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Host: Giovanna C

Bologna, Italy

USD
$129-$159 per person

Traditional Bolognese Cooking with a Loving Italian Mother

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Giovanna C

Giovanna is a warm and gentle retired history and philosophy teacher who has lived in Bologna for over 60 years. She lives in an apartment in a large villa with her daughters Francesca and Laura. She learned fish and vegetable recipes from her mother and grandmother, originally from the Marche region and learned traditional Bolognese cooking from her husband’s family. She loves cooking for family, friends and guests and particularly enjoys widening her culinary repertoire with new dishes she learns on her travels.

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.

In-home meal: (1-3 guests) Join Giovanna for a seasonal in-home Bolognese meal that starts with typical Bolognese snacks like crescentine or tigelle, a traditional pastry breakfast of mountain farmers made with flour, water, pesto, lard, rosemary, parmesan, traditionally pressed with two bricks and two chestnut tree leaves. You will then enjoy salumi and cheeses like squacquerone and parmigiano-reggiano before tasting seasonal, oven-roasted vegetables including delightful pomodori, Italian tomatoes, or seasonal lettuces and garden vegetables served in the local "pinzimonio" (crudite) style. The central pillars of Bolognese cooking are pork meat and egg pasta and you will enjoy a pasta such as tagliatelle al ragù or the local Gramigna, Bolognese pasta with "salsiccia" made in the surrounding countryside. Second courses include the famous cotoletta alla bolognese (veal with ham and parmigiano) or bisteccone (steak) or cotechino in galera and polpette con umido con piselli (meatballs with peas). Giovanna usually combines meat dishes with potato purèe or verdure con besciamella (vegetables with bechamel sauce) or friggione (a slow-cooked dish made with onions and tomatoes). Desserts vary seasonally and are usually tied to traditional festivals, such as the certosino bolognese for Christmas or le raviole for Saint Joseph or pinza (filled with Bolognese mostarda) or torta di riso, a rice cake which families make for the festa degli addobbi.

Cooking experience: (1-3 guests) Giovanna loves teaching guests how to prepare typical dishes from the rich Bolognese cooking tradition and sharing tales and anecdotes that are connected to different foods. Join Giovanna in her kitchen for your Bologna cooking class and learn to make a pasta dish such as tagliatelle al ragù or lasagne or tortellini, or a lesser known pasta such as gramigna with sausage or maltagliati (offcuts of flat egg pasta) with beans, or passatelli in brodo (soup with pasta). You will also learn to cook a side or dessert, before you share the meal you helped prepare with Giovanna at her dining table.

Market visit: (1-3 guests) Join Giovanna for a memorable tour of one of Bologna's markets. Depending on the day you may visit the Mercato del Quadrilatero or Mercato del Erbe (closed on Sunday) where she buys her seasonal fruit and vegetables. The Antico mercato del Quadrilatero is a few minutes from her house and has medieval origins. You will see vendors selling everything from artisanal products to jewelry, meat, fish, salami, fruit, vegetables and bread. It is located in Piazza Maggiore, and is where most Bolognese housewives go to find traditional and genuine products. The other market you may visit is the Mercato delle Erbe, a covered market in the historical center, where you can buy local and regional produce, from fruit and vegetables to meat, cheese, salami, wine and fish.

Notes: Giovanna can accommodate a vegetarian diet, if informed in advance, at the time of booking. Please note that, as is common in many Italian homes, this residence does not have air conditioning.

Languages spoken: English, Italian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Bolognese snacks: Crescentine (served with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese) and Tigelle (pesto, rosemary e parmesan cheese pastry)
  • Appetizers: Salumi and Formaggi
  • Side: Seasonal lettuce and garden vegetables salad or roasted vegetables
  • First course: Gramigna or tagliatelle al ragù or lasagne
  • Second course: Cotoletta alla bolognese or bisteccone (steak) or polpette con umido con piselli
  • Dessert: Typical Italian seasonal dessert

Traveler reviews

5.0 (27)
Giovanna, Laura and Francesca gave us the best experience of kindness, friendship and family! The market tour with Giovanna was lovely as she shared her love of Bologna and her knowledge of local fare. As we arrived at her home we were greeted by her daughters like longtime friends. The cooking class was like a lesson from your favorite grandmother and cousins. The food was amazing but the fellowship was the highlight. Definitely an experience I will treasure for years to come.
- Mike November 23, 2025
This was an incredible experience and one of the highlights of our trip so far. Giovanna and her family were warm and welcoming and great teachers. We learned a lot walking through Bologna and going to the market with Giovanna and I was able to practice my Italian with her. Loved learning how to make ragu and tortellini and the food was delicious. Sitting down to enjoy the meal together and have wonderful conversation made the night even better. This is such a treat and I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to learn these dishes and have more of a one on one experience. If I could give this more stars I would. Grazie!
- Jennifer November 20, 2025
Honestly, it felt less like a class and more like cooking with a friend who happens to be great chef. I’d 100% recommend this to anyone looking for a fun day out or wanting to learn something new.
- Tammy October 08, 2025
After touring the old market area in central Bologna we went back and cooked a delicious 3-course supper. I've never really nailed making pasta, let alone filled pasta, so to be guided through it by an expert was great! Giovanna was generous with her time and knowledge, and sharing how she and her family live (very different to our lives in Australia).
- Indrasi July 03, 2025
Wow what an amazing and unique experience! I am so grateful for Gio and her 2 daughters who welcomed me and my husband into their home to teach us how to make bolognese sauce with tagliatelle pasta, tortelloni, and vegetables. It was one of the best experiences during our entire honeymoon!
- Tommy June 17, 2025
Read More

Giovanna C

$129-$159 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $159 $129 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $159 $129 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 5:00pm-10:00pm

Meet Giovanna C

Giovanna is a warm and gentle retired history and philosophy teacher who has lived in Bologna for over 60 years. She lives in an apartment in a large villa with her daughters Francesca and Laura. She learned fish and vegetable recipes from her mother and grandmother, originally from the Marche region and learned traditional Bolognese cooking from her husband’s family. She loves cooking for family, friends and guests and particularly enjoys widening her culinary repertoire with new dishes she learns on her travels.

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.

In-home meal: (1-3 guests) Join Giovanna for a seasonal in-home Bolognese meal that starts with typical Bolognese snacks like crescentine or tigelle, a traditional pastry breakfast of mountain farmers made with flour, water, pesto, lard, rosemary, parmesan, traditionally pressed with two bricks and two chestnut tree leaves. You will then enjoy salumi and cheeses like squacquerone and parmigiano-reggiano before tasting seasonal, oven-roasted vegetables including delightful pomodori, Italian tomatoes, or seasonal lettuces and garden vegetables served in the local "pinzimonio" (crudite) style. The central pillars of Bolognese cooking are pork meat and egg pasta and you will enjoy a pasta such as tagliatelle al ragù or the local Gramigna, Bolognese pasta with "salsiccia" made in the surrounding countryside. Second courses include the famous cotoletta alla bolognese (veal with ham and parmigiano) or bisteccone (steak) or cotechino in galera and polpette con umido con piselli (meatballs with peas). Giovanna usually combines meat dishes with potato purèe or verdure con besciamella (vegetables with bechamel sauce) or friggione (a slow-cooked dish made with onions and tomatoes). Desserts vary seasonally and are usually tied to traditional festivals, such as the certosino bolognese for Christmas or le raviole for Saint Joseph or pinza (filled with Bolognese mostarda) or torta di riso, a rice cake which families make for the festa degli addobbi.

Cooking experience: (1-3 guests) Giovanna loves teaching guests how to prepare typical dishes from the rich Bolognese cooking tradition and sharing tales and anecdotes that are connected to different foods. Join Giovanna in her kitchen for your Bologna cooking class and learn to make a pasta dish such as tagliatelle al ragù or lasagne or tortellini, or a lesser known pasta such as gramigna with sausage or maltagliati (offcuts of flat egg pasta) with beans, or passatelli in brodo (soup with pasta). You will also learn to cook a side or dessert, before you share the meal you helped prepare with Giovanna at her dining table.

Market visit: (1-3 guests) Join Giovanna for a memorable tour of one of Bologna's markets. Depending on the day you may visit the Mercato del Quadrilatero or Mercato del Erbe (closed on Sunday) where she buys her seasonal fruit and vegetables. The Antico mercato del Quadrilatero is a few minutes from her house and has medieval origins. You will see vendors selling everything from artisanal products to jewelry, meat, fish, salami, fruit, vegetables and bread. It is located in Piazza Maggiore, and is where most Bolognese housewives go to find traditional and genuine products. The other market you may visit is the Mercato delle Erbe, a covered market in the historical center, where you can buy local and regional produce, from fruit and vegetables to meat, cheese, salami, wine and fish.

Notes: Giovanna can accommodate a vegetarian diet, if informed in advance, at the time of booking. Please note that, as is common in many Italian homes, this residence does not have air conditioning.

Languages spoken: English, Italian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Bolognese snacks: Crescentine (served with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese) and Tigelle (pesto, rosemary e parmesan cheese pastry)
  • Appetizers: Salumi and Formaggi
  • Side: Seasonal lettuce and garden vegetables salad or roasted vegetables
  • First course: Gramigna or tagliatelle al ragù or lasagne
  • Second course: Cotoletta alla bolognese or bisteccone (steak) or polpette con umido con piselli
  • Dessert: Typical Italian seasonal dessert

Traveler reviews

5.0 (27)
Giovanna, Laura and Francesca gave us the best experience of kindness, friendship and family! The market tour with Giovanna was lovely as she shared her love of Bologna and her knowledge of local fare. As we arrived at her home we were greeted by her daughters like longtime friends. The cooking class was like a lesson from your favorite grandmother and cousins. The food was amazing but the fellowship was the highlight. Definitely an experience I will treasure for years to come.
- Mike November 23, 2025
This was an incredible experience and one of the highlights of our trip so far. Giovanna and her family were warm and welcoming and great teachers. We learned a lot walking through Bologna and going to the market with Giovanna and I was able to practice my Italian with her. Loved learning how to make ragu and tortellini and the food was delicious. Sitting down to enjoy the meal together and have wonderful conversation made the night even better. This is such a treat and I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to learn these dishes and have more of a one on one experience. If I could give this more stars I would. Grazie!
- Jennifer November 20, 2025
Honestly, it felt less like a class and more like cooking with a friend who happens to be great chef. I’d 100% recommend this to anyone looking for a fun day out or wanting to learn something new.
- Tammy October 08, 2025
After touring the old market area in central Bologna we went back and cooked a delicious 3-course supper. I've never really nailed making pasta, let alone filled pasta, so to be guided through it by an expert was great! Giovanna was generous with her time and knowledge, and sharing how she and her family live (very different to our lives in Australia).
- Indrasi July 03, 2025
Wow what an amazing and unique experience! I am so grateful for Gio and her 2 daughters who welcomed me and my husband into their home to teach us how to make bolognese sauce with tagliatelle pasta, tortelloni, and vegetables. It was one of the best experiences during our entire honeymoon!
- Tommy June 17, 2025
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $159 $129 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $159 $129 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 5:00pm-10:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

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