8 Pasta Tours Worth the Early Start

1.Bologna Food & Market Tour with 6 Tastings, Pasta, Wines & More

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,328 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $118Our pick

Spend 3.5 hours tasting Bologna with a guide such as Claire, Federica, Caterina, Mattia, or Gabriela. Visit the Quadrilatero market, watch pasta made by hand, compare aged Parmigiano and Modena balsamic, sample local meats, wines, gelato, and a secret dish. The group is capped at 12 people.

“Come really hungry. The food is delicious and plentiful. Caterina is a great tour guide, friendly, engaging, and knowledgeable. We learned so many things about Bologna's contribution to the culinary world.”

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2.Pasta and Tiramisu Cooking Class with optional Local Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 515 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $83

Cook three Tuscan staples in a central Florence trattoria with chefs such as Giulia, Gui, David, or Alain. Morning bookings add Sant’Ambrogio Market and tastings, while afternoon classes skip the market. Groups max out at 12, and your meal comes with wine.

“Highly recommend even if you are an avid cook! David, our chef, provided tips that made pasta sauce(s) tastier and less time consuming to prepare! Impressed with the basic ingredients that make the pasta meal restaurant quality!”

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3.Pasta Cooking Class with Market Visit and Wine

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 277 reviews · 4 hours · from $103

Spend four hours with an Italian chef, starting at Via Palestro 51 and walking to Nomentano Market for fresh ingredients. Back at the Kitchen of Mamma, Chef Marco teaches pasta dough, ravioli, tortellini, linguine, fillings, and sauces. Then sit down to lunch with wine, coffee, limoncello, recipes, and a certificate.

“Honestly amazing all round! Marco was so kind, warm, chatty and knowledgable , and an EXCELLENT chef and teacher. He made our experience so enjoyable I would recommend this class over and over again. Worth every penny. Best pasta we’ve eaten on our entire trip. Thank you Marco! Will be recommending you to all my friends and family.”

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4.Kitchen of Mamma: Pasta Cooking Class with market visit in Rome

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 140 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $151

Spend about six hours with chef Marco, beginning at Nomentano Market before making several pasta dishes and two sauces at YellowSquare. You will knead dough by hand, eat your lunch with Italian wine, then finish with coffee and limoncello. The class is in English, capped at 14 people, and offers vegetarian dishes on request.

“We had an amazing day with Marco. He showed us how to make amazing dishes of pasta and had so much fun along the way. We first went to the markets and learnt so much along the way then continued to learn and have some wine and fun while making some great pasta 🍝”

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5.Farmers’ Market Shopping with Cooking Class and Pasta Making

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $217

Meet an English-speaking chef in Rome for a market visit at Campo de' Fiori, then cook pasta and a seasonal Italian meal in a historic palazzo on Corso del Rinascimento. Menus can be shaped around your interests, with wine, antipasti, lunch and recipes included. Groups are capped at 12.

“The market tour and tastings included outstanding local produce, cheeses, and meats. Max was flexible about adding in Agretti or Monk's Beard to our menu. It is a wildly delicious and nutritious veggie that was new to us for a side dish. When we took the ingredients to his cooking school, it was also helpful to have him demonstrate how to prepare freshly harvested spring artichokes to add to our homemade ricotta ravioli. Max’s pasta making tips were excellent and our pasta was tender but held its structure. Tiramisu is a staple dessert in many Italian restaurants but I believe Max’s version is far superior. Every dish was very delicious!…”

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6.Testaccio Food & Market Tour with Pasta & Wine

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $79Best value

Meet your English-speaking guide in Testaccio for coffee and pastries, then visit the market and eight family-run food stops. You’ll try 14 tastings, including pizza, cheese, cured meats, a local sandwich, pasta, wine, and gelato, while learning how Testaccio’s food culture grew around its market, slaughterhouse, and ancient sites.

“I can’t say in words how amazing our guide was. She was friendly, entertaining and informative, and it felt like walking around the neighborhood with your friend eating amazing food.”

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7.Discover the old market and make fresh pasta

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews

Meet your chef at Villafranca’s Scaliger Castle, shop for ingredients, then learn to make fresh pasta, tortellini Nodo d’amore, seasonal tortelli, pappardelle, and tiramisu. The four-hour class takes place in a Venetian-style kitchen with a garden and castle views, and includes local wine tasting.

“Esperienza consigliata! È stato interessante ricevere nozioni di cucina e di utilizzo degli alimenti a disposizione in varie modalità. Lo chef una persona preparata e professionale, sempre pronta a spiegare i concetti e consigliare. Se si desidera apprendere piccoli consigli utili e migliorare nella preparazione dei piatti, questa è l'attività giusta. Enjoy!”

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8.Dolce Vita by Day Market Tour & Pasta Making Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $130

Spend five hours with Ileana in Florence’s Sant’Ambrogio district, touring the market, tasting cheese, salumi, bread, and wine, then cooking two pastas and sauces in her apartment. The class is limited to four people, includes lunch and drinks, and welcomes vegetarians, but not vegans or those avoiding gluten.

“What a wonderful experience from start to finish. Ileana took us to the outdoor market to show us the in season produce as well as the meat, cheese and fish vendors in the covered market where we sampled cheeses, bread and wine. Next to her lovely home where we learned to make tiramisu, handmade pasta dough from which we made ricotta and lemon filled ravioli which we paired with a fresh tomato sauce and tagliatelle noodles. with eggplant sauce. The food was delicious, her knowledge of Florence and food exceptional and we came away with new skills, full stomachs and helpful recommendations for places to eat in Florence and things…”

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