I love to share my passion for traditional Tuscan cooking with my guests. During the course, we will prepare three typical recipes together, starting with bruschetta, which can be prepared with garlic and extra virgin olive oil or with fresh tomatoes, onion and basil. As a first course, we will learn how to prepare the irresistible gnudi, a ravioli without pasta with spinach, ricotta cheese and lots of Parmesan cheese, dressed with seasonal sauces. Finally, you cannot miss the dessert that represents Italianness in the world: tiramisu. We will sit down at the table to enjoy together the dishes we will have prepared, accompanied by a good glass of local wine.

Cooking class in Tuscany: traditional dishes in Lucca

Welcome to my cooking class in Lucca! I'm Monica, a passionate cook who has always enjoyed preparing delicious meals, even for large groups of people.To start, we'll have an appetizer of fried pizza dough and sage, paired with Prosecco. Then, we'll move on to fried squash blossoms, vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and onions, and fried polenta with a seasonal sauce. After that, we'll prepare homemade bigoli pasta with 00 wheat, topped with our own homemade sauce. For dessert, we'll enjoy "fried Buccellato" a typical local dessert, or Tiramisu upon request. We'll pair the dishes with Prosecco or red wine of your choice.We will enjoy the dishes prepared in the garden, if the season allows it.Come join me for a memorable culinary experience!

Monica's Lucca Cooking Class: Fresh Pasta & Fried Delights

My menu is full of memories related to my family, I cook for my guests the simple dishes of the Lucchese tradition, which my mother used to prepare for me when I was little: simple, but very, appetizing dishes. Lunch, or dinner, will be served in my dining room with a direct view of the kitchen, so guests can talk to me and watch me cook, with the possibility if they want to try cooking with me. The wine that is served is from the hills of Lucca.

The flavors of Lucchese tradition: family recipe

We'll discover the ancient shops of Lucca and their splendid signs, refined works carefully crafted down to the smallest details, that are still present and often perfectly preserved. Among the oldest and still active businesses, we recall Carli goldsmith's shop (since 1665), Giusti bakery (from 1900), Taddeucci pastry shop (active since 1881) preparing Buccellato with a recipe that has remained secret over the years, Massagli pharmacy (created in 1855), Da Felice slice pizza shop, the largest underground wine shop in Italy, a truffle product store, and many others. We'll then enjoy an aperitif together on the city walls, tasting the purchased products (focaccia, pizza, cecina, and buccellato) accompanied by fine prosecco.

Tour of Lucca's historic shops & aperitif on the city walls

We begin the experience with a trio of bruschetta that tell the story of the scents and colors of my land: the gold of the oil from the hills of Lucca, the Sorana IGP bean and the Canestrino tomato.At the table we will taste ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta that we made with flour, eggs and rolling pin.Finally we pamper ourselves with a sweet mascarpone cream, ladyfinger cookies and coffee.All accompanied by excellent local wines.I am waiting for you!

Local cuisine with a view of Lucca's towers

With panoramic views of the towers of Lucca, we prepare a menu with three different formats of fresh pasta that are part of the culinary tradition of the area using zero-mile products.We start with the freshest flour and eggs to roll out the pasta sheet with a rolling pin and make pasta stuffed with ricotta and spinach and maltagliati pasta served with meat sauce. Potatoes and flour are the ingredients of the third recipe.With an excellent wine from the hills of Lucca we all toast together and enjoy the delicious dishes just cooked.

For fresh pasta lovers: three typical recipes

In the historic center in a home with a view of the towers of Lucca we prepare two different forms of fresh homemade pasta: a pasta filled with goat cheese, spinach and flavored with nutmeg and a pasta unfilled. With a rolling pin we will roll out the dough for the "maltagliati" with an excellent meat sauce.Before sitting down at the table, let's taste tuscan olives and salami with a Spritz!And finally a typical and creamy Italian dessert: tiramisù with coffee.

In the heart of Lucca, two typical homemade pasta recipes

I am Silvia, a Cesarina who loves to share her cooking with guests. I invite you to dinner at my home, where you can enjoy the authentic flavors of Tuscan cuisine. For the first course, I will prepare tasty potato gnocchi with a meat sauce prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients. The second course will be a treat for the palate: gnudi with butter and hazelnuts, a Lucchese specialty made with ricotta and spinach. Finally, for dessert, I will have you taste a traditional focaccia called Necci, which is sweet and fragrant. I look forward to seeing you at my home for an unforgettable evening!

Authentic Tuscan Home Restaurant Experience in Lucca

I have always loved cooking, especially for large groups of people. In the summer, I enjoy making tomato sauce, jams, flavored oils, and salts. For my recipes, I prioritize using locally-sourced and organic products. In this cooking class, I will teach you how to make various types of fresh pasta in different shapes and cook them with seasonal sauces, including bigoli, tagliatelle, tagliolini, fusilli, and more. Each type of pasta has a unique flavor, and the shape of the pasta will combine differently with the sauces we use. We will then conclude with a typical dessert. As we cook, we can also enjoy the beautiful garden, which is especially lovely during the warm season.

Lucca: Fresh Pasta Cooking Class in the Garden 

The atelier visit showcases a collection of exclusive and artisanal objects made with paper and reclaimed materials, combining illustrations, unpublished poems, and unique, special messages related to food culture. The experience includes a carefully designed table setting (placemats, coasters, table decorations, and bottles). Each participant will receive a special card, hand-illustrated and calligraphed with the guest's name.Upon returning home, we'll continue with another surprise seasonal appetizer (bruschetta, fried dough, marinated olives). We'll then prepare homemade pasta with two different organic flours, topped with homemade seasonal sauces. Following that, we'll taste the fried buccellato, a typical dessert from Lucca or, upon request, tiramisu, accompanied by prosecco.

Atelier visit & culinary treasures: an Italian journey

After the appetizer, we gather around our table with apron and rolling pin. We prepare pasta together in three different shapes, using various types of flour, purchased directly from the local mill:i pici, a long, rustic pasta that is worked only with the hands;i maccheroni, a square-shaped pasta, which is cut with a notched wheel;ravioli, a filled pasta that can be made with different tools.We will cook them together, choosing the most suitable sauce for each format.In warm weather we can eat outside, on the terrace or on the patio. In winter, we will have company by the burning fireplace.

Cooking class in Tuscany: let's prepare pici together

Let's have a nice walk, discovering the agricultural excellences of my city Massarosa, on the way of herbs and flowers.Massarosa can be considered the "green heart of Versilia": you can find olive groves, eucalyptus, peach orchards, vineyards, lavender and much more.We will taste the baked Tuscan flat bread of various types, we will stop on the shores of the pond of Manipura lake to taste a board of local products, cold cuts and cheese, in the cool of the olive trees, and finally we will go in a typical place to conclude the walk with bruschette.

Lucca: Cooking Classes, Home Restaurant Dining and Food Tours