Cooking Class in Rome: Chef in a Day
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Rome, Italy
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
One of the joys of visiting Rome is dining out on spaghetti, ravioli, linguini and more. But many travelers struggle to get their pasta fix once they’ve returned home. On this half-day, small-group cooking class, learn how to create traditional homemade pasta yourself. First, shop for ingredients at bustling Campo de’ Fiori market. Then, head to a private apartment to prepare a multi-course lunch under the guidance of a professional chef.
- Master the art of homemade pasta alongside a chef
- This small-group class guarantees personal instruction and an intimate atmosphere
- Menus change seasonally and include a wine
- Pasta recipes are emailed after the course, so you can recreate your favorite dishes
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Most cooking classes focus on one dish, but this comprehensive option teaches you how to cook a delicious, multi-course meal.
What's Included
- Campo de' Fiori market tour
- Professional chef
- Lunch
- Wine included
- Recipes will be emailed
- Gratuities
- Transport
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Piazza Farnese, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
In fronte of the french embassy At 9:30 am
End point
- Trastevere, Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy
Operating hours.9:30 am
What To Expect
Meet your guide, a professional chef, at Piazza Farnese in central Rome and discuss the day’s menu before setting off to the Campo de' Fiori market to shop for fresh ingredients.
Enjoy a glimpse of typical Italian life as you explore the bustling marketplace and browse the colorful stalls. Listen as your guide explains the seasonal produce, herbs, and spices on sale and help select the meat, vegetables, and cheeses that you use in your cooking class.
Next, head to your cooking space for the day, an open-plan apartment in the heart of Rome’s Trastevere district and set to work. Your cooking class is 100% hands-on and you learn to make fresh pasta from scratch, plus chopping the vegetables, blending the sauces and presenting the dishes.
Create three equally delicious pastas—a stuffed pasta, a long pasta, and a short-medium pasta—accompanied by 3 different sauces. Along the way, master traditional techniques and pick up expert tips to help you recreate your favorite dishes back home.
Finally, sit down in the dining area to enjoy your home-cooked feast, accompanied by a selection of Italian wines. Your tour ends after lunch, and you are given the recipes to take home with you.
Enjoy a glimpse of typical Italian life as you explore the bustling marketplace and browse the colorful stalls. Listen as your guide explains the seasonal produce, herbs, and spices on sale and help select the meat, vegetables, and cheeses that you use in your cooking class.
Next, head to your cooking space for the day, an open-plan apartment in the heart of Rome’s Trastevere district and set to work. Your cooking class is 100% hands-on and you learn to make fresh pasta from scratch, plus chopping the vegetables, blending the sauces and presenting the dishes.
Create three equally delicious pastas—a stuffed pasta, a long pasta, and a short-medium pasta—accompanied by 3 different sauces. Along the way, master traditional techniques and pick up expert tips to help you recreate your favorite dishes back home.
Finally, sit down in the dining area to enjoy your home-cooked feast, accompanied by a selection of Italian wines. Your tour ends after lunch, and you are given the recipes to take home with you.
1
Trastevere
2
Campo De' Fiori
3
Piazza Farnese
4
Chef in a Day
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Please make a note of any dietary requirements in the Special Requirements box when you book
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- We need a total of 6 participants to start a class. If we don’t reach the goal we’ll suggest an other date or the class could be canceled
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 11 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
barbara_r
Our experience with Federico was fantastic. He was a wonderful chef/teacher. He was funny and personable. Our dishes were all delish. We would highly recommend this Cooking Class in Rome or Umbria!!
Reviews
4.9
based on 437 reviews
Anna_S, Apr 2026
I took a lot of cooking classes in a past, but this one by far is the best one. The chef was very knowledgeable, energetic and thought us a lot about cooking traditional Italian feed
barbara_r, Apr 2026
Our experience with Federico was fantastic. He was a wonderful chef/teacher. He was funny and personable. Our dishes were all delish. We would highly recommend this Cooking Class in Rome or Umbria!!
Teresa_S, Feb 2026
As a professionally trained chef, Chef Alessandri's passion for Italian cuisine is fun and exciting. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves - highly recommend the experience
HermanJan_W, Oct 2025
This was a great experience with Avery experienced chef and teacher, Paola, which exceeded expectations. We look forward to receiving the recipes.
Adam_S, Oct 2025
This was a very personalized experience with a professional chef with lots of hands on instruction making several different dishes. I have taken many cooking classes in different countries, and this was by far my favorite class.
Cory_H, Oct 2025
5 stars is not enough for this amazing experience! We loved everything about this adventure! Paola took us to the market and butcher shop to start. When we arrived at the kitchen we got to work cooking and learning. She explained every ingredient and why they were important to our recipes. Then we went full hands on with her as our guide. She demonstrated every step clearly and helped us along the way. We made one pasta with egg and flour, one with just semolina and water and potato gnocchi as well as 3 different sauces. It was delicious and so rewarding to enjoy our hard work. I can hardly wait to get home and get cooking
Brian_B, Sep 2025
Chef Paula is not only an amazing chef and teacher, but very patient and overall just a great person. Her and Ricardo made our event memorable.
Jennifer_C, Jul 2025
We highly recommend this class. Our family of 5 (ages 18-60) wanted to learn a little about making Italian food. Paula taught us so much. We learned more than following recipes. We learned cooking techniques, ways to adjust recipes for seasonal ingredients, and reasons for why things are done when making pasta and sauces. It was a fun day and we enjoyed 3 pasta dishes plus a yummy seasonal dessert. We are definitely going to use all we have learned when we get home. The trip to the market was also a great experience. We would do this again if we were staying longer.
Deborah_C, Jul 2025
I booked due to reviews about charasmatic chef, depth of teaching cooking and variety...and we were not disappointed. Federico was a very talented, knowledgeable and witty cooking instructor who shared his passion for good cooking techniques unreservedly. He tries to be a mean chef but he was absolutely the opposite. Great tips above what you would expect and personable. Would love to take my foodie husband to his cooking course also in Umbria.
Melissa_M, May 2025
If you want to learn REAL cooking skills that you can take home with you, take this class!! Best eva
Response from Host, May 2025
Thanks Melissa!
Brandon_C, May 2025
This was an absolute highlight of our trip! I went to this class with my wife and Mother in Law and we all agreed it was wonderful. We're all pretty savvy home cooks and even with our background we learned a ton in this class. The instructor is super knowledgable, incredibly engaging, patient, and hilarious. It was basically lunch, a comedy show, and a cooking class, along with the insightful market shopping aspect of this experience. Would 10/10 recommend.
Karl_R, May 2025
Excellent cooking class with Chef Federico Alessandri!
You started at the market picking out the fresh ingredients and then walked across the Tiber to the classroom, where you were involved in making sauces, pastas, and even artichokes.
Chef Alessandri, shared lots of insights and tips.
This was a highlight of my trip to Rome!
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you Karl!
Justin_C, Apr 2025
Highly recommend this cooking class with Federico. The food was excellent and Federico's passion for Italian cooking definitely shined through. It was fun to start the day at the famous market and then proceed to his kitchen which was tucked away, just a few steps away. So much fun cooking a 3-4 course meal and enjoy nice wine with some (new) friends. By the end, we were stuffed! Highly recommend.
Nadine_S, Mar 2025
Best way to spend a day in Rome! We loved every minute of the class and the food was amazing. We learned all kinds of techniques and several recipes and will definitely use them at home! Highly recommend!
John_M, Mar 2025
By far, this class was the most fun I’ve had on any trip. Chef Alessandri is a charismatic guy with a true gift for teaching. My group had a range of levels of experience with cooking and we all had a successful and engaging class. I have moderate kitchen experience, even some in a professional kitchen, and still felt the class was enriching and super helpful. The studio is very professionally equipped and the Chef had an assistant to help the class move efficiently so we didn’t wait for vegetables to be washed or plates to be cleared. Every moment of the class was engaging, be it through learning, tasting, or enjoying the Chef’s whip-smart humor. I’d recommend this class to everybody who wants to learn something they can replicate at home and have a wonderful time doing it. You’ll be glad you picked this class in the end, as the professionalism and experience Chef Alessandri has from his years as chef and culinary teacher are unmatched.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for your lovely words
Anthony_T, Mar 2025
If you’re in Rome and don’t take this cooking class, you’re truly missing out! Chef Federico Alessandri (if you have him) is not only a fantastic instructor but also a hoot, the experience was both educational and entertaining. He taught techniques I wouldn’t of learned anywhere else - not even YouTube University.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks! Looking forward to seeing you at Casale Alessandri, in Umbria, next time
Kathy_R, Feb 2025
Was very impressed with the learning aspect of the class and took away a few techniques by listening and taking notes. As a group we participated in the days food prep. We visited the local market which allowed you to see various vegetables not commonly seen. Timely she executed and delivered true authentic Italian dishes.
Without hesitation Paola (added by request from me) the local in season fresh puntarelle and tossed it with anchovy, garlic & olive oil which was a treat. Grazie Mille ! This group was very pleased with the overall quality of the meals. Paola loves to teach and she exemplifies a Master of her skills in not only sharing her knowledge but also delivering various dishes of this region. Also red & white wine was added along the way with plenty of time to relax and enjoy each dish. The only thing I would add to this class would be an expresso at the end as most seemed to need an energy boost after eating. Would recommended this cooking class A+
karen_w, Feb 2025
Out of our weeklong trip to Rome, this was our favorite experience!! We were a group of 4 and our chef Federico was charming, funny, very knowledgeable and helped us to understand some of the many intricacies of Italian cooking. We first shopped for our ingredients at a market with our chef providing instructions on selection. We prepped our vegetables and then prepared three different types of pasta with sauces and a strawberry dessert with wine and fresh mint. Everything was absolutely delicious! We were so pleased to be hands on with preparing the pasta for our meal in order to become accustomed to the feel of raw dough. None of us had ever prepared pasta so this was a great start! Now we just need to practice at home! We are already planning to arrange for another class with Federico at some point. Thank you for your expertise Federico!!
Mitzi_C, Nov 2024
When they say chef in a day, they mean it. Paola was an amazing teacher. I highly recommend this experience. My husband and I both enjoy cooking as a hobby, and we feel that we have learned so much in this class. This is not the type of class where you just sit and watch, you actually do the cooking and the prepping and learn so many new techniques. From gnocchi, to stuffed artichokes, to homemade pasta, chicory salad, tomato sauce from scratch, and so much more. Paola is a gem.
egruse, Nov 2024
Shopping in the market to select ingredients for our meal and learning so many tips from Paolo was amazing. Not your basic add water to flour and make pasta class. You will learn so much that you can use back home. And- you will have an amazing meal!
Thomas_J, Oct 2024
One of the best things we did in Rome. Small group of 12. Intimate class about making pasta and a delicious fancy toast dish. Paula was a great chef instructor and walked everyone through all the steps with the reasons behind them. She even included some light history. It's 5 hours of mostly standing, but there are several breaks. At the end you sit down to a nice lunch sized meal (several did not even finish) with the pasta you just made. Vegetarian friendly (although some meat would have made it perfect!).
Christine_F, Oct 2024
Amazing! I’ve been experimenting with various cuisines for 2 decades and this class was an eye-opener! Instructor was amazing, esp with regard to guiding individuals on specifics of various pastas. The inclusion of a mother sauce plus a blue cheese sauce for gnocchi definitely sets this class far above others offered. 10 out of 10 - absolutely recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thanks!
Next time see you at Casale Alessandri
Noey_N, Sep 2024
So much fun! Chef Alessandri was funny, insightful, and entertaining. We learned so many great tips about cooking Italian cuisine the right way, from how to make the perfect tomato sauce to how to keep pesto fresh and bright. It was especially fun making the long noodles. All the food was DELICIOUS. We loved this activity and can’t wait to do more like it in the future.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Next time i hope to see you at Casale Alessandri in Umbria!
Lisa_M, Aug 2024
Way too many participants for one class. Chef was great but it was hard to hear and we were so packed in it was difficult to do the rolling ect.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
What da hell are you talking about? We hold a max of 11 people. Were you expecting a private class?? Then next time ask for a private one and be ready to pay a lot more. You are a topical example of a cheap and ignorant traveler.
AND BTW YOU DIDN’tT JOIN THE CLASS, it was cancelled….YOU DONKEY!!!
Fu@&&@ liars like you are the real problem. Get a life you depressed and repressed donut !!!
Yong_L, Aug 2024
The experience was most entertaining. We leant so much about the basics of pasta sauces. The chef made sure all 11 of us were involved and explained in detail the various techniques for making delicious pasta. The group of us got along famously. All in all the best cooking class! Bravo Federico!
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thanks for your lovely review. Looking forward to seeing you again at Casale Alessandri next time
David_W, Aug 2024
Chef was great and we had a great time- he started by saying there is no good meat here and then lost half the ingredients for the food. Seems like a scam to give you 1/4 what you paid for- but he owns a village and oil farm and restaurant - whatever we had a good time just seems like you could provide prime ingredients if you really gave a f- he said at the start that Italians are lazy on Sundays so there you go.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Hello Dave! You are a f-ing liar. Probably to much wine during the class….what a load of trash you are
Nanette_L, Aug 2024
Simply amazing experience from selecting the menu, to shopping for the ingredients to learning so much. Thank you for a ton of foundational skills and an amazing time.
Marc_M, Jul 2024
Teaching to our level
Shopping at the market - farm to table meal
Very hands on chef
Local wine to match the meal
Wonderful helpers
Not only were recipes interesting, chef explained not only what we should do but why we should do it
Very welcoming to children since we had a private family class
Joslyn_H, Jul 2024
Our cooking class was absolutely incredible. We met in the square and discussed what we were going to make at a public market. We bought fresh ingredients at a farmers stand before walking through town back to grab a few extra ingredients from the store and then to the kitchen. We made an antipasto, 3 pasta dishes with 3 different sauces. The recipes were simple and absolutely delicious. Our chef, Paula, was kind, funny, and provided consistent cooking tips throughout the class. She explained why we cook, cut and add ingredients for certain dishes. This was my favorite experience in Rome. If you are looking to learn how to make delicious pasta dishes at home, this cooking experience is for you. Our group of six absolutely loved it, even two teenagers. You learn, you cook, and leave with a full belly! Bravo!
Laurie_B, Jul 2024
We had a wonderful experience! Poula is a terrific teacher and amazing chef. The three pasta dishes were truly the best we’ve ever had (the sauces were yum!). The best part was being taught be a professional chef who created an environment that was fun and serious learning at the same time. Can’t wait to try the new skills at home!
From $146.24
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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