Civitavecchia Market Tour with Private Cooking Class

Make handmade pasta with a guitar-shaped tool, then eat what you've cooked at the guide's table.

A five-hour cooking class in Civitavecchia starts at the Ancient Market of Civitavecchia, where you shop for seasonal produce and local ingredients with your guide. Back in the kitchen, you'll make spaghetti alla chitarra by hand using a rolling pin and the traditional guitar-like utensil, prepare Amatriciana sauce with tomato, bacon and pecorino cheese, and finish with Tiramisu. You sit down to eat everything you've made, along with wine and coffee.

The experience

The morning begins at the Ancient Market of Civitavecchia, which has operated since the late 1800s. You'll walk the stalls with your guide to find seasonal vegetables, local fruits, and fresh meat and fish from the sea. The ingredients you'll use in the kitchen. This is not a tour of the market. You're shopping for what you'll actually cook, learning which products matter and why as you select them.

Once you're back, the cooking starts from scratch. You'll make spaghetti alla chitarra by building the dough into a fountain on a wooden surface, then cutting it with the guitar: a wooden frame strung with wires that gives the pasta its name and shape. The guide walks you through the Amatriciana sauce next: tomato, bacon and pecorino cheese, the way it's made in the region. Then comes Tiramisu, the classic dessert of ladyfingers soaked in coffee and layered with mascarpone. The guide explains each step in detail and gives you a printed version of the recipes so you can make them at home.

You'll have lunch at the guide's table with their family. A bottle of Tuscan red wine comes for every two people, along with unlimited water and espresso coffee. The class runs five hours and is offered in English, Spanish or Italian.

What’s included

• Lunch with the dishes you've prepared.
• one bottle of Tuscan red wine for every two people.
• unlimited water and espresso coffee.
• printed recipes to take home.
• instruction in pasta-making, sauce preparation and Tiramisu assembly.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SaturdayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 to 75 years) · Senior (76 to 90 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Under 12: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Italian

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.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by La Cucina di Graziella

Is this one for you?The class seats a small group and ends with everyone eating together at the guide's table, so it works best for travelers who want hands-on cooking instruction and don't mind learning alongside others in an intimate setting.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

8 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years). Children under 12 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Ancient Market of Civitavecchia like?

The Ancient Market of Civitavecchia has operated since the late 1800s and sells seasonal local fruits and vegetables, various food products, and fresh meat and fish from the sea in both open stalls and a covered structure.

What exactly do I make during the cooking class?

You make three dishes: spaghetti alla chitarra (handmade pasta cut with a traditional guitar-shaped tool), Amatriciana sauce with tomato, bacon and pecorino cheese, and Tiramisu with ladyfingers, coffee and mascarpone.

Do I need to know how to cook to join?

No prior cooking experience is needed. The guide explains each technique in detail and walks you through every step, starting with how to build and knead the pasta dough by hand.

What's included in the price?

Lunch, one bottle of Tuscan red wine for every two people, unlimited water and espresso coffee are all included. You eat the dishes you've prepared at the guide's table with their family.