Difficulty level
0 of 5

Min. age – 2 years old 

3 hours

Morning or Afternoon

Sicilian cuisine is one of the island’s greatest cultural treasures, and the best way to truly connect with it is to get into the kitchen, roll up your sleeves and learn from someone who knows it inside out.

The cooking class in Catania puts you in front of the stove alongside a professional chef who will teach you to prepare three traditional Sicilian dishes, before sitting down together to eat what you have made.

Sicily is a place where food tells the story of history better than any museum: centuries of different influences, from Arab to Norman, Spanish to Bourbon, have left precise traces in the local cuisine.

Catania in particular has an exceptionally strong gastronomic tradition, rooted in the territory of Etna and the Ionian coast, with intense flavours and combinations that still surprise those who discover them for the first time.

Three hours in the kitchen with a chef, three recipes from the Sicilian tradition and a set table at the end: a hands-on way to get to know Catania and its food culture.

Cooking Class in Catania: a Professional Kitchen with a Chef

The course takes place in a professional kitchen laboratory, fully equipped with everything needed to work well: worktops, professional tools, fresh ingredients and typical Sicilian products selected for the occasion.

The chef leading the course knows Sicilian cuisine both at a professional level and as a family and cultural tradition.

During the lesson he explains every step, tells the story behind each dish, suggests variations and answers questions. It is a hands-on lesson: everyone gets their hands in the dough, literally.

What You Cook During the Catania Cooking Class

The course menu revolves around three dishes from the Catanian and Sicilian tradition, chosen to represent different souls of the local cuisine.

We start with traditional Sicilian bruschette, one of the most beloved starters, made with Sicilian bread and local typical products.

The second dish is Caponata. It is the dish that best captures the spirit of Sicilian cooking: aubergine, celery, olives, capers and tomato in a sweet and sour balance that varies slightly from family to family and from province to province. Its origins are ancient, probably Arab, and in Sicily every cook has their own version. During the course you learn the Catanian version, with all its steps and timings.

Next come fresh handmade gnocchi alla Norma. The dish was born in Catania and is dedicated to the opera by Vincenzo Bellini: fried aubergine, tomato, fresh basil and grated salted ricotta on top. It is a first course that is simple in its ingredients and complex in its execution: the gnocchi dough is worked by hand, frying the aubergine requires attention and the sauce needs time. It is one of those dishes that looks easy and is not, and understanding how to do it properly makes all the difference.

The course closes with the Sicilian cannolo. The shell is fried fresh, the ricotta cream is prepared during the lesson and the cannolo is assembled and eaten at the end of the meal, enjoying the crunch of the freshly made shell.

A Shared Experience: Lunch or Dinner Together

At the end of the lesson you sit down at the table and eat what you have cooked. It is the part that completes the experience: after understanding how a dish is made, tasting it feels different.

There is a particular satisfaction in eating something you made yourself, especially when the result is good.

Lunch or dinner includes the dishes prepared during the course and a bottle of Sicilian wine. The atmosphere is informal and convivial: you eat together, talk and share thoughts on the dishes. It works well both for those who come with friends or family and for those who join alone and end up sharing the table with other food enthusiasts.

What Is Included

The course includes the use of the professional kitchen laboratory, all equipment, all ingredients and typical Sicilian products needed to prepare the dishes, lunch or dinner with the dishes cooked during the lesson, and a bottle of Sicilian wine.

Book Your Cooking Class in Catania

The course lasts 3 hours and is designed for groups of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 12 people. It is suitable even for those who have never cooked professionally: no experience is needed, just a desire to learn and a curiosity for Sicilian cuisine.

Fill out the form and book your cooking class in Catania: take home an experience worth more than a hundred souvenirs.