Fresh Pasta & Sauces Cooking Class in Siena

Make three pastas from scratch, then sit down to eat them

A three-hour cooking class in central Siena where you prepare gnocchi, pici and tortelli with three seasonal sauces, plus tiramisu, then taste everything with local wine. The academy sits steps from Piazza del Campo in the medieval streets, and the chef guides you through traditional techniques using zero-kilometer ingredients from the territory. You share the kitchen with other travelers and leave with the dishes you made.

The experience

The class starts with prosecco and a chef's hat, then moves straight into the work. You get your own station and learn to shape three fresh pastas by hand (gnocchi, pici and tortelli) each one a different technique. The chefs reveal the tricks: how the dough should feel, why the thickness matters, what makes the filling hold. You prepare three seasonal sauces to go with them, tasting as you build, and finish by making tiramisu. Everything uses ingredients sourced within the region, many of them zero-kilometer from local producers.

The kitchen is set inside the medieval streets a few steps from Piazza del Campo, so the location itself frames what you're learning. You're not watching a demonstration. You're making the food with your hands while the chefs move between stations, correcting and explaining. After three hours of cooking, you sit down to eat what you've prepared, paired with wines selected from Tuscan producers. Water and house wine come with the meal, and if you're under 18, soft drinks replace the wine.

You'll share the experience with other travelers in the class. The academy can accommodate gluten-free diets and vegetarian preferences with advance notice, and the space is fully wheelchair accessible. Guides teach in English or Italian depending on the group.

What’s included

• Prosecco welcome.
• chef's hat and cooking equipment.
• instruction from experienced chefs.
• one cooking station per person.
• lunch or dinner featuring the three pastas, three sauces and tiramisu you've made.
• wine pairings with the meal.
• water and house wine.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 12:00 and 17:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 75 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

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 yesterday

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Fontegiusta Academy

Is this one for you?You'll be in a small group with other travelers sharing one kitchen, so this works best if you're comfortable learning alongside people you don't know and want the social side of a cooking class. The three-hour format fits a morning or afternoon in Siena without eating into a full day of sightseeing elsewhere.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

What exactly do I learn to make in the three hours?

You prepare three fresh pastas (gnocchi, pici and tortelli) each with its own shaping technique, then make three seasonal sauces to pair with them. The class ends with tiramisu. Everything you cook gets tasted at the end with wine pairings included.

Is this class just watching a chef cook, or do I actually make the food myself?

You make the food yourself at your own station. Each participant gets a workspace and the chefs guide you through the techniques, moving between stations to correct and explain as you work.

Where in Siena does the class take place?

The academy is located in the medieval streets a few steps from Piazza del Campo, the main square in Siena's historic center. The location is part of the experience itself.

Can I do this class if I have dietary restrictions?

The academy can accommodate gluten-free diets and vegetarian preferences with advance notice. If you're under 18, soft drinks replace the wine served with the meal.