Top Puglia Cooking Classes

Step into the heart of Salento at a traditional Masseria in Martano, just outside Lecce, for a hands-on cooking class rooted in family, flavor, and southern Italian tradition. Learn to prepare authentic dishes alongside Nonna Concettina, using simple, fresh ingredients like homemade passata and local flour. Roll meatballs, simmer rich tomato sauce, and shape three traditional pastas—orecchiette, maccheroni, and sagne 'ncannulate—while discovering the stories behind each recipe. Enjoy a glass of local wine as you cook, laugh, and connect in a welcoming farmhouse kitchen. Afterward, sit down with your hosts to share the meal you’ve prepared. Set in an 18th-century farmhouse surrounded by olive groves, this experience offers more than just cooking—it’s a taste of life in Salento.

Uncover the art of Italian pasta making in the heart of Ginosa, a gem nestled among ravines about a 30-minute ride from Matera. Under the guidance of skilled local chefs, participants will learn to craft traditional Apulian orecchiette from scratch, paired with a delicious homemade sauce. This engaging class not only provides hands-on experience but also fosters social interaction as you share a meal with fellow cooking enthusiasts, enjoying the fruits of your labor alongside local wines. A convenient private transfer service from Matera or Bari is available to ensure a hassle-free journey to this culinary adventure.

Discover Salento cuisine inside an authentic traditional masseria near Lecce. This experience combines local food culture with direct participation: you’ll prepare the dough, shape your own frisa and take part in preparing traditional and creative local dishes alongside the hosts. You’ll also learn about the history of frisa, the ingredients used in Salento cuisine and the traditional production method, including the long leavening and double-baking process that gives frisa its distinctive texture. After cooking, continue the experience around the table with dedicated service and enjoy the dishes prepared during the class in more generous portions, together with fresh seasonal fruit, water and a glass of Masseria Stali wine. It is a complete experience that takes you from ingredients and preparation to the pleasure of sharing the finished dishes in the relaxed atmosphere of the Salento countryside. Rooted in certified organic farming, sustainability, and true farm-to-table values.

Cook panzerotti in Altamura's home! Learn classic tomato-mozzarella plus a creative twist, get hands-on guidance, then enjoy your creations—an authentic taste of Puglia

The cooking classes are organized by Linda Di Somma, a private chef of Apulian origin with international experience. The lessons, held in multiple languages, are designed to unite people from all over the world, in the name of sharing and love for good food. Only fresh and high quality ingredients, carefully selected, to prepare together authentic dishes of the local tradition.What makes this experience truly special is the genuine contact with Apulian gastronomic culture, lived in an intimate and cared for atmosphere. It’s not just a cooking class, but a sensory and human journey: you make dough with your hands, prepare Orecchiette and Cavatelli following the gestures of your grandmothers and at the end, you sit down at the table with the other guests — just like in a real Southern Italian family. All accompanied by local wine, traditional desserts and a musical selection from the 60s–70s that makes the experience even more convivial, authentic and unforgettable.

Learn the art of cocktail making in one of Lecce's most stunning settings — the exotic tropical garden of Querencia Exotic Bar. Led by expert bartenders, this hands-on masterclass lets you choose your path: classic mixology or Caribbean Tiki style. You'll discover the history behind the world's most iconic drinks, learn professional techniques used since the golden age of cocktail culture, and — most importantly — shake, stir, and build your very own cocktail from scratch. Small groups only (3 to 15 guests) for a truly personal and interactive experience.

Learn how to cook panzerotti, puccitedde and a typical dessert together with us, drinking good wine and listening music! You will be welcomed by me and my parents in our house in the countryside a few kilometers from Ostuni. We will experiment two very old recipes of our region and and then we will taste the result of our work having lunch or dinner together! This experience is perfect for both adults and children and and in especially if you want to cook somenthing local and not a typical stereotypical italian dish. Panzerotti and puccitedde are typical traditional fried foods seasoned in a variety of ways whose recipe has been handed down from generation to generation and characterize the culinary art of Puglia. Having originated as "poor dishes", they do not require a vast amount of ingredients, but above all the right process, so what better time to find out how best to prepare them! We look forward to meet you soon!!!

In this experience, perfect for both adults and children, you will be welcomed by me and my family in the country house in Ostuni, Puglia, and through the guide you will learn to cook not only appetizers and handmade pasta but also the tricks that make the difference in culinary tradition! Following the cooking class, during the tasting I will perform a short classical guitar concert lasting about 45 - 50 minutes with repertoire ranging from Brazilian to European composers. If possible, based on the season, we will collect and use the vegetables and fruit from the garden. At the end of the experience, you will receive the recipes for the dishes so you can recreate them at home whenever you want!

Step into Vittoria’s cozy private villa in the Salento countryside for a hands-on orecchiette cooking class near Otranto that feels like an evening at a local home. In a small group, learn how to prepare fresh pasta dough and shape traditional handmade orecchiette with guidance available in English, German, and Italian. While the pasta rests, relax in the garden with local wine and meet fellow travelers in a warm, possibly multilingual setting. Dinner highlights seasonal products from small local producers and, whenever possible, ingredients from Vittoria’s own garden. Even the table has a personal touch, with unique vintage plates collected from local markets. Finally, enjoy the orecchiette you made, cooked with classic tomato sauce, together with local food, wine, seasonal dessert, homemade liqueur, and coffee. A relaxed home-style cooking experience for food lovers, couples, and friends looking for authentic Puglia near Otranto.

Cook like a local in an 1850 farmhouse in Cisternino! Learn nonna’s secrets and make fresh orecchiette, bread meatballs and a classic Italian dessert in the heart of olive country

This authentic pizza-making class stands out for its truly hands-on approach and professional guidance from an experienced local pizzaiolo. Unlike standard classes, you will learn not only how to prepare pizza, but also the key techniques behind dough fermentation, flour selection, and traditional Italian methods. You will create your own dough from scratch using professional tools, while discovering the secrets that make Italian pizza unique. Since proper dough requires time to rise, you will also enjoy a freshly baked pizza prepared by the chef using matured dough, allowing you to taste the true final result. The experience takes place in a relaxed and welcoming setting, includes a drink, and ends with a certificate of participation. Perfect for food lovers looking for an authentic, immersive, and high-quality culinary experience in Lecce.

Once the theoretical part is over, you will have the opportunity to “put your hands in dough” and you will be invited to try your hand at making your own bread directly. Followed by the Expert baker, you can shape and shape the bread, which will then be baked in the wood-fired oven by you in person, just as it has happened every day for generations.

What you will do will be an authentic sensory and cultural experience. Making fresh pasta by hand is a tradition deeply rooted in Salento culture and this course offers you a practical immersion in local life and customs, going beyond traditional tourist experiences. Learning will be practical and fun and the course will allow you to gain a skill that you can take home and replicate with friends and family. The course is aimed at small groups and therefore encourages direct interaction with hosts. While making the pasta with their own hands, guests will have the opportunity to ask questions, hear stories and receive personalized attention; for this, a human bond will be created that enriches the experience. The course is perfect for those traveling as a couple, family or small groups, allowing an intimate and fun sharing of the culinary experience.