Milan Cooking Classes: Risotto & Fresh Pasta

The short version: a Milan cooking class teaches you the city’s signature dish, risotto, plus fresh pasta and tiramisu, usually in a local’s home or a small restaurant kitchen, ending with a meal of what you cooked and a glass of Lombard wine. Risotto masterclasses are the most Milanese choice. Here is what you will make and how to book.

At a glance

What you make

Risotto is a technique, not a recipe, and Milan is the place to learn it: toasting the rice, adding stock ladle by ladle, and the final mantecatura, beating in cold butter and Parmigiano for a creamy, flowing finish. A masterclass usually covers risotto alla milanese with saffron plus seasonal versions. Other classes teach fresh pasta, gnocchi and tiramisu.

How a Milan cooking class works

Home classes are small and personal: a local host teaches at their own stove, then everyone eats together. Restaurant classes are larger and more relaxed. Reviewers note that menus vary, so if risotto is your priority, pick a risotto-specific class.

Our pick: the Authentic Risotto Masterclass at a Local Home in Milan teaches three seasonal risottos in a small group of up to eight.

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Frequently asked questions

What do you cook in a Milan cooking class?

Usually risotto (often risotto alla milanese), fresh pasta or gnocchi, and tiramisu, then you eat it with local wine.

How much is a Milan cooking class?

Restaurant group classes start around EUR 65 to 95; small home masterclasses are typically EUR 140 to 180 per person.

What is mantecatura?

The final step of making risotto: off the heat, cold butter and grated cheese are beaten in to make it creamy and glossy.

Book a Milan cooking class

Compare Milan cooking classes, or taste the city first on a Milan food tour.