The 8 best cooking classes in Rome

Delve into Italian culture and enjoy cooking classes to discover the tastes and smells of the local gastronomy.

Ana Caballero

Ana Caballero

8 min read

The 8 best cooking classes in Rome

Pizza | © Carissa Gan

Learning to cook like an authentic Italian is a real tourist attraction, and one of the best things to do in Rome. This type of activity will allow you to get to know the gastronomic side of the city and discover new flavours and ways of preparing typical dishes that you didn't know before.

Although Italian culture has been well spread around the world, Italians take pride in their country's way of cooking and their secrets when it comes to getting down to business. In this post I'll tell you about the best cooking classes to take in Rome, so you can make the most of your stay in the city and acquire new culinary knowledge. Make the most of your trip!

1. Pasta and biscotti cooking classes

Pasta Cooking Class| ©Departure
Pasta Cooking Class| ©Departure

These cooking classes take place in a very beautiful area of the city: Rome's Jewish quarter. If you want to learn how to make authentic local pasta with a professional chef, this tour is perfect for you.

When you hear the word "Italy", the first thing that comes to mind is pasta, the great Italian pride. A great way to learn all the secrets of making the world's most famous food is to take a class in Italy's most important city.

Classes are usually held in restaurants, where you will learn how to make and cook fresh homemade pasta, a seasonal main course and a special dessert.

If you travel to Rome in winter, classes focus on menus with fresh vegetables to make an original "fritto romano". On the other hand, the classes you will find if your trip to Rome is in summer are dedicated to teaching you how to peel artichokes for Jewish-style cooking, one of the highlights of Roman cuisine.

Finally, you can try an authentically Roman dessert such as ciambelline baked in wine, a famous crunchy doughnut made with four simple ingredients, but whose preparation has many unexpected twists and turns.

Interesting facts

  • Price: from 64 €
  • Duration: 3 hours

Book a pasta and tiramisu cooking class in Rome

2. Gelato making classes

Gelato| ©Lauren Shiplett
Gelato| ©Lauren Shiplett

Italian gelato is the most delicious gelato in the world. Its creamy texture and unique flavours make it always a good time to try one more. In this case, I present a tour that takes place in Rome's gelato parlours: Italian-style gelato making classes.

The hour-long class consists of learning how to make 3 different flavours and during the class you will learn how to use the machinery of a real gelato maker and the proportions of all the ingredients to create a product worthy of Italian culture.

But the most fun will be the part where you will have the possibility to create your own new flavour, according to your preferences and your imagination.

Finally, in addition to the ice cream you have made, you will be able to try other flavours from the ice cream parlour and end the tour eating the best Italian gelato.

If you want to learn how to make gelato that rivals the best gelato in Rome, don't miss this opportunity.

Interesting facts

  • Price: from €47
  • Duration: 1 hour

3. One hour Italian pizza cooking class

Pizza in Rome| ©Giovanni Prestige
Pizza in Rome| ©Giovanni Prestige

Italian pizza has many mysteries in its preparation and Italians often say that authentic pizza can only be found in Italy. But what if you were to take a cooking class to learn how to prepare a classic pizza from a professional chef in Rome...?

This 60-minute class in a pizzeria in the centre of Rome is a unique opportunity to learn how to cook this typical Italian food in one of the best places to eat in Rome.

In this workshop, you will make your own dough from scratch with flour and water, and then bake your own pizza of your own creation, with the best, fresh, local ingredients. As well as being provided with all the tools, ingredients and chef support, you will top this class off with a not-to-be-missed pizza dinner and drink. You can choose between prosecco, wine or beer, and finish the evening with a glass of lemoncello or a coffee.

Interesting facts

  • Price: from €50
  • Duration: 1 hour

Book a pizza cooking class in Rome

4. 3 hour Italian pizza cooking class

Preparing Pizza| ©esrageziyor
Preparing Pizza| ©esrageziyor

If you want to learn how to prepare Italy's most emblematic Italian food with the best pizza masters, this cooking class is for you.

Here, you will discover all the secrets of the perfect pizza in a restaurant in Rome's city centre, and take a 90-minute lesson to prepare the perfect pizza dough.

It's a course suitable for all ages making it one of the best things to do in Rome with kids. You will be guided through the entire pizza making and baking process and will be explained all the techniques and tips to make the best dough and dress a pizza correctly.

You will be provided with all the ingredients you need to achieve a perfect taste, with vegetables picked from the garden and completely fresh, so you can achieve one of the best pizzas in Rome

It's a fun and delicious experience that includes a pizza dinner with dessert, drink and a pizza roller as a souvenir, so you will remember this moment forever.

Interesting facts

  • Price: from €142
  • Duration: 3 hours

Book a pizza cooking class in Rome

5. Cooking class with lunch or dinner included

Homemade Tiramisu| ©Marisquerias Civera
Homemade Tiramisu| ©Marisquerias Civera

This type of cooking class in Rome is very special as it takes place at The Birthplace of The Original Fettuccine Alfredo. This place is very famous and has a great cultural value for the city. Here you can taste the best pasta in the VIP lounges where many personalities, both international and Italian, have passed through.

Alfredo alla Scrofa owns an international seal of approval when it comes to its own quality products, such as pasta, wine, olive oil, parmesan cheese and much more.

The class consists of pasta making to the highest quality standards followed by lunch or dinner in the restaurant.

The full menu consists of an Antipasto Alfredo with specialities of Italian salami sausage, fresh buffalo mozzarella (a real treat), an original Fettuccine Alfredo, beef strips with rocket salad and cherry tomatoes, baked potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables.

Don't miss the opportunity to try the homemade tiramisufor dessert, or simply a piece of fresh seasonal fruit. The meal includes wine, water and coffee.

Interesting facts

  • Price: from 37 €
  • Duration: 2 hours

6. Pasta and tiramisu cooking classes

Pasta made| ©SergioDelgado
Pasta made| ©SergioDelgado

This class consists of learning how to make two authentic and delicious Italian dishes that everyone loves: pasta and tiramisu. For 1 hour and a half, you will take part in a luxury workshop in the centre of Rome, where you will be given step-by-step explanations and tips on how to prepare them.

At the beginning, you will start with the dessert, so that you can increase the degree of difficulty of the recipes. You will learn how to make tiramisù using all the perfectly selected ingredients and all the necessary tools.

Then, you will receive the explanation on how to make your own dough with flour and eggs, and the chef will show you what kind of recipes you can make with the same dough. Depending on your preferences, you can cut it according to what you like best.

But an ideal pasta owes a lot to the quality of its sauce. When you finish the dough lesson, you can learn all about the best sauces and combinations that bring out the best flavours for your palate, like a carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe, and more.

In the second part of the workshop, you will enjoy a nice meal with your classmates, where you will delight in a pasta dish accompanied by a glass of wine.

Groups are limited to 15 people, and it's a perfect opportunity to discover the recipes and secrets of these proudly popular dishes.

Interesting facts

  • Price: from 55 €
  • Duration: 2 hours

7. Cooking classes in small groups

Cooking class| ©Pablo D
Cooking class| ©Pablo D

If you are looking for a cooking class where you can delve much deeper into the preparation of the dishes and their elaboration process, I recommend a small group cooking class in Rome.

In this case, the participants are no more than 10 people, so the professional chef in charge has much more time to share his knowledge with each of the trainees. You will learn how to make pasta by hand and have a truly memorable experience in Rome.

Classes are** 3 hours** long and take place in a private location in the centre of Rome, very close to the best monuments of the city, in the Trastevere neighbourhood. While you learn and receive explanations, you can enjoy an aperitif and a glass of Prosecco.

This activity includes all the ingredients to prepare a delicious meal, the chef's instructions, prosecco, wine and a seasonal selection of appetizers and dinner, made by your own hands.

After the class is over, a dinner is usually held in a small garden with all the comforts to end the day as it deserves.

Interesting facts

  • Price: from 85 €
  • Duration: 3 hours

8. Tour of Rome with a cooking class

Trevi Fountain| ©kat kye
Trevi Fountain| ©kat kye

Last but not least, you can also combine a great cooking class in Rome with a tour of the city. I consider it the most complete experience, as you will be immersed in the Italian essence like never before.

This tour is designed for those who want to see the main attractions of this Italian capital, and also get a first class cooking class to make pizzas like a real Italian.

Some of the attractions you will see during the walking tour include historic sites such as the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de Fiori, among others.

When you have finished your sightseeing tour with your professional guide, you will head to a local restaurant to begin your lesson with a specialised pizza chef, called a "pizzaiolo" in Italy.

You will learn how to make a pizza in the local style and all the secrets of pizza making from scratch. Achieving a tender and pliable dough is no easy feat, but this course will allow you to use your talents to the full. In addition, it also includes making a delicious sauce.

The different types of ingredients are all fresh and from the garden, and you will bake your own creation in a traditional Italian pizza oven. Not to be missed.

Interesting facts

  • Price: from €68
  • Duration: 4 hours