Cooking Classes in Como: Pasta, Risotto and How to Choose

What a cooking class in Como actually involves

These are hands-on sessions, not demonstrations. At Mani in Pasta you knead your own panetto, the ball of flour and eggs that starts every sfoglia (the thin sheet of fresh egg pasta), roll it with a matterello (the long wooden rolling pin) and cut your own shapes before sitting down to eat them. A resident chef rolls a demonstration sfoglia first, then you take the pin yourself.

Every class ends with a meal, and the structure is the same across the formats: an aperitivo of cured meats and cheeses, then the pasta or risotto you made with local wine at the table, then dessert. That makes a class a lunch or a dinner as much as a lesson, so book it instead of a restaurant slot rather than on top of one.

If you would rather understand the cooking from the ground up, La Cartiera describes itself as a genuine school whose kitchen fills with students from local institutes during the day. Its weekly courses have you choose a menu, cook it and eat it together.

Pasta and risotto masterclasses at Mani in Pasta

Mani in Pasta runs its masterclasses from Via Teresa Ciceri 10A in Como, with a resident chef who trained at the Accademia della Sfoglia, the travelling pasta school founded by Rina Poletti. Sessions are capped at 12 guests, run roughly three hours and are hosted in English, French and Italian, which matters if your group is mixed.

Prices run from €130 per person, with the individual masterclasses listed at €130, €140, €150 and €160 per person depending on the menu. Every class includes the aperitivo, local wine at the table and dessert, so the headline figure covers the whole sitting rather than just the tuition.

The finish is the part people remember: a scoop of gelato with a few drops of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP from Acetaia del Cristo, a family acetaia in Modena, aged 25 years in wooden casks. It is dense, dark and sweet-sharp, served by the drop rather than poured.

What the masterclass formats cover

The pasta classes all start from the same sfoglia and diverge at the cutting board. Tagliatelle is rolled and cut by hand with a choice of fresh tomato or ragù Bolognese sauce, while farfalle e garganelli makes two shapes from a single sheet. Ravioloni verdi uses green spinach dough, sealed one by one and filled with ricotta.

Gnocchi is the outlier: potatoes crushed while warm with barely any flour, ridged on the board so the sauce clings, served with tomato or ragù. The risotto masterclass moves away from pasta altogether, with saffron risotto in the Milanese style or a version with luganega, a pork sausage.

Couples can cook side by side, families are welcome with a minimum age of 14 for groups of two to five, and larger groups can be quoted separately. If your trip revolves around pasta, the best pasta in Como shortlist is a useful companion for the meals you are not cooking yourself.

Weekly classes at IncominciaperC in La Cartiera

IncominciaperC is a cookery school rather than a one-off experience. It has run from La Cartiera at via Piadeni 14/16 since 2017, organising courses weekly that you sign up for online, with a menu chosen in advance and cooked and eaten together. There is also a private-lab option where you agree the menu with the school.

For visitors, the school runs special classes aimed at tourists, and its own description is pointed: it promises genuine Italian home cooking rather than the usual touristy dishes. That is the closest thing here to an editorial promise, so read the menu on the booking page before you commit.

The space is a professional kitchen with an open view, plus a sitting room lined with cookery books and a large convivial table. It is a room built for lingering after the cooking is done, which suits anyone who wants conversation with the meal.

How to choose between a masterclass and a school class

Pick Mani in Pasta if you want a defined format: about three hours, no more than 12 guests, a specific dish named in advance, and a price that includes aperitivo, wine and dessert. The clear menu and fixed length make it easy to plan a day around.

Pick IncominciaperC if you would rather join a school with a weekly rhythm, are open to a menu decided with the kitchen, or are travelling as a private group wanting a custom session. Its strength is breadth of format rather than a single signature dish.

Both venues publish English alongside Italian: Mani in Pasta hosts its sessions in English, French and Italian, and IncominciaperC sets out its special classes for tourists in English on its site. Italian is the working language of the kitchens, so a mixed group is well served either way.

Whichever you choose, decide by how much rolling you want to do yourself. A masterclass puts the matterello in your hands; a school course may spread the work across a menu of several dishes.

Booking, paying and what you take home

Mani in Pasta takes no upfront payment: you pick a date in the booking form, the team confirms it and arranges payment by email. Availability is limited, so a date late in your trip is riskier than one early on.

IncominciaperC lets you book weekly courses directly online, and handles private labs and group sessions on request. If you are organising for a larger party, check current dates and availability with the school before booking individual places.

What you bring home is the technique rather than a souvenir: how a rested panetto feels in your hands, and how to cut a sfoglia to the right width. Mani in Pasta frames its method as something passed down from cooks who have made sfoglia for a lifetime rather than learned from a recipe, which is exactly what a few hours with a matterello gives you.

Where the classes are and how to fit one in

Mani in Pasta sits at Via Teresa Ciceri 10A in Como, and IncominciaperC works out of La Cartiera at via Piadeni 14/16. Both are city addresses, so plan the class around your other meals rather than treating it as a separate excursion.

A three-hour evening session at Mani in Pasta replaces dinner, and a morning one leaves the afternoon free. Build the rest of the day around the best restaurants in Como rather than squeezing in a second big meal.

If pizza is more your thing than pasta, the best pizza in Como guide covers where to eat after a morning class, and the best restaurants in Como shortlist helps with the rest of the day.

Which class should you book?

Book Mani in Pasta if you want a short, hands-on masterclass with a fixed menu, a small group and one all-in price from €130 per person; book IncominciaperC if you prefer a working school, a weekly calendar and the option of a private session with a menu you help set. Neither decision depends on reviews: it depends on whether you want one dish done properly or a broader course.

Whichever you pick, reserve early in your stay so a cancellation leaves room to rebook, and treat the class as your main meal of that half-day.