Italian Cooking Class in Varenna: Make Three Courses

Cook a three-course Italian meal in a Varenna home kitchen, then sit down to eat it.

A three-hour private cooking class in Varenna where you prepare panzanella with trout pâté, handmade tagliolini with bottarga, and tiramisu from scratch, then enjoy the meal with local wines in an Italian home. The class includes all ingredients, step-by-step recipes to take home, and expert guidance in English or Italian. Choose between the full three-course class or a pasta and tiramisu option at checkout.

The experience

You'll work in a home kitchen in Varenna learning to make three dishes from the ground up. The menu starts with panzanella, a Tuscan bread salad paired with a delicate trout pâté; moves to handmade tagliolini dressed with bottarga, the brined fish roe that gives the pasta its savory depth; and finishes with tiramisu, built from mascarpone, espresso-soaked biscuits and cocoa. An expert guide walks you through each step, showing you the techniques that make these dishes work. All ingredients arrive ready, so you're focused on the cooking itself, not on prep or sourcing.

After you finish cooking, you sit down to eat what you've made. The meal comes with local wines chosen to pair with each course, and you eat in the same home kitchen where you cooked, in the kind of informal, welcoming atmosphere that defines how Italians actually eat at home. You'll leave with written recipes for each dish, so the skills and the flavors stay with you after the class ends.

The class runs three hours total. Public transportation stops are nearby if you're traveling without a car. At checkout, you can choose between the full three-course class or a shorter option focused on pasta and tiramisu.

What’s included

• A three-course meal paired with local wines.
• hands-on instruction from an expert guide.
• all ingredients and cooking materials provided.
• step-by-step recipes to take home and recreate the dishes yourself.

Options for this experience

2 options

Cooking class with 3 recipesGuide in English or Italian · Available from 4 Feb 2027Three-hour hands-on cooking class where you'll learn to make classic regional dishes, including Panzanella, handmade Tagliolini with Bottarga, and authentic Tiramisu

Pasta and Tiramisu class for 2Guide in English or Italian · 5 departure times: the first at 10:00, the last at 18:00Three-hour hands-on cooking class in which you'll make two typical fresh pasta recipes and traditional tiramisu 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

GroupUp to 10 · max 8 per booking

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 full three-course class if you want to learn the whole progression from appetizer through dessert. The pasta and tiramisu option works if you're short on time or want to focus on the dishes you're most excited to master.

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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 exactly do I learn to make in the Varenna cooking class?

You prepare three dishes: panzanella with trout pâté, a fresh Tuscan bread salad paired with fish pâté; handmade tagliolini with bottarga, fresh pasta dressed with brined fish roe; and tiramisu, made from mascarpone, espresso-soaked biscuits and cocoa. The class includes all ingredients and step-by-step guidance for each one.

Do I eat the food I cook, or is it just for demonstration?

You eat everything you make. After cooking, you sit down to the three-course meal you've prepared, paired with local wines, in the home kitchen where the class takes place.

What's the difference between the two class options?

The full three-course class covers panzanella with trout pâté, handmade tagliolini with bottarga, and tiramisu. The pasta and tiramisu option focuses on those two dishes, skipping the panzanella course. Both include the meal and local wine.

How long does the cooking class take?

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

Do I need cooking experience to join?

No. The class is designed for food lovers and home cooks of any skill level. The guide teaches each technique step by step, so beginners and experienced cooks both learn something new.