Modena Cooking Class & Walking Tour: Learn Handmade Pasta

Make tortellini and tagliatelle al ragù, then eat what you cooked with Lambrusco wine

A three-hour cooking class in Modena combines a guided walk through the city's markets and food shops with hands-on instruction in a local home kitchen, where you prepare traditional Modenese dishes like handmade tortellini or tagliatelle al ragù using regional ingredients. The class includes a meal with regional wine and a live guide in English or Italian.

The experience

The morning or afternoon starts with a walk through Modena's historic streets, stopping at local markets and artisan food shops to see the ingredients that define the region: Parmigiano Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto. A guide points out what makes each one matter to Modenese cooking and shows you how to pick them. This part of the class teaches you the foundation before you step into the kitchen.

Then you move to a local home kitchen where the hands-on work begins. You'll make a classic Modenese dish (handmade tortellini, tagliatelle al ragù, or gnocco fritto) using the high-quality ingredients you just saw in the market. The instruction is live, in English or Italian, and the pace lets you learn the technique rather than rush through it. Once the food is ready, you sit down in the home to eat what you made, with a glass of Lambrusco or Pignoletto wine.

What’s included

• Visit to local markets and artisan food shops in Modena.
• guided walk through the city's historic streets.
• hands-on cooking instruction in a local home kitchen where you prepare a traditional Modenese dish.
• the meal you cook with a glass of regional wine.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to10h before

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

GroupUp to 12

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?Three hours leaves room for another meal or a museum visit the same day, but not much else. Book this if you want to spend a solid morning or afternoon on cooking and eating, not if you're fitting it between other stops.

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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 dishes do I learn to make in the Modena cooking class?

You prepare a classic Modenese dish such as handmade tortellini, tagliatelle al ragù, or gnocco fritto, depending on the day's menu. All use locally sourced regional ingredients.

Is the guide in English?

The live guide teaches in English or Italian. You can choose your preferred language when you book.

Do I get to eat the food I cook?

Yes, once the meal is ready you eat it in the local home with a glass of regional wine, Lambrusco or Pignoletto.

What are Parmigiano Reggiano and balsamic vinegar?

Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard Italian cheese aged for months, and balsamic vinegar is a dark, syrupy vinegar from Modena aged in wooden barrels. Both are protected regional products central to Modenese cooking, and you'll see them in the markets during the walking part of the class.

How much time does the whole class take?

The class runs three hours total, including the guided market walk and the hands-on cooking in the home kitchen.