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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Cristina

Rome, Italy

USD
$96-$214 per person

Homemade Pasta or Pizza Class in Rome with a Local

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

Meet Cristina

Cristina works for a multinational technology company, and for as long as she can remember, her passion has been cooking and organizing creative events with culinary themes. Her cooking passion comes from her origins in Abruzzo, an Italian region east of Rome. In Abruzzo her family produced olive oil, with her grandmother leading the production. According to Cristina, her grandmother was the most talented chef in their hometown, and she used to cook in almost every local wedding that took place!

Cristina takes her passion for food everywhere, even to her workplace. As the president of their employee association she is in charge of planning social events, and she came up with the idea of organizing theme dinners representing the most important Italian regional cuisines, such as those of Piedmont, Veneto, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania and Sicily. In each event, she cooks for an average of 50 people and - over traditional regional wines of course - she blends culinary history with stories, music and even local performances! She is excited about sharing her passion for food and hosting with travelers from around the world.

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: (1-7 guests) Cristina will greet you warmly at her apartment located 20 minutes from the city center of Rome in a very traditional neighborhood, easily accessible via public transport. She will be expecting you with her husband and, when he is available, her son who is in his twenties.

Cristina's experience will be as Italian as it gets, so be ready for surprises. Expect to meet her family, maybe one or two friends, perhaps a tour guide who regularly eats at her home and will entertain you with information about the city, or even a professional sommelier to pair your meal with wine. As you enjoy a local appetizer, Cristina show you a very brief video of Rome. Once the film is done, she will start blending typical cuisine with local background music. The meal will have several courses, starting with her homemade soup. After your soup, enjoy a pasta course followed by a meat or fish course featuring fresh fish purchased from Cristina's local market. Please note that if you booked a cooking class and meal, your menu will be different.

At the point of the evening when you might be getting full, Cristina offers a local and very tasty digestive alcoholic drink before serving dessert. Dessert will also be a surprise, so let Cristina know if there's something that you don't like, otherwise relax and trust your host's amazing cooking and hosting skills.

Cooking experience: (1-5 guests) Expect a fun and dynamic class where Cristina will blend cooking with culinary history. Cristina is very well acquainted with the culinary traditions of each Italian region, so she will have a lot to share during your cooking lesson about the different styles, ingredients and specialties of Italy's diverse regions. In your Italian cooking class in Rome learn to cook three dishes - pasta such as tagliatelle (with ragu or trapanese, an almond, tomato and basil pesto) or pizza, an appetizer, and a main course (fish or meat like saltimbocca) or dessert. Enjoy your cooking lesson and culinary history over Italian wine while listening to local music. You will also get to watch a brief video of Rome to get you acquainted with its history.

Cristina is a big fan of home-made pizza. She has participated in almost every course and event related to pizza in Rome, so please let her know if you prefer cooking pizza over pasta and she will be happy to provide you with a homemade pizza lesson. If you choose to make pizza, Cristina prepares the dough in advance to allow it time to rise. During the class, you'll take part in shaping and cooking the pizzas together.

Notes: If you choose the optional alcohol add-on, Christina offers a glass of prosecco and a glass of wine. Please note that the menu varies according to the season.

Languages spoken: Italian, English

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.
  • Appetizer of seasonal bruschetta, formaggio (cheese plate) or soup
  • Handmade pasta or pizza
  • Main of fish or meat
  • Dessert

Traveler reviews

5.0 (6)
Probably one of the highlights of our trip to Italy was the lunch experience we had with Cristina and her family in Rome. My husband and I spent our last day in Rome seeking a way to immerse in the culture and have one more amazing meal. And we did! Cristina was so warm and welcoming that we were immediately at ease in her home. We assisted in making a traditional Sicilian pasta dish and then, to my husband’s delight, two types of tiramisu from scratch. The culmination of our afternoon adventure was sitting down to “pranzo” with Cristina, her husband Vito, and their son Andreas. We spoke in limited Italian (me) and rather good English (they), but the atmosphere and vibe was truly warm and familiar. We entered strangers and left friends promising to visit again over a dish of pasta made with care and love.
- Janice December 02, 2025
Cristina and her family were so sweet and inviting and so lovely to spend time in their home cooking, sharing both our love for music and sharing our cultures! Would highly recommend cooking with Cristina! Was highlight of our trip and did not disappoint!
- Tess November 05, 2025
Such a delightful authentic Italian experience! We highly recommend to anyone visiting Rome. We learned how to make gnocchi with meatballs and tiramisu. It was delicious! Looking forward to bringing these homemade recipes back home and showing off to friends. Thank you for such a wonderful evening.
- Ralph October 25, 2025
Our travel agent recommended this cooking experience with Cristina and it exceeded our expectations. Cristina and her husband Vito greeted my family with open arms as if we were a part of their family or friends. We instantly felt at home. We were able to learn how to prepare and cook an authentic Italian meal from scratch from the first course through dessert. My husband and daughter made spaghetti and ricotta/spinach filled ravioli with Cristina in the kitchen complete with making the dough, kneading it and making it into the pasta while my son and I made the antipasto plates and the panzanella salad. Cristina served us the pastas, one with her sauce with meat and the ravioli with a butter sage sauce. We helped set the table and all sat down to eat the meal together with engaging conversation. Then we finished the evening with homemade cannolis that we also helped prepare and a suprise taste of Vito’s homemade limoncello. My family all agreed that it was so delicious and the best meal that we had. We highly recommend Cristina’s cooking experience if you want to really feel the heart and soul of the Italian culture. We will always have this as a wonderful memory for our family .
- Stephanie August 04, 2024
My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful evening with Christina and her family. Christina’s expertise and passion for cooking was truly remarkable. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking for a truly authentic experience.
- Go5621 June 11, 2023
Cristina and her husband were wonderful hosts for my wife and I. We made fresh dough from scratch, prepared a variety of toppings and baked a number of delicious pies! They also provided some local beer, moscato, and a traditional Sicilian dessert. This was an amazing experience, we spent hours eating and sharing our cultures. Highly recommended!
- lightthelamp April 18, 2019
Read More

Cristina

$96-$214 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • No waiting! Booking confirmed instantly
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $154 $96 $96
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $214 $172 $146
Alcohol
 $16 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $154 $96 $96
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $214 $172 $146
Alcohol
 $16 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-3:00pm 8:30pm-11:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-3:00pm 7:00pm-11:00pm

Meet Cristina

Cristina works for a multinational technology company, and for as long as she can remember, her passion has been cooking and organizing creative events with culinary themes. Her cooking passion comes from her origins in Abruzzo, an Italian region east of Rome. In Abruzzo her family produced olive oil, with her grandmother leading the production. According to Cristina, her grandmother was the most talented chef in their hometown, and she used to cook in almost every local wedding that took place!

Cristina takes her passion for food everywhere, even to her workplace. As the president of their employee association she is in charge of planning social events, and she came up with the idea of organizing theme dinners representing the most important Italian regional cuisines, such as those of Piedmont, Veneto, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania and Sicily. In each event, she cooks for an average of 50 people and - over traditional regional wines of course - she blends culinary history with stories, music and even local performances! She is excited about sharing her passion for food and hosting with travelers from around the world.

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: (1-7 guests) Cristina will greet you warmly at her apartment located 20 minutes from the city center of Rome in a very traditional neighborhood, easily accessible via public transport. She will be expecting you with her husband and, when he is available, her son who is in his twenties.

Cristina's experience will be as Italian as it gets, so be ready for surprises. Expect to meet her family, maybe one or two friends, perhaps a tour guide who regularly eats at her home and will entertain you with information about the city, or even a professional sommelier to pair your meal with wine. As you enjoy a local appetizer, Cristina show you a very brief video of Rome. Once the film is done, she will start blending typical cuisine with local background music. The meal will have several courses, starting with her homemade soup. After your soup, enjoy a pasta course followed by a meat or fish course featuring fresh fish purchased from Cristina's local market. Please note that if you booked a cooking class and meal, your menu will be different.

At the point of the evening when you might be getting full, Cristina offers a local and very tasty digestive alcoholic drink before serving dessert. Dessert will also be a surprise, so let Cristina know if there's something that you don't like, otherwise relax and trust your host's amazing cooking and hosting skills.

Cooking experience: (1-5 guests) Expect a fun and dynamic class where Cristina will blend cooking with culinary history. Cristina is very well acquainted with the culinary traditions of each Italian region, so she will have a lot to share during your cooking lesson about the different styles, ingredients and specialties of Italy's diverse regions. In your Italian cooking class in Rome learn to cook three dishes - pasta such as tagliatelle (with ragu or trapanese, an almond, tomato and basil pesto) or pizza, an appetizer, and a main course (fish or meat like saltimbocca) or dessert. Enjoy your cooking lesson and culinary history over Italian wine while listening to local music. You will also get to watch a brief video of Rome to get you acquainted with its history.

Cristina is a big fan of home-made pizza. She has participated in almost every course and event related to pizza in Rome, so please let her know if you prefer cooking pizza over pasta and she will be happy to provide you with a homemade pizza lesson. If you choose to make pizza, Cristina prepares the dough in advance to allow it time to rise. During the class, you'll take part in shaping and cooking the pizzas together.

Notes: If you choose the optional alcohol add-on, Christina offers a glass of prosecco and a glass of wine. Please note that the menu varies according to the season.

Languages spoken: Italian, English

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.
  • Appetizer of seasonal bruschetta, formaggio (cheese plate) or soup
  • Handmade pasta or pizza
  • Main of fish or meat
  • Dessert

Traveler reviews

5.0 (6)
Probably one of the highlights of our trip to Italy was the lunch experience we had with Cristina and her family in Rome. My husband and I spent our last day in Rome seeking a way to immerse in the culture and have one more amazing meal. And we did! Cristina was so warm and welcoming that we were immediately at ease in her home. We assisted in making a traditional Sicilian pasta dish and then, to my husband’s delight, two types of tiramisu from scratch. The culmination of our afternoon adventure was sitting down to “pranzo” with Cristina, her husband Vito, and their son Andreas. We spoke in limited Italian (me) and rather good English (they), but the atmosphere and vibe was truly warm and familiar. We entered strangers and left friends promising to visit again over a dish of pasta made with care and love.
- Janice December 02, 2025
Cristina and her family were so sweet and inviting and so lovely to spend time in their home cooking, sharing both our love for music and sharing our cultures! Would highly recommend cooking with Cristina! Was highlight of our trip and did not disappoint!
- Tess November 05, 2025
Such a delightful authentic Italian experience! We highly recommend to anyone visiting Rome. We learned how to make gnocchi with meatballs and tiramisu. It was delicious! Looking forward to bringing these homemade recipes back home and showing off to friends. Thank you for such a wonderful evening.
- Ralph October 25, 2025
Our travel agent recommended this cooking experience with Cristina and it exceeded our expectations. Cristina and her husband Vito greeted my family with open arms as if we were a part of their family or friends. We instantly felt at home. We were able to learn how to prepare and cook an authentic Italian meal from scratch from the first course through dessert. My husband and daughter made spaghetti and ricotta/spinach filled ravioli with Cristina in the kitchen complete with making the dough, kneading it and making it into the pasta while my son and I made the antipasto plates and the panzanella salad. Cristina served us the pastas, one with her sauce with meat and the ravioli with a butter sage sauce. We helped set the table and all sat down to eat the meal together with engaging conversation. Then we finished the evening with homemade cannolis that we also helped prepare and a suprise taste of Vito’s homemade limoncello. My family all agreed that it was so delicious and the best meal that we had. We highly recommend Cristina’s cooking experience if you want to really feel the heart and soul of the Italian culture. We will always have this as a wonderful memory for our family .
- Stephanie August 04, 2024
My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful evening with Christina and her family. Christina’s expertise and passion for cooking was truly remarkable. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking for a truly authentic experience.
- Go5621 June 11, 2023
Cristina and her husband were wonderful hosts for my wife and I. We made fresh dough from scratch, prepared a variety of toppings and baked a number of delicious pies! They also provided some local beer, moscato, and a traditional Sicilian dessert. This was an amazing experience, we spent hours eating and sharing our cultures. Highly recommended!
- lightthelamp April 18, 2019
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $154 $96 $96
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $214 $172 $146
Alcohol
 $16 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $154 $96 $96
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $214 $172 $146
Alcohol
 $16 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-3:00pm 8:30pm-11:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-3:00pm 7:00pm-11:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 4% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can't make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host's profile doesn't work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

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    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

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    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

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