Cesarine: Private Pasta Class & Meal at Local's Home in Palermo

We had the most incredible cooking class with Pina at her beautiful home. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with such warmth and kindness. Pina is not only lovely but also brimming with culinary knowledge. Throughout the day, she shared her passion for cooking in a way that made us feel both inspired and at ease.

Her home is stunning, providing the perfect backdrop for an authentic and intimate cooking experience. The food we prepared was absolutely delicious, and we learned so many techniques and tips that we’ll definitely use in our own kitchens.

Spending the day with Pina was such a joy, and we can’t recommend this class enough! If you’re looking for an unforgettable cooking experience, this is it!

We booked a private cooking class with Velia Figuccia. We spent 2 weeks travelling over Europe and this was our favourite excursion. She’s a beautiful person and the recipes we made together were beyond delicious. The memories made with her will be ones we cherish forever. We left calling her our “Nonna”. If there’s a tour to do in Italy, this will be the one. Highly recommend!!

We did the three pasta class.

The class was one of our whole trip highlights.

Alice and Francesco were so kind and generous. Their breadth of knowledge was amazing. We had a wonderful time and strongly recommend this experience to anyone who has fun cooking.

We will be taking some new approaches home with us to change our cooking at home.

What a wonderful experience! Rosa Maria was so kind and welcomed us into her home and kitchen. She shared traditional Sicilian food with us and we had so much fun learning from her. Would highly recommend to anyone who is visiting Palermo!

We love'd this cooking class, Rosa Maria teach to us how to make pasta specially from Sicilly (gnocchi with cheese cream : our favorite but also pasta a la norma and pasta with sausage and tomato sauce). We very enjoyed the meal with her and her husband. It was a great expérience, I hightly recommand.

We were on a 7 day cruise in the Mediterranean and one of our stops in Palermo. We decided we wanted to do something different from the usual tour, so we booked a pasta making class with Cesarina Pina. It was our favorite excursion of the whole trip. We had people in their 70s and a 10 year old and everyone agreed this was our best excursion. We were graciously welcomed into Pina’s home and had a wonderful time making ravioli, buseti and tiramisu. After some delightful appetizers (extra, provided by Pina) we gobbled up all of our hard work. If this is available to you, book it! You won’t be sorry!!!!

What am amazing and authentic experience in Palermo. In Port for a short day and used our time to spend with Rosaria learning to make 3 types of pasta. Food was delicious, host was welcoming and provided a lot of knowledge and information about the area and local cuisine. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an authentic experience.

Alice and her partner Francesco provided the perfect cooking experience we were looking for. The preparation they did beforehand allowed us to learn and have fun while enjoying their warm hospitality. Both Alice and Francesco spoke English very well, they have lived and traveled to other places beyond Italy and were interesting, interested and very skilled and knowledgeable with their culinary training. We enjoyed Francesco’s homemade limoncello as well as the candied oranges used in our cassata cake and Alice’s guidance as we learned to roll perfect cavateli. The food was molte benne and although we will try to recreate the dishes we were introduced to, the results will lack the Sicilian hospitality that added to the amazing results. We highly recommend seeking them out to experience an authentic and truly memorable culinary experience in a lovely home in Palermo. Mille grazie Alice and Francesco!

Pina welcomed us to her elegantly appointed apartment with a sweeping view of the mountains and sea for what turned out to be one of the best culinary experiences we had in Palermo, or anywhere for that matter. There is nothing more special than making food in someone's own kitchen, and Pina worked with us as we prepared gnocchi and a regional pasta, as well as sauces using fresh local ingredients. What we learned from her was something you can never get from a book, or from watching a video. We learned to feel the dough and know when the texture is just right. Pina revealed traditional pasta making secrets to us, saying "This is how my mother did it!". The time went by so quickly as we worked and talked, getting to know all about her and about Sicilian food. She had snacks and lovely wine for us as we kneaded and chopped and breathed in the aromas of garlic and tomatoes and basil. The afternoon culminated in her graciously serving us the feast we had prepared together on her lush balcony. We left, full and satisfied, with hugs and smiles and the recipes and notes to take back home. We are not Italian, but we have been given the special gift of Pina's culinary instruction as to how a true Italian cooks. We will carry the traditions and techniques back with us, and are already planning to recreate what we tasted. We will say to our friends and family who come to eat, "This is how Pina did it!"

I cannot recommend any cooking experience I have had more highly than this. Sharing food and culture in someone's home is what life is about. Cook and eat with Pina and discover for yourself!

It was amazing to be instructed by such a thoughtful and attentive local host/cook. She was careful to explain each step, model it for us and then have us practice. Each pasta dish was delicious and so much better than the pasta we’ve enjoyed in the United States. We also enjoyed making and tasting authentic tiramisu.