Bolognese Cooking Class in Bologna: Make Pasta & Dessert

Roll pasta by hand, fill it, taste it the same afternoon.

A traditional Bolognese cooking class held at an organic farm 15 km outside Bologna, where you prepare handmade pasta and a seasonal dessert with a qualified chef, then sit down to eat the dishes you made. The class runs from 2:30 pm to around 7:30 pm with pickup and return transport from the city center included; children are welcome from age 10.

The Experience

The class starts with a pickup at via Santo Stefano in central Bologna at 2:30 pm, then a drive into the hills to the farm where you'll spend the afternoon cooking. You'll work alongside the chef to make the pasta dishes that define Bolognese cuisine—tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini filled with meat, tortelloni with ricotta and greens—rolling and shaping each one by hand. The sauces are prepared ahead so you can focus on the pasta itself, learning the technique rather than watching a demonstration.

A seasonal dessert rounds out the lesson, something like pinza bolognese (a jam-filled cake with cinnamon and raisins) or torta della nonna (custard tart with pine nuts), which you'll take home. Once the cooking is finished, you sit down together in the garden or inside the house to eat everything you've made, paired with wine, beer, soft drinks and coffee or tea. The farm keeps dogs and cats, so you'll meet them while you work.

Transport back to the city center happens around 7:30 pm. The class is capped small enough that you'll meet other travelers from around the world without the day feeling crowded, and the chef adjusts what you prepare based on the season and what the group wants to learn.

What’s included

• Pickup and return transport from central Bologna.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• instruction from a qualified chef in English or Italian.
• all ingredients and equipment.
• wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee and tea.
• the full meal of dishes you cooked.
• the homemade dessert to take with you.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Azienda Agricola Ca' Bianca-Bio

Is this one for you?The guide teaches in English or Italian, so you'll follow comfortably in whichever language you speak; this works well for anyone who wants to learn the technique hands-on rather than watch a chef demonstrate it.

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Top questions

What pasta dishes will I actually make during the Bolognese cooking class?

You'll make tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini filled with meat, and tortelloni with ricotta and herbs or vegetables—all rolled and shaped by hand. The chef prepares the traditional sauces separately so you can concentrate on the pasta technique itself.

Does the cooking class in Bologna include a meal at the end?

Yes. After you finish cooking, you sit down together to eat all the pasta dishes and dessert you've prepared, with wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee and tea included.

How do I get to the farm from Bologna city center?

The class includes pickup at via Santo Stefano 14 in the city center at 2:30 pm and transport to the farm 15 km away in the hills. The same driver takes you back to Bologna around 7:30 pm after the meal.

Can children join the Bolognese cooking class?

Children are welcome from age 10. The farm is accessible by wheelchair, and specialized infant seats are available if you're traveling with younger children.

How long does the cooking class last?

The full experience runs about five hours, from the 2:30 pm pickup in Bologna through the meal, ending around 7:30 pm when you return to the city center.

What if I want to take the dessert home?

The dessert you prepare during the class is yours to take home at the end of the day.