Sicily · SICILIAN COOKING CLASSES
Pasta alla Norma that tastes like the one down the road, cannoli filled at the last minute, caponata done properly. These 15 classes are priced and clear on how much you cook rather than watch, and which end with the wine.
At Towns of Italy in Palermo, chefs such as Lidia and Marcello guide you through sfincione, pizza, and chocolate gelato. You shape dough, watch the gelato demonstration, eat your creations with wine or soft drinks, and leave with recipes and a certificate.
“Very fun, enlightening, and everything was delicious. Met some amazing people too!”
Meet Chef Mimmo and his family in Taormina, visit a small local producer, then cook pasta, caponata, and fresh fish at Ahoy Bistrò Siciliano. You will share a seaside lunch with wine, cannoli, and Limoncello. Transport between Taormina and Giardini Naxos is included.
“So worth it! Best cooking class experience yet, and to have the food we prepared for lunch with a seaview…amazing!”
Meet Chef Massimo at Porta Messina at 9:30 a.m. Shop for seasonal produce, fish, and meat before walking to his sea-view home for a hands-on Sicilian cooking class. Prepare pasta, appetizers, and main courses, then eat together with local wine. Recipes and an apron are included.
“We had so much fun at our cooking class. Massimo is very entertaining but all the while was teaching us so much selecting fresh food and preparing it. This is a must do tour!!”
Meet chef Michael near Porta Carini for a guided visit to Palermo’s Capo Market, then walk to an air-conditioned cooking studio. Prepare seasonal Sicilian dishes in a group of up to eight, and sit down to enjoy four courses with wine, coffee, and homemade liqueurs.
“Absolutely incredible. He introduced all of us to each other and helped us become familiar before starting the cooking was phenomenal. he explained everything as he did it and we participated heavily. The final experience was a four course dinner paired with wine and it was absolutely phenomenal. Michael was so friendly and shared stories from his life and experiences. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fantastic, small cooking class.”
Meet at Porta Messina Restaurant in central Taormina for a 2 to 3 hour class led by chefs including Giovanni, Luca, Maurizio, and their team. Make fresh pasta and pizza, enjoy cheese, wine, dessert, cannoli, and limoncello, then take home an apron, recipes, and a certificate.
“Great place to meet new people. Lots of laughs! The chefs are so nice and make everyone comfortable.”
Meet beside Taormina’s Porta Messina Arch for a hands-on cannoli class led in Italian and English by chefs such as Carmelo, Francesca, and Maurizio. Knead and fry the shells, prepare ricotta and custard fillings, eat your work with wine and coffee, and take home a certificate.
“Excellent. I was blown away by Angela’s hospitality and teaching. The pasta was the best I had in Sicily! My most memorable and best experience here.”
Meet Paolo, Mary, or the kitchen team at Porta Messina for a market visit and hands-on Sicilian cooking class. You’ll choose fresh ingredients, make pasta, prepare fish and eggplant dishes, then eat the full meal with wine, coffee, an apron, and a certificate included.
“So much delicious food and drink! Amazing hand-on experience- we learned a lot and were thoroughly welcomed & entertained by Paulo. We started the day going to the market, selecting our fresh fish, produce etc, then spent a good part of the day cooking and eating! Paulo was friendly, humorous, knowledgeable, informative…. A great day (a highlight of our vacation) and also a tremendous value!!!”
Join Chef Antonio and his family at Domus Kitchen for a four-hour Sicilian cooking class and dinner. Prepare seafood pasta, pistachio dishes, swordfish, caponata, and semifreddo, then eat together with wine in the family’s outdoor kitchen. Meat and vegetarian menus are available with advance notice.
“Myself and friends attended this class thanks to a recommendation of some friends back in Australia, and oh boy are we glad they did! We had such an amazing experience. Antonio and his family made us all feel so welcome in their home. The night was filled with constant laughter, amazing food and the wine was flowing! The food was delicious but with Antonio’s help we all very confident we could achieve it back home. Antonio also organised transfers for everyone which was such a help with us staying in Mondello rather than Palmero. This was the highlight of our trip to Palmero!”
Join Angela in her Catania home for a small-group pasta class focused on pistachio-filled ravioli. You’ll make dough, prepare the filling, shape the pasta, and sit down to a three-course meal with wine, water, coffee, and Sicilian hospitality. Angela’s son Victor may help translate.
“Angela was absolutely lovely! Welcomed us into her home with open arms, we had a good laugh and Angela was very funny. It was some of the best pasta I’ve ever had! Thank you so much Angela!”
Meet Graziella Gugliotta at her villa near Campofelice di Roccella, close to Cefalu, for a hands-on Sicilian cooking lesson. You may prepare fresh pasta, caponata, ravioli, pizza, or local desserts, then sit down to eat with wine and views of the coast.
“Graziella is a warm friendly knowledgeable host. The food we prepared was delicious and plentiful. We thoroughly enjoyed making the pasta both by hand and machine. We highly recommend this class Thank you kindly Graziella. 😊”
Meet chefs such as Lidia, Salvo, Marcello, Nadia, or Filippo for a Capo Market walk and hands-on Sicilian cooking class. You’ll prepare arancini, pasta alla Norma, and cannoli, then eat a three-course lunch with wine. Vegetarian options need advance notice.
“What a fantastic way to experience Italian food than to learn how to make it! This class is great for any skill level of cooking. As somebody who enjoys cooking, my boyfriend is quite the novice, and he even had such a great time. Our chef Nadia was phenomenal! She's very knowledgeable, not only in the kitchen, but when we went out to the market, she taught us how to identify fresh produce and fish, and she had a deep understanding of the ingredients and navigating the market. Nadia had such a fun personality and made the cooking lesson so much fun. All the staff members were kind and welcoming,…”
Meet at Porta Messina Restaurant at 10 a.m. for a market visit, coffee, and a hands-on Sicilian cooking class. With help from the chef and staff, you prepare bread, pasta, fish, and local dishes, then eat a four to six-course lunch with Sicilian wine. Giovanni and Mauritzio are among the instructors named by participants.
“Amazing class, the ingredients used were really good quality and the chef paid good attention to detail. Very fun recipes and amazing guidance. Thank you for the experience, we had an amazing time.”
Meet a chef near Porta Messina, shop Taormina’s market for seasonal ingredients, then cook dishes such as caponata, fresh maccheroni, and fish alla ghiotta. Chefs including Mimmo, Domenico, Giovanni, Paolo, and Dominic may lead the class. Lunch, wine, an apron, and a certificate are included.
“Can’t say enough good things about this awesome experience. It was so much fun and we made the most incredible meal and the chef was amazing. Don’t miss this if you enjoy cooking, eating and fun! Each person in the class felt the same.”
At Ahoy Bistrò Siciliano in Giardini Naxos, Chef Mimmo and his family guide you through wine, local cheeses, caponata, fish, and six pasta shapes. You cook, eat, and collect recipes beside the Bay of Naxos and Taormina during this four-hour English-language class.
“Best Cooking class experience we have ever had! Chef and his family were very welcoming and fun. Loved making the fresh pasta and delicious meal. Charming restaurant by the sea. Would definitely do this again!”
Spend about three hours at Carlo’s home in Portella di Mare, above Palermo. Tour his garden, pick seasonal produce, make fresh pasta and Sicilian cannoli, then eat your work with local wine and aperitifs. The class is in English, capped at 12 people, and welcomes families.
“From the moment we walked through the door, Carlo welcomed us with genuine Italian hospitality. The view in the backyard was breathtaking, showcasing a beautiful, bountiful garden filled with an endless array of herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Carlo kindly gave us a tour of the garden, where we sampled the freshest produce and picked the ingredients we would use in our cooking. Under Carlo’s guidance, we made cannoli and pasta from scratch. His instructions were clear and made the entire experience so much fun. Once we finished cooking, we sat down to enjoy the delicious creations we had made. It was truly amazing to be taught by Carlo, to be…”
Pick a coast, a volcano or a kitchen.
