Rome: Pesto & Pasta Cooking Class Piazza Navona

Make fettuccine from scratch and pesto in the heart of Rome

You’ll knead dough with your own hands and crush basil into bright pesto right beside Piazza Navona. Taste bruschetta and sip wine or soda while your pasta cooks, then share stories around the table as you eat what you made together. Expect laughter, small messes, and flavors you’ll remember long after you leave Rome.

What’s included

Your experience includes all ingredients and guidance needed to make fresh fettuccine pasta and basil pesto in a cozy kitchen near Piazza Navona. You’ll enjoy bruschetta as an appetizer plus your handmade pasta served at your table with wine or beer for adults (or soda for kids), bottled water throughout, and an optional coffee or limoncello after your meal if you like.

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Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Pesto and Fettuccine Pasta Cooking Class

• Arrive at Piazza Navona cooking lab
• Learn to make traditional fettuccine pasta
• Prepare fresh basil pesto sauce
• Chef cooks the fettuccine pasta
• Enjoy pesto pasta with appetizers and drink

The Experience

“You’re using too much flour,” Marco said, grinning as I tried to keep my dough from sticking to the table. We were in this little cooking lab tucked behind a restaurant on Piazza Navona—honestly, I’d walked past that door twice before realizing it was our meeting spot. The place smelled like basil and garlic even before we started. There were maybe eight of us around the table, including two sisters from Florence who kept joking about how Romans always overcook pasta (which Marco pretended not to hear). I liked that nobody took themselves too seriously—except maybe me, when my fettuccine stuck together in a clump.

I didn’t expect pesto to be so… green. Like, really green—the kind you only get when someone’s just torn up basil leaves by hand. Marco passed around a bowl for us to smell before we started mashing everything together with tiny wooden pestles. My hands smelled like pine nuts for hours after. And there was this moment when everyone went quiet except for the sound of scraping bowls and someone’s soda fizzing at the end of the table. It felt oddly peaceful for such a busy part of Rome.

When we sat down to eat, they brought out bruschetta and poured wine (or soda for the kids—one little guy kept trying to sneak sips from his dad’s glass). The chef cooked our pasta while we talked about where everyone was from; turns out one woman had flown in that morning from Dublin just for the weekend. The pesto clung perfectly to the noodles—maybe not restaurant-perfect, but definitely better than what I make at home. Afterward, Marco offered us limoncello or coffee if we wanted it. He laughed when I tried to thank him in Italian—I’m sure I butchered it but he seemed happy anyway.

Top questions

Is this cooking class suitable for children?

It’s not recommended for kids under 6 years old.

Does the pasta making class offer gluten-free options?

No, there are no gluten-free options available.

Where is the cooking class held?

The class takes place in a private cooking lab inside a local restaurant on Piazza Navona in central Rome.

Are drinks included with the meal?

Yes, adults can have wine or beer; kids get soda. Bottled water is also included.

Can vegans join this class?

No, it’s not recommended for vegans as eggs are used in the pasta.

Is public transportation nearby?

Yes, there are public transportation options close to Piazza Navona.

What sauces do we make during the class?

You’ll make traditional basil pesto alongside your homemade fettuccine pasta.

Are nut allergies accommodated?

No, this class is not recommended for those with nut allergies due to ingredients used in pesto.