What to Eat in Como (Lake Como): Local Dishes to Try

Food around Lake Como is simple, seasonal and tied to the lake and the mountains. Here are the specialities to taste — plus the one you can learn to make yourself.

1. Hand-made fresh pasta

Tagliatelle, ravioli, gnocchi: fresh pasta is the heart of Northern Italian cooking. Texture, sauce and timing make all the difference — exactly what you practise in a class.

2. Lake-fish risotto

Lake Como gives delicate freshwater fish (perch, whitefish). You'll find them in creamy risottos and simple dishes that let the ingredient shine.

3. Pizzoccheri from Valtellina

Buckwheat pasta with potatoes, cabbage and mountain cheese: a rustic, comforting plate typical of the nearby valleys.

4. Polenta

Creamy or grilled, polenta pairs with meats, cheeses and slow-cooked dishes: a Northern classic worth discovering.

5. Tiramisù

The Italian dessert: mascarpone, coffee and cocoa. In our classes we build it in glasses for clean layers and balanced flavour.

The tip

  • Eat seasonal — it's the golden rule of local food.
  • Try fresh pasta: nothing like the dried kind.
  • The best way to understand a dish? Cook it.

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Learn to cook these dishes in Como

Fresh pasta and tiramisù, small group, chef-led. English and French spoken in class.

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