Cinque Terre Cooking Classes
The class to take in the Cinque Terre is pesto: basil, pine nuts and Ligurian olive oil ground by hand in a marble mortar, tossed through trofie, often with a terrace over the sea in front of you. Classes also teach focaccia, trofie and the anchovy dishes of the coast. Compare the top-rated cooking classes below, then read our notes.
Pesto and Ligurian cooking classes
Formats: two- to three-hour pesto and pasta classes with a sea view; focaccia and focaccia di Recco workshops; half-day classes with a market visit and a full Ligurian lunch; classes in Monterosso, Manarola, Riomaggiore and around La Spezia.
What you will cook: pesto alla genovese in the mortar, trofie or trenette, focaccia, sometimes anchovies or a seafood dish, finished with local white wine.
Price and time: roughly 55 to 90 dollars for a two- to three-hour class; more for a full-day class with market and lunch.
Pesto in the mortar
Real pesto is never blended — it is ground, slowly, in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle, so the basil bruises rather than heats. A Cinque Terre class teaches the order and the rhythm of it (garlic and salt, pine nuts, basil, the two cheeses, then the oil) and sends you home able to do it properly. Many run on a terrace above the sea in Manarola or Riomaggiore, which is half the reason to book one here rather than anywhere else.
Beyond the pesto
Fuller classes add the Ligurian repertoire: hand-shaped trofie or trenette pasta, focaccia proved and dimpled and salted, and the coastal anchovy and seafood dishes. Some begin at a village market or a garden to pick the basil, and end with the meal eaten together over a glass of Cinque Terre white. It is the most hands-on way into a cuisine that looks simple and depends entirely on technique and good oil.
How to choose
For the classic experience, book a pesto-and-pasta class with a view; for a deeper dive, a half-day class with market and lunch. All suit beginners and run in English. Pair it with a coastal boat trip and tasting, or a Genoa food tour for the city side of Ligurian food.
Frequently asked questions
Why make pesto in a mortar and not a blender?
Grinding bruises the basil and emulsifies the oil without heating it, which keeps the colour and the aroma; the texture is the point, and the class teaches the method.
Do the classes have a sea view?
Many in the Cinque Terre villages do, on terraces over the water — worth choosing for, and a reason to take the class here.
Are the classes good for beginners?
Yes; they are built for visitors, taught in English, with everything provided, and pesto and focaccia are forgiving to learn.
Read next: What is pesto? Pesto alla genovese explained · Cinque Terre planner: food, wine & getting around
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.