Cooking class in Messina: Learn 3 Sicilian recipes at home

Cook three Sicilian dishes and eat what you've made

A private cooking class in Messina at a Cesarina's home where you learn to prepare three regional recipes, then sit down to taste them with local wine. The class runs three hours with a live guide who speaks English or Italian, and includes all ingredients, equipment and beverages. Each participant gets their own workstation.

The experience

You arrive at a Cesarina's home in Messina and step into a working kitchen where you'll spend the afternoon learning the real recipes locals actually cook. The Cesarina (one of Italy's network of 1000+ home cooks across the country) teaches you three authentic dishes from Messina cuisine: perhaps pasta with sardines or the baked pasta called "Pasta 'ncaciata," a fresh seasonal starter, and a Sicilian dessert like cannoli or cassata. You're not watching a demonstration. Each person gets their own workstation with full utensils and ingredients, so you're the one doing the work.

The class runs three hours, and the sequence matters: you cook first, then sit down to eat. Everything you've prepared comes to the table with a selection of local red and white wines, water and coffee included. The guide speaks English or Italian depending on the group, and the whole thing stays small and private. Just you and the Cesarina in her home kitchen, not a commercial cooking school.

Public transportation options are available nearby if you're traveling without a car. Bring an appetite and comfortable clothes you don't mind getting flour on. The rest is supplied.

What’s included

• Private cooking class in a Cesarina's home.
• all ingredients and utensils for three recipes.
• tasting of everything you've prepared.
• local red and white wines, water and coffee.
• live guide in English or Italian.
• local taxes.

Options for this experience

2 options

Express sunset wine tastingGuide in English or Italian · 17:30Small group 3-wine tasting lasting 2 hours: a sunset tasting at a Sicilian vineyard with views of the Aeolian Islands, featuring organic wines and local specialties

3-Recipe Cooking ClassGuide in English or Italian · 10:00, 15:00, 17:00 and 18:00Private hands-on cooking class lasting 3 hours, where you'll prepare three traditional recipes from scratch alongside your Cesarina

You pick the guide language when booking.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 10:00, the last at 18:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (9 and older) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish 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.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Public transport nearby

Operated by Cesarine: Cooking Class

Is this one for you?Book the 3 Recipes Cooking Class if you want to learn and cook. Choose the Express Sunset Wine Tasting if you prefer to taste Messina wines without the cooking lesson. The cooking class suits an afternoon when you have three hours free and want to take home the actual skill to make these dishes again.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 8 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What three dishes do I actually learn to cook in the class?

The Cesarina teaches seasonal recipes from Messina, typically including a fresh pasta dish (often pasta with sardines or "Pasta 'ncaciata," the baked pasta, or pasta with cauliflower in the Messina style), a seasonal starter, and a Sicilian dessert such as cannoli siciliani, cassata, N'zuddi biscuits or tiramisu. The exact recipes depend on what's in season and the Cesarina's choice.

Do I need cooking experience to join this class?

No. The class is designed for anyone curious about Messina cooking, whether you've never cooked before or you cook regularly at home. The Cesarina teaches the techniques step by step at your own workstation.

What happens after we finish cooking?

You sit down to taste everything you've prepared, served with a selection of local red and white wines, water and coffee. It's a meal, not just a tasting. You eat what you made together in the Cesarina's home.

Is the guide available in English?

Yes, the guide speaks both English and Italian. The language depends on the group's needs.

How long does the whole class take?

The class runs three hours from start to finish, including the cooking and the meal.

What's included in the price?

The class includes all ingredients and equipment, beverages (water, wines and coffee), and local taxes. You leave with the knowledge of three recipes and a full stomach.