Meet
Bianca
Bianca is a passionate Bolognese cook dedicated to preserving her family’s culinary heritage. Taught by her grandmother, Bianca now welcomes guests to her hilltop cooking school near Bologna, just a 15 minute train ride away, where she shares the time honored flavors of her childhood. For Bianca, cooking is an expression of love, memory, and cultural exchange. As her son Luca fondly says, “I had classmates who I think were friends with me just so they could eat my mother’s cooking,” and today, guests travel from places like Los Angeles and Seoul to the small town of Castel San Pietro Terme to experience her cooking firsthand.
What to expect
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
Cooking experience:
(2-15 guests)
Join Bianca for a private and authentic Bologna cooking class at a former hunting lodge overlooking the countryside just outside the city. Rooted in generations of family tradition, this hands on experience has welcomed guests from around the world and has been featured in The New York Times!
In this immersive Bolognese cooking class, you will prepare everything from scratch using traditional techniques, without pasta machines, just as Bianca learned from her grandmother. You can choose between two menus. The first focuses on classic handmade pastas, including tagliatelle al ragù, the iconic dish of Bologna, where silky ribbons of fresh pasta are paired with a rich, slow cooked meat sauce, along with delicate ricotta ravioli served with butter and sage. The second menu highlights traditional nonna style lasagna, layered with fresh pasta, ragù, béchamel, and cheese, alongside Bianca’s signature green dough pasta, where you shape vibrant, herb infused dough into seasonal forms.
The experience ends on a sweet note with homemade tiramisu. Throughout the class, enjoy unlimited local prosecco, then sit down together at the table to enjoy the full meal you have prepared side by side, tasting each dish as it is meant to be eaten and sharing it in a relaxed, convivial setting, just as in a traditional Bolognese home. This Bologna cooking class is ideal for travelers seeking an authentic, hands on introduction to traditional Italian cooking in a beautiful setting. Perfect for couples, families and groups who enjoy authentic Italian cooking and culture.
Notes:
Allergies & Dietary Needs:
Bianca can accommodate vegetarian and lactose free diets with advance notice. She is not able to host vegan guests at this time, as the fresh pasta contains eggs. Gluten free pasta can be prepared; however, for guests with severe gluten allergies, Bianca prefers not to host due to the possibility of cross contamination in the kitchen. Please share any allergies or dietary requirements when booking.
Meeting Location:
If you are driving, please meet your host directly at her hilltop hunting lodge.
If you plan to use public transportation, please inform Bianca at least 3 days in advance. You will meet her at Castel San Pietro Terme train station, where she will pick you up and drive you to her cooking studio.
Trains run every 16–42 minutes from Bologna Centrale.
Lunch session: Recommended train departs Bologna Centrale at 10:34 AM, arriving at 10:48 AM.
Dinner session: Recommended train departs at 5:34 PM, arriving at 5:47 PM.
If you prefer hotel pickup in the Bologna area, please select the optional paid round trip transfer at checkout.
Languages spoken:
English, Italian, French
Sample menu
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