Lecce Cooking Class: Handmade Pasta & Salento Wine

Make Pasta the Way Lecce Has for Centuries, Then Eat It

You arrive at 6:15pm, make two types of fresh pasta by hand with a local host, taste an aperitif of Salento specialties and local wines while sauces cook, then sit down to dinner with the pasta you shaped. The class lasts three and a half hours, includes hotel pickup, and works for couples, families and small groups. Book if you want to leave with a skill and a memory that doesn't fade.

Step-by-step itinerary

Authentic pasta making and tasting

• Arrive at villa near Lecce at 18:15
• Enjoy typical Lecce welcome drink
• Make dough for orecchiette pasta
• Have aperitif with local products and wines
• Start cooking sauces for pasta
• Make macaroni wire pasta with Caturu tool
• Taste handmade pasta dishes
• Enjoy dessert with Limoncello

The experience

"You have to feel the dough under your fingers. That's when you know if it's right," our host said as she guided my hands through the first fold. The cooking class in Lecce starts at 6:15pm at a villa just outside the city, and the first thing you do is arrive to a drink made the way locals make it. Then you're at a table with flour in front of you, learning to shape orecchiette. Those small, ear-shaped pasta pieces that take practice to get even close to round. Your host doesn't just show you once. She watches, corrects, tells you why the thickness matters, why the angle of your thumb changes everything.

The class runs about three and a half hours, and it's split into two parts because there are two pastas to learn. After you finish the first batch of orecchiette, there's an aperitif (sautéed peppers, grilled eggplant, fresh cheese, olives, bread), and wines from the Leverano countryside nearby. You taste while the sauces start cooking in the background, and someone explains what you're drinking and why. Then it's back to the table for the second pasta, macaroni wire, which you shape with a tool called a Caturu that you get to take home. Small groups mean you're not standing in a line. You're at one table, asking questions, hearing stories about how this has been done in Salento for generations.

When the pasta is done, you sit down and eat what you made. Your orecchiette comes with fresh tomato sauce, basil and ricotta. The macaroni is dressed with chickpeas, vegetables and pepper. There's panna cotta for dessert and limoncello to finish. The whole thing (the learning, the aperitif, the dinner, the wine) is included, and a driver picks you up from your hotel and brings you back. Children under 18 get soft drinks instead of wine, and the experience doesn't change for them. They still make the pasta, still eat it, still get the Caturu to take home.

What’s included

Your evening includes private hotel pickup and return, a welcome drink made the local way, hands-on instruction in shaping two types of fresh pasta (orecchiette and macaroni wire), an aperitif with Salento specialties and a selection of local wines from the Leverano countryside, dinner featuring the pasta you made with two different sauces and panna cotta for dessert, the Caturu pasta-shaping tool as a gift, bottled water throughout, and soft drinks for children under 18 and non-drinkers. The class runs three and a half hours starting at 6:15pm.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except SaturdayDepartures at 06:00 and 18:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupUp to 10

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.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Lisa

Is this one for you?This works well if you want to learn a real skill in a small group without the rush of a large tour, and if you travel as a couple, family or friends who want to share something hands-on together. The intimate setting is what makes the personalized teaching and the conversation possible.

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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 (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 6): free.

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 time does the cooking class start?

The class begins at 6:15pm at a villa on the outskirts of Lecce and lasts approximately three and a half hours.

Do I need cooking experience?

No. The class is designed for beginners and includes hands-on instruction from a local host who guides you through each step.

What types of pasta do I learn to make?

You learn to shape orecchiette and macaroni wire (maccheroncini). You make both types during the class and eat them for dinner.

Is wine included?

Yes. A selection of local wines from the Leverano countryside is included with the aperitif and dinner. Children under 18 receive soft drinks instead.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Private hotel pickup and return are included in the price.

What food is served?

An aperitif of Salento dishes (peppers, eggplant, cheese, olives, bread) is served mid-class. Dinner includes your handmade pasta with two different sauces, followed by panna cotta for dessert.

Can I take the pasta-making tool home?

Yes. The Caturu (the tool used to shape macaroni wire) is given to you as a gift to take home.

How many people are in the class?

Classes are kept small to allow direct interaction with the host and personalized attention for each participant.

What if I don't drink alcohol?

Soft drinks and bottled water are provided. You participate fully in the class and dinner. Only the wine selection is replaced with non-alcoholic options.