary experience in Rome.

2. Semi-private Rome pizza making class with focaccia and supplì

🗓️ Class Essentials: Hands-on Rome cooking class in custom-designed luxury kitchen studio near the Vatican Museums | Starts at 5:30 PM | Max 6 persons per group

What makes this one of the best cooking classes in Italy is its unique menu, truly small groups (up to 6 people), and the fact that it’s curated by a renowned chef from MasterChef Italia. 👌 You might also love gnocchi making class in Rome!

Your experience begins the Italian way—with a warm welcome and a chilled glass of prosecco alongside classic aperitivo bites.

Then the aprons go on and you jump into making traditional Roman pizza al taglio dough, the thick, airy, square-cut style Rome is known for. Once the dough is prepared, you’ll craft a perfect margherita topped with crushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fragrant basil.

Next comes fluffy, olive-oil-brushed focaccia, topped with mortadella, stracciatella, and pistachios—a Roman favourite. You’ll also learn to make supplì, the city’s iconic deep-fried rice balls stuffed with tomato, parmigiano, and mozzarella.

Dessert is warm pockets of pizza dough filled with Nutella, followed by a relaxed meal where you enjoy everything you’ve made, paired with wine and a final sip of limoncello.

As a takeaway, LivTours sends you home with a digital recipe booklet so you can recreate your Roman feast anytime. One of the top pizza-making classes in Italy!

3. Rome pastry class (Gelato, tiramisù & cannoli)

🗓️ Class Essentials: Italian dessert classes run daily in 2026 at 5 PM and 5:30 PM | Lasts around 2 hours | Family-friendly for kids 5+ | Optional driver service available.

This sweet Roman experience easily earns a spot among the most authentic culinary experiences in Italy.

Taking place in a real pastry lab on Via Soriso 68a—just 10 minutes from central Rome via Metro Line A—this hands-on Italian workshop shows you how to make three Italian classics: gelato, tiramisù, and cannoli.

Under the guidance of expert pastry chefs at Vice Italia, you’ll learn step by step how to churn creamy gelato, layer a perfect tiramisù, and bake and fill crisp cannoli shells from scratch. You can enjoy your gelato right away, while your tiramisù and cannoli are packed to take home.

With its cosy atmosphere, friendly instructors, and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 rating from 121 reviews, this Rome pastry class is a favourite for families, solo travellers, and anyone with a serious sweet tooth.

4. Mastering Nonna's Recipes - Florence Pasta Making Class

🗓️ Class Essentials: Hands-on 3-hour Florence cooking class in a modern Sant’Ambrogio studio with Chef Michele | Starts at 10 AM, 3 PM & 7:30 PM | Easy to reach on foot from the historic centre

This hands-on pasta-making class in Florence is led by Michelin-trained chef.

Its glowing reviews show that it’s absolutely worth the price. Together, you’ll prepare handmade pasta from scratch — three types plus delicious sauces. The menu includes ricotta tortelli with brown butter, tagliatelle with ragù, and ravioli with garlic oil and sage.

We’re confident it will be one of the best meals of your entire Italian holiday. Plus, you’ll enjoy unlimited wine! You’ll also receive an e-book with recipes and an apron — a great Florence souvenir.

Chef Michele offers vegetarian options too! Chef Michele offers vegetarian options too! This is one of the most valued Italian cooking classes. Ideal for rainy days (and sunny ones too) in Florence!

5. Florence cooking class and full lunch at a Tuscan farm with market tour

🗓️ Class Essentials: Cooking class at a Tuscan farm departing from Florence | Starts at 9 AM | Lasts for 7 hours | Meeting point is by the taxi stand at Santa Maria Novella train station | Family-Friendly: Kids 8+ welcome

One of the best Italian cooking classes you'll find in Tuscany! This hand-on experience starts at Florence’s Mercato Centrale, where your local chef-guide will help you pick the freshest ingredients—cheeses, cured meats, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.

Next, hop on a comfy minibus and head into the Tuscan countryside to a charming farmhouse, where the real fun begins.

Here, you’ll roll up your sleeves and prepare a full traditional Tuscan meal:

• Fresh tagliatelle with a rich meat sauce
• Crispy bruschetta
• Roast pork with potatoes
• Homemade tiramisù

Once everything is ready, sit down to enjoy the meal you’ve made, paired with local Tuscan wine. As a keepsake, you’ll receive a cooking diploma and a recipe booklet so you can recreate the magic at home.

This Italian cooking class is the perfect mix of market shopping, hands-on cooking, and authentic Tuscan charm—an experience you won’t forget!

6. Hands in dough - Cooking Class with Lunch in San Gimignano

7. Bologna pasta-making class with Alessia

🗓️ Class Essentials: Cooking class at local home not far from the train station | Starts daily at 4:30 PM | Lasts for 3 hours | Family-Friendly: Kids are welcome

Step into the heart of Bolognese cuisine with one of the best cooking classes in Northern Italy.

Hosted by Alessia, the experience feels less like a lesson and more like being welcomed into an Italian kitchen, where traditions have been passed down for generations.

You’ll start by learning the secrets of fresh pasta, kneading smooth, silky dough and rolling it out by hand with a traditional wooden rolling pin. With Alessia’s guidance, you’ll shape classic local pasta varieties such as tortellini, tagliatelle, and tortelloni—each one made the same way Bolognese families have done for centuries.

Once the cooking is complete, the best part begins: sitting down to enjoy what you’ve created. The meal includes comforting tortellini served in broth, rich tagliatelle paired with a hearty meat ragù, and delicate tortelloni finished with butter and sage.

The experience is rounded out with excellent local wines and a homemade tiramisù you’ll prepare yourself. Vegetarian options are available—just be sure to let Alessia know ahead of time. It’s a warm, hands-on introduction to Bologna’s food culture and a delicious memory to take home with you.

Types of Italian Cooking Classes

Not all Italian cooking classes are created equal—and that’s a good thing. Whether you’re dreaming of rolling fresh pasta, exploring local markets, or baking like a true nonna, there’s a class designed for your style. Here are the most popular types you’ll come across while planning your culinary adventure in Italy.

Pasta-Making Workshops

These are the classics—and for good reason. Pasta-making classes teach you how to turn flour and eggs into silky tagliatelle, stuffed ravioli, or pillowy gnocchi. You’ll learn traditional techniques that Italians grow up with, and the best part is sitting down afterward to enjoy your creations.

Best Italian pasta making classes:

• Pasta and sauces cooking class at Chef Riccardo's Roman cooking studio
• Mastering Nonna's recipes Florence cooking class
• Pasta-making class with Alessia in Bologna
  
  

Market-to-Table Experiences

If you love the idea of shopping like a local, this is your class. You’ll explore a neighborhood market with a chef, hand-pick ingredients, and then head to the kitchen to cook a fresh, seasonal meal. It’s a great way to understand Italian food culture from the ground up.

Farm-to-Table or Agriturismo Classes

Held in rural farmhouses or vineyards, these classes are all about rustic cooking and ingredients grown right on the property. Expect homemade olive oil, fresh vegetables, garden herbs, and dishes that taste like true Italian countryside comfort.

Regional Specialty Classes

Italy’s regions each have their own culinary identity, and these classes dive deep into what makes them unique. Think Tuscan steak, Sicilian seafood dishes, Roman pastas, or Neapolitan pizza. If you already have a favorite Italian dish, look for a class in the region where it originated.

Baking & Pastry Lessons

Perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. These classes cover everything from tiramisu and biscotti to regional pastries like Sicilian cannoli or Neapolitan sfogliatelle. You’ll learn the secrets behind Italian desserts that never make it out of the country’s borders.

Wine & Food Pairing Classes

More relaxed and often more indulgent, these experiences teach you how to match Italian wines with classic dishes. You’ll taste your way through regional pairings and learn why certain flavors work so well together.

How to choose the best cooking class in Italy

Picking the right cooking class in Italy really depends on the kind of experience you want—relaxed, hands-on, gourmet, traditional, or something totally immersive.

Before booking, it helps to think about a few key factors that can shape your day in the kitchen. Here’s what to consider so you can find the perfect match.

Consider Your Region

Italy changes completely from one region to the next, and your cooking class experience will too.

If you love rich, comforting pasta, Emilia-Romagna is perfect for learning tagliatelle al ragù and other handmade pasta dishes.

In Rome, you can master classic pasta like carbonara and cacio e pepe. Head south to Naples to craft authentic Neapolitan pizza, or to Puglia for making orecchiette pasta by hand.

For rustic, hearty flavors, Tuscany offers classes focused on pasta with Tuscan ragù and traditional countryside recipes.

Think about the kind of food—and regional atmosphere—you want to experience, and choose your cooking class destination accordingly.

Budget and Duration

Cooking classes range from quick two-hour pasta sessions to full-day culinary journeys. Setting a budget helps narrow down your options fast, since prices vary a lot by city, chef, and class style.

Shorter classes are great when you’re tight on time, while longer ones often include extras like wine tastings, market tours, or full multi-course meals. Decide how much time you want to spend in the kitchen and how immersive you want the day to be.

Class Size and Teaching Style

Some classes feel like a private kitchen gathering, while others have a lively group vibe. Smaller groups mean more hands-on practice and personal guidance—perfect if you’re a beginner or really want to hone your skills.

Larger classes can be fun and social, especially if you’re looking to meet fellow travellers. It also helps to check the instructor’s teaching style; some chefs guide step-by-step, while others are more relaxed and encourage you to improvise.

Love Italy? You'll enjoy these too:

Rome on a budget

Best Bologna food tours

Things to do in Monopoli

What to buy in Italy

Benvenuti!

Join us as we share our latest journeys through Italy and the delicious bites that stole our hearts along the way.

Our trusted travel partner

Note!

© Tastyitaliantravels.com.
All rights reserved.

All images and content on this website are copyright protected. Please do not use our images and text without our permission. Thank you!