Florence: Handmade Pasta Cooking Class & Street Food Tour

Summary

Make fresh pasta in florence city centre then taste real street food with a chef’s tips

You’ll knead fresh pasta dough by hand in a real Florentine kitchen, learn secrets from a local chef, then share your creations over Tuscan wine at lunch or dinner. Later, wander old streets on a guided food tour with special tastings (and skip-the-line treats). By day’s end you’ll have new recipes—and maybe new friends—to bring home.

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to laugh so much rolling out pasta dough in the middle of Florence. The flour got everywhere — on my shirt, in my hair (I swear I saw our chef, Alessia, smirk as she handed me another apron). She showed us how to work the dough by hand first, then let us try the machine. It was louder than I thought — that clack-clack sound as the sheets got thinner. My arms actually ached a bit but it felt good, like I’d earned something. The kitchen smelled like eggs and warm wheat, and there was this quiet hum from the street outside that made me realize we were right in the heart of the city.

We made three kinds of pasta — fettuccine alla Norma was my favorite (eggplant is way better here than at home). Alessia kept switching between English and Italian, sometimes both at once. She teased us about our ravioli shapes (“not bad for beginners!”), and when I tried to pronounce “mezzelune,” she just laughed and said I’d invented a new dialect. There was this moment when we all sat down together for lunch — strangers an hour ago, now passing baskets of bread and pouring each other wine. The Chianti tasted sharper than I expected but went perfectly with the tomato sauce.

The afternoon street food tour was honestly more filling than I’d planned for. Our guide Marco led us through these tiny backstreets where you could smell fried dough before you even saw the stalls. He waved hello to half the vendors — apparently everyone knows him — and explained why certain snacks only show up in winter (I still think about those fried artichokes). We skipped the line at Antico Vinaio’s shop; Marco just winked at someone inside and suddenly we were tasting schiacciata sandwiches stuffed with salty prosciutto.

I left with flour under my nails, two new friends from Belgium, and printed recipes folded into my backpack. There’s something about making food from scratch in Florence that sticks with you — maybe it’s just the messiness of it all or maybe it’s how easy it was to feel welcome here. Either way, every time I see eggs and flour now I remember that kitchen light slanting across our table, everyone laughing over panna cotta that didn’t quite set right.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Hands-on pasta cooking and tasting

• Learn pasta making with rolling pin
• Try pasta making with machine
• Prepare three pasta styles with sauces
• Make a typical Italian dessert
• Dine on dishes prepared
• Toast with Tuscan wine

Top questions

Is pickup included for this Florence cooking class?

No, hotel pickup is not included; you meet at a central location in Florence city centre.

Are vegetarian options available during the pasta class?

Yes, vegetarian options are available if you inform them in advance.

Can kids join the handmade pasta cooking course?

No, children under 10 years old are not admitted to this class.

Is lunch or dinner included after the cooking class?

Yes, you eat what you cook during lunch or dinner depending on your booking option.

What dishes do we make in the Florence pasta class?

You’ll prepare three types of pasta with sauces plus panna cotta for dessert.

Is there a street food tour included?

If you book the combo option, yes—a guided street food tour is included after the cooking class.

Will we get recipes to take home?

Yes, printed recipes are provided so you can recreate dishes at home.

How many people are in each group with a chef?

The class may be divided into smaller groups; each chef looks after up to 15 participants.

What’s included

Your day includes a hands-on small-group cooking class led by a professional chef right in Florence city centre—using seasonal ingredients—plus all necessary materials for making three types of pasta and dessert. You’ll sit down together for lunch or dinner (with Tuscan wine), get printed recipes to keep, and if you choose the combo option: enjoy a guided street-food tour with five tasting stops—including skip-the-line access at Antico Vinaio—and two Chianti wine samples before heading out into Florence again.