Bologna Cooking Class: Make Pasta in Margherita's Home

Make four kinds of pasta by hand in a local kitchen, then sit down to eat it.

A private hands-on cooking class in Bologna where you learn to make fresh pasta from scratch using family recipes in Margherita's home kitchen. You'll prepare the dough, shape it, cook it and make the sauce, then share the meal you've cooked together with wine, dessert and traditional music. An optional market tour of Quadrilatero lets you buy ingredients at the ancient market before heading to the kitchen.

The experience

Margherita learned to cook from her mother and grandmother, and she teaches from her home in the heart of Bologna. The class is hands-on: you make the pasta yourself, working through the steps of mixing dough, shaping it, cooking it and preparing the sauce. You'll choose one pasta style (tortellini burro e salvia, strichetti al sugo di tonno, pasta e fagioli, or spaghetti alla Bolognese), and Margherita walks you through her family method for each one.

If you add the market option, you start at Piazza Giuseppe Verdi and walk to Quadrilatero, the ancient market where vendors sell fresh fish, local fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, regional wines and Italian breads. You'll grab a coffee there, then carry what you've bought back to Margherita's apartment to cook with. Without the market tour, you go straight to the kitchen and work with ingredients she has on hand.

The meal you cook becomes lunch or dinner depending on which option you book. It starts with antipasto (frittata di cipolle, spuma di mortadella or bruschetta) followed by your pasta, then pollo alla cacciatora, and finishes with tiramisu. Wine and dessert are included. Margherita can prepare lactose-free, gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan versions if you let her know when you book. The class runs about three hours total.

What’s included

• Hands-on pasta-making instruction.
• the meal you prepare (antipasto, pasta, pollo alla cacciatora, tiramisu).
• local wine and dessert.
• traditional music during the meal.
• if you choose the market option, a guided tour of Quadrilatero ancient market.

Options for this experience

4 options

Cooking+lunch with MargheritaUp to 8 per booking · Guide in English · 10:00

Cooking+dinner with MargheritaUp to 8 per booking · Guide in English · Available from 14 Jan 2027

Market+cooking+lunch with MargheritaUp to 10 per booking · Guide in English · 10:00

Market+cooking+dinner with MargheritaUp to 10 per booking · Guide in English · Available from 14 Jan 2027

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to FridayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Traveling Spoon

Is this one for you?Choose the market tour option if you want to shop the stalls yourself and pick ingredients before cooking. Book the cooking-only class if you'd rather go straight to the kitchen and focus on the pasta-making without the market walk.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What pasta shapes can I learn to make?

You choose one style to focus on: tortellini burro e salvia, strichetti al sugo di tonno, pasta e fagioli, or spaghetti alla Bolognese. Margherita teaches you the hand techniques for whichever one you pick.

Does the market tour mean I buy my own ingredients?

Yes. If you choose the market option, you walk through Quadrilatero with Margherita, pick out what you want from the stalls, and bring it back to her kitchen to cook with. Without the market tour, you cook with ingredients she already has.

What is Quadrilatero like?

Quadrilatero is Bologna's ancient market, filled with stalls selling fresh fish, local produce, meats, cheeses, regional wines and Italian breads. It's also known for its historic architecture, and you'll have time for a coffee there before heading back to cook.

Can Margherita accommodate dietary restrictions?

Yes. She can prepare lactose-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan versions of the meal if you tell her about your needs when you book.

Is the apartment accessible?

Margherita's apartment is on the first floor but has no elevator, so you'll need to walk up 39 steps to reach the kitchen.