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There is no better place to learn the art of making pasta than in Rome, the birthplace of Roman pasta.
While in Rome exploring the local food specialties, we signed up for a pasta-making class to learn how to make Rome’s iconic pasta dishes.
The Rome pasta making class we took was in Frascati, about 30 minutes outside Rome’s center.
In this review, we share our experience from our pasta-making class in Frascati. We also highlight two great alternative Rome cooking classes to consider in the Eternal City.
Top Pasta Making Class in Rome
Learning how to make traditional Roman pasta dishes was high on our list when we arrived in Italy’s capital.
We had already fallen in love with classic Rome pasta classics like Cacio e Pepe and Amatriciana and wanted to learn how to make them.
The pasta-making class in Frascati accompanied by a tasting of Frascati wines, caught our attention, and we booked it immediately.
We were interested in discovering Frascati wines and seeing the countryside outside of Rome.
If you are looking for pasta-making classes in central Rome, we share the two other pasta classes with rave reviews we also considered.
- Trastevere pasta-making class: This pasta making class is offered by Devour Tours, with whom we took a fun and insightful Trastevere food tour. Working in a small group with a local chef, you’ll learn to make the perfect pasta while sipping on Prosecco and Italian wines. Freshly made gelato to end the class will delight your taste buds.
- Pasta masterclass in a private home: In the intimacy of a local’s private kitchen, you’ll make handmade pasta of different shapes using the freshest ingredients. Feel like part of a real Italian family as you master pasta making techniques.
READ MORE: Trastevere Food Tour: How To Eat Like A Local in Rome Trendy Neighborhood
Our Pasta Making Class in Frascati
Frascati, located about a 30-minute train ride away from Rome is also home to the famous Frascati Wines.
Frascati wines are light and minerally white wines that date back to ancient Roman times.
Shortly after our cooking class group met at the train station, we took a short tour of Frascati town.
Our host Rosi gave us a quick overview of the town, pointing out a few historical markers on the short walk to the cooking school.
RELATED: The 10 Best Wine Tours From Rome For Wine Tastings and Sightseeing
Highlights Of Our Pasta Making Class
Walking into the cooking class studio, we were delighted to find everything well organized with neatly arranged ingredients and spotless cooking utensils.
We worked on a large central table with enough room for our group of 18 participants.
The winery we learned was founded in the 1500s and continues to be family-owned, managed now by the 13th generation.
Starting Out with Wine and Appetizers
Before starting the pasta-making process, we started off with two glasses of wine from Frascati. This was accompanied by a plate of local cheese and charcuterie.
We learned about Frascati wines and in the particular, the region’s famous white wine made with a local Malvasia grape variety.
This paired well with the cheese and cured meats, and additional glasses or bottles of their wine were available for purchase.
Making Fresh Pasta
Making fresh pasta was the highlight of the class. Rosi walked us through each step of the process as we mixed the ingredients to make the pasta dough.
After kneading the pasta and rolling out the dough very thin, we cut the pasta based on the size we wanted.
The “pasta takes the same time to cook,” Rosi told us. So, we could choose from thin tagliolini size to medium-sized fettuccine or tagliatelle or the thickest, pappardelle pasta.
Rosemary chose the tagliolini small size and I went for my favorite fettuccine pasta.
I was quite surprised by the simplicity of making the homemade pasta. We had taken a pasta-making class before in Sicily, which was much more involved.
In this class, we made everything by hand, including using a wooden rolling pin to roll out the fresh pasta.
READ MORE: 10 Best Cooking Classes in Rome: From Pizza, Gelato to Pasta Making
Pasta Sauce and Cooking Tips
To go along with our fresh pasta, we had a choice of different traditional Roman pasta sauces.
As we made our choices, Rosie shared tips for cooking pasta right, each time.
Cacio e Pepe, Rome’s most famous pasta dish made with local cheeses and black pepper, is the sauce Rosemary selected.
While, I chose Amatriciana made with tomato sauce, guanciale or pork cheek, local cheese, and black pepper.
Others in the class learned to make Carbonara, the classic Rome pasta dish with an egg, local cheese, guanciale, and black pepper.
AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST TIP: If you want to learn how to make traditional Italian pasta combined with wine tasting near Rome, we recommend our pasta-making class in Frascati. Easily accessible from the center of Rome, you get to see Rome’s countryside enjoy amazing Italian wine while learning to make pasta.
What You Need to Know Before Booking Your Pasta Making Class in Rome
Who is this Pasta Making Class For?
- Those who want to go beyond Rome and explore the nearby countryside will love this class
- Italian wine lovers will enjoy the combination of pasta making and discovering Frascati wines
- Those looking for a fun and upbeat pasta making cooking class will enjoy this experience
- Those who want to learn to make easy and delicious traditional Italian pasta
Who Is It Not For
- Not for those looking for an in-depth class where you make pasta sauce from scratch
- Not for those who want to visit a local market or shop for the ingredients before cooking
- Our class was large, 18 people, but well organized. This class is not for those seeking an intimate pasta-making experience
- Not for those who want to stay in central Rome
READ MORE: Cooking Class in Florence Italy: Authentic Pizza and Gelato With A View
Overall Impressions of this Pasta Cooking Class in Rome
What We Loved
Taking a pasta-making class in Frascati is a great way to combine a cooking class and wine tasting. It’s also great way to see the Roman countryside.
We enjoyed our pasta-making class in Frascati for a variety of reasons.
- Fun and lively class: Rosi, our instructor, was high energy, fun, and also very informative. She brought Frascati, the wines, and pasta making to life in an unforgettable way.
- Great group energy: Our group had a great vibe. Everyone was friendly and chatty, and Rosi’s energy uplifted the group. We arrived as strangers and left with new friends.
- Delicious Frascati wine tasting: It was great to learn about Frascati wines from a family-owned vineyard. We enjoyed the combination of homemade pasta and local wine.
- Underground cellar visit: We were surprised to learn that Frascati is also an underground city. In between cooking, we enjoyed a fascinating tour of underground cellars used to store cheese and wine, and later used as bunkers during WWII.
- Fun excursion in Rome countryside: With a direct train connection from central Rome, a pasta and wine tasting in Frascati experience is a wonderful experience.
What Could Be Improved on this Roman Pasta Cooking Class
Overall, there was not much that was negative about our Rome pasta making class.It was well organized, and we had a lot of fun making pasta and learning about Frascati and the wines.
That said, there are a few points worth noting.
- Smaller group size: We were at capacity in our cooking class studio. While there were enough cooking stations and everything well organized, it could have been a cozier with a smaller group.
- No dessert: This class is focused on pasta making and wine tasting, and there is no dessert or sweet treat to close the cooking class experience. However, you can grab gelato or pastries in Frascati town before leaving for Rome, as there’s time after the class ends.
READ MORE: 9 Best Cooking Vacations in Tuscany To Experience
How To Book Your Cooking Class
This pasta-making class and wine tasting in Frascati is a delicious way to explore Rome’s food and wine specialties.
Getting to Frascati town is very convenient from Rome’s city center. It’s an easy train ride, and it takes only about 30 minutes.
Make sure to give yourself plenty of time at Rome’s Termini station, as the train platform is a bit out of the way.
The pasta-making class and wine tasting lasts about 2.5 hours and it also includes a tour of the underground cellars.
Get more from your trip to Rome when you book this pasta-making and wine-tasting class in Frascati.
Other Rome Pasta Making Classes to Consider
If you are looking for pasta-making classes in Rome’s city center with dessert, here are two we shortlisted and recommend.
Trastevere Rome Pasta Cooking Class
This Trastevere Rome pasta cooking offered by Devour Tours class teaches you how to make Italian pasta from scratch with a local Italian chef.
Located in the Trastevere neighborhood, you’ll spend about 3 hours learning the basics of making perfect pasta every time.
As you nibble on Apertivo and sip fine Italian wines, you’ll also learn to make a red or a white sauce.
This pasta making class experience ends with delicious gelato made fresh by the chef.
What To Expect From Your Trastevere Rome Pasta Cooking Class
Some of the key highlights from this class are:
- Starting out with Prosecco and Italian aperitivo
- Class led by local Italian chef
- Learn to make homemade pasta and different Italian sauces
- Chef-made gelato demonstration while pasta is resting
- Savor delicious pasta dinner with gelato for dessert
- Chance to explore Trastevere neighborhood, before or after pasta class
What People Say
Visitors to Rome love this class, describing it as “the absolutely best experience in Rome.” The class is “informative, fun, and delicious.” A “wonderful experience with kind, passionate, and funny instructors.”
Those traveling with families say, “the class is tremendous, my kids loved it.” My son and I attended and we so thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.” “Best experience for my daughter and I.”
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Pasta Masterclass In a Local’s Home
If you want to learn Italian cuisine in a local’s home, this cooking masterclass of handmade pasta and Italian sauces is for you.
Spend about 3 hours with Chef Riccardo and learn to make traditional Roman pasta and pasta sauces from scratch.
In a small, intimate group setting, you’ll learn the secrets to making perfect pasta, including a number of pasta shapes.
You’ll also learn how to make famous Italian and Rome pasta sauces including the right cooking techniques. Italian wine accompanies the fun pasta making class from start to finish.
What To Expect From This Cooking Class
Some of the key highlights from this class are:
- Small Intimate group size with no more than 8 participants
- Easily learn to make different pasta dishes and traditional sauces
- Enjoy authentic Italian culture while cooking in a local’s home
What People Say
Described as an amazing chef and teacher, travelers describe their pasta making classes with Riccardo as “an authentic experience cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen.” “An amazing experience from start to finish.”
And, “instead of a group of strangers, it felt like a big family making a meal together, and the results were incredible. This was by far the best meal we had in Rome.”
Have you ever taken a pasta making class in Italy? Please let us know in the comments below.
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Claire is co-founder of Authentic Food Quest and a lover of simple and exquisite cuisine. Since 2015, with her partner, Rosemary, she has been traveling the world as a digital nomad, creating content about local food experiences.
Her advice from visiting 45 countries and more than 240 food cities has been featured in Lonely Planet, Business Insider, Honest Cooking, Food Insider, and Huffington Post. She has also co-authored three books, including one in collaboration with Costa Brava Tourism.
An ex-mechanical engineer, Claire is responsible for SEO, keeping the website running, and the fun food & travel videos on YouTube.
When Claire is not eating, she can be found running or cycling. Find out more about Authentic Food Quest