Rome: Pasta Cooking Class & 3 Spritz Cocktails Near Colosseum

4.98

(1553 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“In Rome, we never trust a skinny chef,” Marco grinned as he handed me my first Aperol spritz. I laughed, but honestly, after seeing how much flour ended up on my shirt (and the floor), I get it. The kitchen was already humming when we arrived—soft clinks of glasses, that citrusy spritz smell in the air, and someone’s playlist quietly looping old Italian pop. Marco—our chef and unofficial comedian—showed us how to swirl orange slices in our glasses before we even touched the pasta dough. It felt like hanging out at a friend’s apartment more than any class I’ve taken.

I didn’t expect to feel so… proud? Kneading the dough was messier than it looks on YouTube. My hands were sticky, but Marco just shrugged and tossed me more flour. “Like this,” he said, rolling out fettuccine with such easy confidence that I almost forgot we were right near the Colosseum—could see its edge through the window if you leaned just right. We made carbonara (with plenty of pecorino) and cacio e pepe for the vegetarians. Someone tried to say “guanciale” with a hard ‘g’ and everyone cracked up—even the mixologist, who kept us topped up with Hugo spritz while we cooked.

The Limoncello spritz at the end tasted like summer holidays—bright and sweet and a little too easy to drink. We swapped stories with travelers from Brazil and Japan over plates of pasta that somehow all looked different (mine: slightly lopsided). Marco promised we could recreate it at home with his recipe ebook, but honestly, I think it’s his jokes I’ll miss most. Walking back out into Rome’s late afternoon light, a little tipsy and still smelling like lemon peel and cheese… well, that’s something I’d do again without thinking twice.