A hands-on cooking class on the Amalfi Coast is a highlight of any holiday in Positano, Amalfi, or Sorrento. Meet with an English-speaking home cook or professional chef to learn how to prepare some of the most traditional dishes from southern Italy— including Naples, Sorrento, and the whole of the region of Campania. Experience the authentic culinary traditions and famed warmed hospitality of this corner of Italy in an environment that is informal and fun. Step into a restaurant or inviting home kitchen to be welcomed by your local instructor and roll up your sleeves, because it's time to get to work!
What Do We Make in a Cooking Class?
Are you wondering what you may make in an Amalfi Coast cooking class? Usually, an Italian cooking class in Positano or the other towns on the Amalfi Coast includes the preparation of an entire menu based on fresh local ingredients, from the appetizer to the dessert. The recipes are all authentic, many passed down through the generations, and reflect Italian cuisine that centers around a “primo piatto” (first course) of a pasta dish, a “secondo” (main course) featuring meat, fish, cheese, or other proteins. The meal finishes on a sweet note with a local dessert.
Simple and Authentic Recipes
Here is a selection of just some of the great food you may prepare during a cooking class in Positano:
- Ravioli capresi: fresh pasta filled with local cheese and tossed with fresh tomatoes and basil. This is one of the most iconic dishes on the island of Capri!
- Fritto di paranza: mixed deep-fried fish and seafood that generally includes tiny whole fish, calamari, and shrimp.
- Pizza napoletana: this iconic dish must be made with tomato sauce, garlic, and oregano (marinara) or tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella (margherita) to classify as an authentic Neapolitan pizza, famed across the globe. That said, the only limit is your own creativity in a pizza-making class, as pizzerias today offer an infinite variety of unique and gourmet toppings.
- Gnocchi alla sorrentina: some pasta-making lessons feature this local variety of gnocchi tossed with fresh tomato sauce and basil directly from the garden.
- Catch of the day baked or grilled.
- Spaghetti with clams, mussels, or other local fresh shellfish.
- Local desserts: Delizia al Limone (Lemon Delight) or Torta Caprese, made with cocoa and almonds. Otherwise, there's always the crowd-pleaser: Tiramisù.
High-Quality Ingredients
A cooking class on the Amalfi Coast is a sensory journey through the flavors and aromas of Mediterranean cuisine. Local cooking lessons use the freshest seasonal ingredients that are sourced from local farms and producers just outside Positano or even grown in the chef's own organic garden. Juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs, Amalfi Coast lemons, extra-virgin olive oil, and other specialties from the coastline form the foundation for unforgettably flavorful dishes.
Vegetarians Welcome!
Traditional Mediterranean cuisine features many recipes without meat or fish, based on fresh ingredients like vegetables, grains, and dairy products like fresh and aged cheeses. Some of the most famous dishes from the Amalfi Coast, including pizza margherita, gnocchi alla sorrentina, and eggplant parmesan are vegetarian. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you'll have no problem joining a cooking class in Positano either with a small group or privately, with a customized menu.
Raise Your Glass in a Toast
Your cooking experience on the Amalfi Coast will end with a delectable lunch (or dinner) featuring the dishes that you've and other participants have prepared during the lesson under the guidance of your instructor and chef. You can enjoy the fruit of your labors just out of the oven, make friends with fellow travelers, and raise a glass of excellent local wine to toast to your experience. Wines are often included in the price of the lesson and chosen to complement the menu, sometimes by the restaurant's sommelier. It's a great way to cap off an unforgettable culinary experience.
A Timeless Memory
Another reason to consider a cooking class in Positano: An experience like this is often one of your most indelible and precious memories from your holiday on the Amalfi Coast, in Naples, in Sorrento, or in Salerno. The opportunity to connect with locals, learn about the local culinary culture and traditions, and even pick up tips and techniques for reproducing the same flavors and aromas once home for your family and friends is priceless.
What could be a better souvenir than the knowledge of how to prepare authentic local dishes so you can relive your holiday each time you cook at home?
Amalfi's Yellow Treasures
Amalfi lemons are one of the most ubiquitous and beloved ingredients in traditional local cooking, and have been the star of many creations by Michelin-recognized chefs and pastry chefs. Amalfi Coast lemons are an heirloom variety that are featured in many of the best cooking classes on the Amalfi Coast.
The Best Cooking Classes in Positano
If you are interested in taking a cooking class on the Amalfi Coast, you have many options to choose from. You can join a lesson led by chef Diego Criscuolo in his school Valle delle Ferriere. Set against the spectacular backdrop of Ravello, you'll discover how to use the simplest ingredients to prepare surprisingly nuanced dishes, combining tradition and innovation.
In the home kitchen of Mamma Agata, the cooking school most beloved by Hollywood stars, you'll cook with vegetables picked directly from the family vegetable garden and even learn how to make authentic Limoncello, the most famous liqueur in Amalfi and Sorrento.
You can also learn to prepare traditional local dishes in a breathtaking villa in Positano! Positano Home Cooking offers small-group lessons for passionate cooks in a local residence, with a final celebratory meal paired with excellent local wines.
Cooking Classes in Sorrento
If you'd like to learn to cook southern Italian dishes in the countryside, book a class at Agriturismo Antico Casale on the Sorrentine Peninsula. This farm estate is located halfway between Positano and Sorrento and can offer hotel pickup and dropoff upon request. Spend one day in the countryside, from picking fresh vegetables and other ingredients to cooking the kitchen of chef Nonna Luisa, followed by a relaxing lunch under a panoramic pergolato.
