Market tour & cooking class in La Spezia: Learn 3 local recipes

You cook the pasta, not just eat it

A market tour and private cooking class in La Spezia where you shop with a local home cook, then prepare three authentic regional dishes in her kitchen and eat them with local wines. The class runs 4.5 hours and includes the market visit, all ingredients, kitchen equipment and a three-course meal with beverages.

The experience

Start at the vibrant local market with your host, a home cook who knows which vendors sell what and why. You'll move through the traditional food shops of La Spezia, learning what makes the ingredients here different and how locals choose them for everyday cooking. This is not a sightseeing walk. It's a working tour where you're gathering the things you'll cook with in a few hours.

Back at her home kitchen, you get your own workstation with full utensils and all the ingredients already measured out. Your host walks you through three authentic La Spezia recipes: pasta with pesto, trofie with nuts sauce, and pansotti are on the menu, along with a seasonal starter and dessert like tiramisù or mascarpone cream with local biscuits. She reveals the tricks that separate a home cook's version from a restaurant's, and you put your hands to work. The point is not perfection. It's understanding how the dish actually comes together.

When everything is ready, you sit down and eat what you made, accompanied by a selection of red and white local wines. Water and coffee are included. Your host is part of Cesarine, Italy's network of over 1,000 home cooks across 500+ cities who open their kitchens to travelers for these kinds of meals.

What’s included

• Private guided market tour with a local home cook.
• private cooking class where you prepare three authentic La Spezia recipes at your own workstation.
• all ingredients and kitchen equipment.
• three-course meal of everything you cook.
• local red and white wines.
• water and coffee.
• local taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 10:00

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

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “This experience will be held in one of our Cesarina homes and, for privacy reason, you will receive the full address of your Cesarina host after you have booked.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Public transport nearby

Operated by Cesarine: Cooking Class

Is this one for you?The 4.5-hour commitment means you can fit this into a free afternoon or morning in La Spezia, but it leaves little room for other activities that same day. Book this if you want to spend a substantial block of time cooking and eating rather than moving between multiple sites.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

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

What dishes will I actually cook during the class?

You'll prepare three recipes: pasta with pesto, trofie with nuts sauce, and pansotti, plus a seasonal starter and a dessert such as tiramisù or mascarpone cream with local biscuits. Your host teaches the techniques specific to La Spezia cooking as you work through each one.

Do I need cooking experience to join this class?

No prior experience is required. Your host guides you through each step and provides all the equipment and pre-measured ingredients at your workstation, so you focus on learning the technique rather than managing prep work.

What's included in the price besides the cooking class?

The market tour, all ingredients and kitchen equipment, the three-course meal you prepare, local wines, water, and coffee are all included. Local taxes are covered as well.

How long does the whole experience take?

The class runs 4.5 hours from start to finish, including the market visit, cooking instruction, and the meal itself.