Sicilian Cooking Class in Taormina: Make Fresh Pasta & Pizza

The class starts at the fish market, not the kitchen.

A three-hour cooking class in Taormina where you learn to make fresh Sicilian pasta, bread, pizza and seafood dishes, beginning with a guided tour of the local fish market to select ingredients with the chef. The class includes an apron, coffee, wine tasting with local cheese and salami, and a lunch of four to six dishes you prepare and eat with the group; certificates in English or Italian, and vegetarian and gluten-free options available on request.

The Experience

What makes this class different is how it begins. You don't walk into a kitchen and find ingredients waiting. Instead, you meet at Porta Messina Restaurant at 10 a.m. and head straight to the local fish market with the chef, who shows you which fish are worth buying that day and why. You pick what you'll cook with your own hands a few hours later. That tour alone teaches you something most cooking classes skip—how to shop like someone who actually cooks.

Back at the restaurant, you get an apron embroidered with the restaurant's logo and the real work starts. The chef and staff walk you through making home-made bread, fresh pasta (including Sicilian macaroni, ravioli, tortelloni and tagliatelle), pizza dough, and the seafood and meat dishes that define the region. You're not watching a demonstration—you're making it, with hands-on help. After the bread comes out of the oven, there's a tasting of different types with local cheese, salami and Sicilian wines, plus coffee and a break.

Lunch is what you cooked: four to six dishes prepared by the class under the chef's guidance. You eat together, tasting the results of the morning's work. At the end, you leave with an official certificate and the apron to take home.

What’s included

• Apron embroidered with the restaurant logo.
• coffee and tea.
• wine tasting with local cheese and salami.
• bottled water.
• a guided tour of the local fish market with the chef.
• four to six dishes prepared and eaten as lunch.
• official certificate.
• vegetarian and gluten-free options on request.

Good to know

Stroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Porta Messina Restaurant Cooking Class

Is this one for you?Book this class if you're traveling with a small group or a partner and want to spend a morning making something real instead of watching someone else cook. The market tour at the start sets this apart—you're learning to shop and cook the Sicilian way, not just following recipes in a kitchen.

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Top questions

What do I actually cook during the three hours?

You make home-made bread, fresh pasta (including ravioli, tortelloni and tagliatelle), pizza dough, and Sicilian seafood and meat dishes. The chef and staff guide you through each step, and you prepare the lunch you'll eat at the end of the class.

Does the class really start at the fish market?

Yes. You meet at Porta Messina Restaurant at 10 a.m., then go to the local fish market with the chef to select the fish you'll cook with later that morning. The chef shows you what's best to buy on the day.

What's included in the price?

The class includes the apron, coffee, wine tasting with local cheese and salami, the four to six dishes you cook for lunch, bottled water, and an official certificate. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available if you request them when booking.

Can I take the apron home?

Yes. The apron is embroidered with the restaurant's logo and is yours to keep after the class.

What languages does the chef speak?

The class is offered in English and Italian, with a live guide in both languages.

Is this class suitable for beginners?

Yes. The courses are designed for both beginners and experts. The chef and staff provide hands-on help throughout, so no prior cooking experience is needed.