Nothing says “Italian vacation” quite like delicious food in gorgeous places. What’s even better? Hands-on instruction with a chef so you can make classic Italian dishes at home. To get it right—which means truly Italian-style—we love cooking courses taught in destinations like Sicily and Tuscany for immersive and highly practical experiences. After all, Italy isn’t just a place to eat well—it’s where culinary traditions are passed down like prized family heirlooms.
For those eager to combine culinary learning with a magical setting in Italy, options range from a medieval castle on a Chianti hillside to a remote farmhouse on a volcanic island. These English instruction cooking classes allow travelers to engage with top notch instructors, embracing local traditions while enjoying picturesque surroundings.
Remember, even the best bolognese is just the beginning; pasta is just the first course of a classic Italian meal that even a grandma from the old country would approve. There’s quite a lot to know, so let’s round up a few of the best.
| Whether learning to make fresh pasta in a winery or mastering the art of truffle-based dishes at a family-owned farm, cooking classes offer more than just recipes—they provide a true taste of Italian culture. — FuorITinerario, Discover Your Italy |
Joanne Weir’s Culinary Journey to Sicily
Widely known to Bay Area residents through her Copita restaurants in Sausalito and Willow Glen, plus her James Beard Award-winning cookbooks and longtime PBS television cooking series, Chef Joanne Weir is also an international cooking teacher. Her ultimate calling of teaching others to cook has a focus on Mediterranean cuisines, including hosting a small group of food and wine lovers on an April 2026 Culinary Tour to Sicily, a fan favorite destination.
Sicilian dishes show influences of Arabic cuisine through ingredients like saffron, couscous, almonds, and spices introduced by Arab settlers centuries ago. Try popular regional dishes like Pasta con le Sarde (with sardines) and eggplant-based Pasta alla Norma followed by traditional Sicilian cannoli.
Under Joanne’s delightful instruction in a weeklong master class, guests immerse themselves in hands-on cooking lessons. Home is the stunning luxury villa, Rocca delle Tre Contrade in the Catania Region on the island’s eastern coast where the slopes of Mount Etna overlook the Ionian Sea. Dine al fresco on panoramic terraces surrounded by luscious lemon groves, fruit orchards, and vegetable gardens, take dips in the infinity pool, explore nearby fishing villages and vineyards.
| “What I love most about Sicilian cuisine is its diversity. Sicilian food shows ingredients, flavors, and dishes from every culture that has established itself on the island over the past two millennia—and trust me, that’s a long list.” — Joanne Weir |
Cooking in the Sicilian Countryside
“Relax into the remote Sicily of once-upon-a-time,” suggests the description. On the vast grounds of the Tasca family estate and working winery in mountainous central Sicily, the Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School is run by the founder’s daughter, Fabrizia. Adhering to organic principles, the school has extensive vegetable plots, orchards, and ornamental gardens surrounded by 1,200 acres of vineyards.
The signature four-night stay comprises two cooking classes and three lunches, four breakfasts and delicious dinners designed to represent the range of Sicilian cuisine and local ingredients. The family’s celebrated Tasca D’Almerita wines, grown and produced at Tenuta Regaleali winery on the same estate, accompany cooking school menus. Also offered are shorter stays, themed workshops (such as baking, tomato paste, olive oil) with visiting experts and local producers, and a six-week experiential food education program, Cook the Farm. Hands on: there’s a “cheese week” for learning to make cheese after milking the animals that live on the estate.
While investigating traditional Italian cuisine and culture, guests may reside at Case Vecchie, a rustic and charming 19th century farmhouse with a peaceful swimming pool and private rooms or take accommodation in a nearby cottage with transportation provided.
Two Tuscan Cooking Classes at Five-Star Resorts
Perched on an elevated outcrop in the heart of the Lucca countryside, Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa is a luxury property overlooking the rolling hills of Serchio Valley. Straight out of a picture postcard, panoramic views encompass scenes of Italian Cypress trees and pines, olive tree groves, mountain peaks, and wineries galore.
Head Chef Lorenzo Venanzi leads several indigenous culinary experiences at the resort. Ideal for two guests, “Day’s Exclusive Culinary Experience With the Chef” as one of the three options that begin with menu planning and shopping together for fresh produce and ingredients. To share the experience with those back home, participants are given a branded apron and chef’s hat, diploma, and photo. Similarly, “From the Land to the Plate” is chef-led instruction for a choice of lunch or dinner and “Classic Culinary Experience” is structured around a three-course dinner.
Soak up local during “Le Salette Cooking Class Experience,” when guests enjoy a gastronomic lesson in authentic Italian cuisine using the finest regionally sourced ingredients. The chef’s pasta and dessert making workshop is followed by a stroll through the cobblestone streets in the pretty medieval town of Barga—considered one of ‘the most beautiful villages in Italy’ by the historic association—and a tasting tour of the organic and biodynamic winery scene in the nearby Lucca region.
COMO Castello Del Nero is a five-star hotel and ultra-luxe wellness resort in a 12th century castle located in the heart of the world-renowned Chianti wine region.
“Tuscan Cooking Class” is led by Executive Chef Giovanni Luca Di Pirro of the hotel’s Michelin star restaurant, La Torre. During the lesson taken in English, Chef Di Pirro shares his knowledge and passion for Italian cuisine by focusing on three dishes chosen for their rich Italian heritage.
Classic Italian cooking techniques range from the art of making pasta from scratch to the perfectly layered tiramisu. Classes are small, between two and six participants, so that everyone benefits from the chef’s personal instruction. Following a full afternoon in the kitchen, guests enjoy the dishes they’ve prepared.
Images: Courtesy of Joanne Weir, Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School, Renaissance Tuscany Il Coccio Resort & Spa, COMO Castello del Nero, and Laurie Jo Miller Farr.