A cooking class is much more than just a lesson in the kitchen: it’s an invitation to slow down, get your hands doughy, and rediscover the joy of creating something with time-honored, skilled gestures. In a fast-paced world, cooking becomes an act of care—for yourself and others—and a genuine way to connect with the culture of a place. Ingredients, aromas, and stories weave together in a ritual that opens the door to togetherness, turning a simple trip into a memory that lasts forever in your heart.
Cesarine: Italian Tradition at the Table Since 2004
Behind every cooking class offered by Cesarine is the passion of a network of home cooks who have been opening their kitchens to curious travelers from around the world since 2004. Founded in Bologna, Cesarine is now Italy’s oldest and largest home cooking community, present in over 450 locations. Experiences take place in private settings—from cozy apartments to historic homes, countryside farmhouses to lively city residences—and are available in both shared classes, perfect for meeting fellow food lovers, and private sessions. Booking is easy: just a few clicks to choose the place, date, and time, with the guarantee of a warm welcome, quality ingredients, and guidance from those who live their culinary tradition every day.
This sharing economy model supports local communities and embraces sustainable tourism. Since 2019, Cesarine has been recognized as a Slow Food Community. In 2024 alone, over 30,000 guests from the United States, along with travelers from Australia, the UK, Canada, and Northern Europe, have joined the experience.
What You Learn in a Cooking Class with Cesarine Hosts Across Italy
Joining a Cesarine cooking class means truly getting your hands doughy. Often, the experience begins with a market tour or a visit to the home garden, picking seasonal vegetables before returning to the kitchen to transform them into dishes that tell the story of the region. Classes focused on fresh pasta teach you how to knead, roll, and cut tagliatelle, pappardelle, or orecchiette, while stuffed pasta lessons reveal the secrets of ravioli, cappelletti, or tortellini.
Discover some of our most popular cooking classes loved by our guests
Cooking class with fresh pasta and tiramisu on the lake
Our Cesarina Anna awaits you in Cernobbio for a hands-on lesson focused on gnocchi, tagliatelle, and the classic tiramisù. Surrounded by nature and overlooking stunning lake views, you’ll learn the secrets behind these iconic Italian dishes.
Cooking class with two fresh pasta and tiramisu recipes
Nestled in the gentle Tuscan hills, in Montepulciano, Cesarina Barbara welcomes you to her home to teach you how to make pici all'aglione — a traditional Tuscan pasta dish featuring the famous Chiana aglione, a Slow Food Presidia product.
Authentic cuisine: pasta, tiramisu and tradition
Cesarine Carolina and Simona welcome you to their penthouse in Como, offering breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps. After a welcome aperitif, roll up your sleeves and join a cooking class where you’ll learn to make two iconic Italian dishes: handmade tagliatelle and light, fluffy potato gnocchi!
Cooking class: focaccia, pesto, fresh pasta and tiramisu
Have you ever tried making authentic Genoese pesto using a mortar and pestle? Our Cesarina Elisa awaits you in Zoagli with freshly baked Ligurian focaccia and stunning views of Portofino. After a relaxing moment by the pool, join her for a hands-on cooking class focused on fresh pasta.
Cooking class in a lemon grove in the hills of Florence
A cooking class in an exclusive setting: a lemon house just a few kilometers from the center of Florence. Here, our Cesarina Cristina will welcome you to a lesson that highlights fresh, zero-kilometer ingredients!
Cesarine Cooking Classes Across Italy
Ready to get cooking and discover the most authentic Italian cuisine? From north to south, Italy’s largest network of home cooks is waiting for you with over 1,500 cooking lessons designed for everyone—from beginners to seasoned chefs. With Cesarine, learning cooking techniques is also a journey through the culinary traditions that make our culture truly unique.
But there’s more to savor. For those with a sweet tooth, there are cooking classes dedicated to desserts—an irresistible journey through tiramisu, homemade jam tarts, and freshly baked rustic cookies.
And if you lean green, you’ll love our vegetarian and vegan options: “plant-based” regional recipes featuring wild herbs, heirloom legumes, and farm-fresh vegetables. These classes prove that Italian cuisine can be wholesome and sustainable without ever compromising on flavor.
Special Moments Worth Sharing—and Remembering
From friend getaways and romantic escapes to out-of-the-box bachelorette parties or unique team-building activities, any occasion can turn into something truly unforgettable with a Cesarine cooking class. It’s more than just a lesson—it’s an authentic moment of connection, where hands, ingredients, and smiles come together around a table full of stories, traditions, and local flavors.
Perfect for any kind of celebration, Cesarine Masterclasses offer a fun, meaningful experience that stays with you long after the last bite. And if love is in the air, our romantic experiences deliver, too: think candlelight, glasses of wine, and the warm, inviting aroma of a real Italian kitchen. Saying "I love you" never tasted so good.
Five appetizers and prosecco: the authentic aperitif
Why not spend two hours with your friends learning how to prepare the perfect Italian aperitivo? In Bari, our Cesarina Juanita will guide you through a fun, hands-on cooking class where you’ll uncover the secrets of creating mouthwatering finger foods worth savoring to the very last bite!
Bachelorette party in Sicily
In Palermo, Cesarina Rosa Maria is ready to help you plan a bachelorette party that’s fun, unforgettable, and anything but ordinary! During this hands-on cooking class, the bride-to-be will sharpen her culinary skills by learning how to make busiate, gnocchi or tagliatelle — and the iconic Sicilian watermelon pudding, gelo di melone!
Romantic experience in Positano
Le Cesarine Valeria e Rubina ti aspettano per un corso di cucina indimenticabile, immerso nella magia di Positano. In una location esclusiva, tra sapori autentici e panorami romantici, vivrai un’esperienza gastronomica unica e ricca di emozioni.
From North to South, Islands Included: Where to Take a Cooking Class with Cesarine
Cesarine are waiting for you everywhere—from Italy’s major art cities to its most hidden gems. In Rome, you can master the perfect cacio e pepe after a stroll through the historic markets of Campo de’ Fiori or Testaccio. In Florence, among the aromas of ribollita and pappa al pomodoro, you’ll step into homes that safeguard centuries-old peasant recipes. In Bologna, the home of hand-rolled pasta, preparing lasagna, tortellini, and ragù becomes a hands-on ritual to share around the table. In Milan, a modern city with deep roots, you'll learn how to make creamy risotto or traditional ossobuco with polenta. In Venice, you'll explore the secrets of baccalà mantecato and cicchetti, while in Naples, classes often begin with a coffee and end with the art of crafting perfect pizza dough.
Beyond the cities, Cesarine’s network stretches across the Chianti vineyards, the rolling hills of Asti, the citrus-scented villages of the Amalfi Coast, the olive groves of Sardinia, and the spice-laced valleys of South Tyrol. Here, each cooking class becomes a deep dive into both the landscape and the culinary soul of the region—where even a simple plate of pasta becomes a sensory journey.
Cesarine’s true strength lies in their presence in Italy’s smallest villages, far from the typical tourist paths. In Umbria’s quiet alleyways; in Sicily, where every dish echoes ancient conquests; in Trentino’s alpine valleys, where food meets forests and mountain huts—home cooking becomes a direct bridge to the heart of the land. These experiences offer travelers something rare: authentic connection, far from mass tourism.
From north to south, east to west, there’s always a Cesarina ready to open her door, share a piece of her story, and teach you how to cook the Italian way—with simplicity, warmth, and love.