Parma: Family Pasta Cooking, Truffle & Wine in Calestano Home

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.85 (117 reviews) 93% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/22

Duration3h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Cook pasta with locals in a Parma hilltop home, share wine and stories

You’ll join Virginia and her family in their Calestano home near Parma for hands-on pasta making with fresh ingredients from their garden. Share stories over local wine on their panoramic terrace, taste cured meats and Parmigiano Reggiano, and finish with homemade tiramisù. Cats may appear underfoot — but you’ll leave feeling more like a guest than a tourist.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hands-on pasta and Italian meal

Arrive at family home in Calestano
Meet hosts Virginia and Mamma Nadia
Greet cats Cesare and Cindy
Pick seasonal organic ingredients
Make ricotta ravioli and tagliatelle
Optional black truffle add-on
Enjoy tasting of Parma meats and cheese
Eat freshly made pasta with homemade sauce
Have family tiramisù dessert
Drink local wine on panoramic terrace

The Experience

I’ll be honest — I almost missed the turn to Calestano. Google Maps got confused by these twisty Parma hills, and for a second I thought I was lost. But then Virginia waved from her gate, apron already on, and I knew I was in the right place. Their family kitchen smelled like simmering tomatoes and something earthy — maybe the truffle? Mamma Nadia was rolling dough at the table, flour everywhere (including on Cesare the cat), laughing at my pronunciation of “tagliatelle.” It felt more like visiting cousins than joining a class.

We started making ricotta ravioli first — Virginia showed me how to press the edges just so, not too tight or they burst. The eggs were still warm from their hens that morning. There was this moment when she handed me basil from their garden; it smelled sharp and green, nothing like supermarket stuff back home. The light outside kept shifting across their terrace as we worked. Cindy (the other cat) kept trying to steal cheese when no one looked.

Lunch happened out on their panoramic terrace — you could see fields rolling away forever, little stone houses tucked into the hills. We had slices of cured meats and two kinds of Parmigiano Reggiano (I never knew there were vintages). My ravioli actually held together! The local wine tasted bright and a bit wild — Virginia poured more before I could finish my glass. If you want black truffle shaved over your pasta, they’ll do it right there; it’s from these very hills. And tiramisù at the end… well, I still think about that creamy spoonful sometimes.

It wasn’t rushed or formal — just stories, laughter, cats underfoot, and food that tasted like someone cared about every ingredient. Leaving felt weirdly hard for such a short visit. Maybe it’s something about sharing a table with strangers who don’t feel like strangers anymore.

What’s included

Your day includes hands-on fresh pasta making in Virginia’s family kitchen in Calestano near Parma, aperitif with local cured meats and two vintages of Parmigiano Reggiano paired with local wine, lunch or dinner featuring your handmade pasta topped with homemade sauce (and optional black truffle), plus homemade tiramisù for dessert.
Bottled water, coffee or tea are included too.
Private transfer from Parma is available upon request when booking—no car required.

Good to know

Pets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Pasta Special Cooking Class