Pesto Sauce Cooking Class in Sanremo: Traditional Ligurian Recipe

Pesto is made by hand, not a blender, and the marble mortar matters.

A cooking class in Sanremo where you learn to prepare authentic Genoese pesto sauce from a local culinary expert using traditional tools (marble mortar and wooden pestle) with local basil. The class runs two hours, includes a pasta and pesto tasting plus PDO Riviera Ligure olive oil and Taggiasca olives tasting, and ends with a Med Food Lab certificate and recipes to take home. Small groups of 4–6 people, led in English, Italian or French.

The experience

You meet your local chef in the morning at the Sanremo Casino and spend two hours learning the Ligurian way to make pesto. The class starts with choosing the right ingredients (the basil matters, and so does the oil), then moves straight into the technique. Your chef teaches you how to work the marble mortar and wooden pestle, the traditional method that UNESCO recognizes as intangible cultural heritage. This is not a shortcut class. It is the real process, the one that takes skill and patience.

After you finish making your pesto, you taste it with fresh pasta, then move on to a tasting of PDO Riviera Ligure extra virgin olive oil and Taggiasca olives. You leave with a Med Food Lab certificate and printed recipes so you can make it again at home. Groups stay small, 4 to 6 people maximum, so the chef can watch your technique and adjust as you work. If someone in your group wants to come along but not cook, they can join you for dinner at an extra cost.

What’s included

• Local culinary expert leading the class.
• all cooking activities and ingredients.
• pasta and pesto tasting.
• PDO Riviera Ligure extra virgin olive oil and Taggiasca olives tasting.
• Med Food Lab certificate.
• printed recipes.

Before you book

Days and timesFridayDeparts at 17:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish, French 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

Operated by Sanremo Experience

Is this one for you?This class suits anyone who wants to learn the technique behind pesto, not just taste it: the marble mortar and wooden pestle are not optional shortcuts, they are the method. Groups stay under six so the chef can watch your work and correct your hand position as you go.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (4 to 12 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

Can I bring someone who doesn't want to cook?

Yes. Friends or family members who are not cooking can join the group for dinner. Pricing is available on request from the operator.

What exactly do I make and taste?

You prepare authentic Genoese pesto sauce using marble mortar and wooden pestle with local basil. After cooking, you taste your pesto with pasta, then sample PDO Riviera Ligure extra virgin olive oil and Taggiasca olives.

What do I get to take home?

You receive a Med Food Lab certificate and printed recipes so you can recreate the pesto at home.

How many people are in the class?

Small groups of 4 to 6 people maximum, depending on the activity, so the chef can give hands-on instruction to each person.