Lake Como • hands-on • about 3 hours
Risotto Masterclass: a risotto cooking class in Como – saffron risotto, with or without luganega (pork sausage)
Carnaroli rice · broth one ladle at a time · gelato with balsamic
Per person: Saffron Risotto €130 · Luganega Risotto (pork sausage) €140 · up to 12 guests · minimum age 14
Aperitivo with cured meats & cheeses Local wine · 1 bottle every 4 guests Dessert · gelato with 25-year balsamic Vegetarian option
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For practical details, read our FAQ or see how our cooking class works.
The experience
This is the one class at our wooden bench where no pasta gets rolled. The ritual is different. Carnaroli rice hits the hot pan and you learn to listen: when the grains sing, they are ready for the first ladle of broth. Then it is you, the pot and the wave – broth added one ladle at a time, stirred until the rice moves like water. At the end, the mantecatura: off the heat, cold butter, Parmigiano, and the pan comes alive.
The risotto is the yellow one of Milan: saffron pistils steeped in broth, the colour Milan has put on its risotto for centuries. It comes in two versions: the Saffron Risotto and the Luganega Risotto, which is the saffron risotto with luganega, the fresh pork sausage of Lombardy.
At the table, at the end: your risotto, local wine (one bottle for every four guests) and gelato finished with a few drops of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP from Acetaia del Cristo, a family acetaia in Emilia where the balsamic is made from a single ingredient, cooked grape must, and aged twenty-five years in a battery of wooden casks. The cherry-barrel one is fruity and sweet, perfect on ice cream.
Also included: an aperitivo with cured meats and cheeses. The class runs in English, French and Italian, lasts about three hours, and you book without any advance payment.
The risotto
Risotto alla milanese
Toasting, broth, wave, mantecatura.
One saffron risotto, two versions
Saffron pistils · the yellow of Milan
Per person: Saffron Risotto €130 · Luganega Risotto (pork sausage) €140
Saffron in pistils, never powder: the threads steep in hot broth and give up their colour slowly, until the pot turns the deep yellow Milan is known for. The story goes back centuries – they say it started in 1574 with a glassmaker’s apprentice who coloured everything with saffron, until someone slipped it into a wedding risotto. Milan has never taken it off the menu since.
You toast the rice, pull the colour from the pistils and finish with the mantecatura – a plate of risotto alla milanese made by your own hands.
The Saffron Risotto is cooked with vegetable broth. The Luganega Risotto is the same saffron risotto with the addition of luganega, the fresh pork sausage of Lombardy and a classic companion of yellow risotto in the region.
The ritual
The ritual, step by step
Every session follows the same arc, unhurried: about three hours from the first ladle of broth to the last drop of balsamic on the gelato.
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The broth
Welcome at the bench: the broth is already murmuring on the stove. You taste it first – a risotto is only ever as good as its broth – and you learn what goes into it.
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The balsamico
While the broth works, Marco, our resident chef, introduces the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP from Acetaia del Cristo – a family acetaia of three generations, where the balsamic is made from a single ingredient, cooked grape must, and aged twenty-five years in a battery of wooden casks. You taste it: a single drop, sweet-and-sharp and lingering, the one that will finish your gelato at the end of the meal. Read more about the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena we use.
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The aperitivo
Before the rice goes in, everyone gathers around a board of cured meats and cheeses: the aperitivo, while the broth keeps simmering.
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The toasting
Carnaroli into the hot pan. You learn to listen: the grains turn translucent at the edges and start to sing – a dry, glassy crackle. That sound means the rice is ready for the first ladle.
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One ladle at a time
Broth, stir, wait, again. No shortcuts and no walking away: you learn to read the rice as it swells, when it drinks and when it asks for the next ladle.
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The wave
A risotto is ready when it moves all’onda – shake the pan and the rice rolls like a slow wave. You learn to see it, and to feel it in the wrist.
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Your risotto
Saffron pistils steeped and stirred in: your risotto takes its final shape. In the Luganega Risotto it is finished with luganega, the fresh pork sausage of Lombardy.
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The mantecatura, and the table
Off the heat: cold butter and Parmigiano, beaten in until the rice turns glossy. Then everything comes to the table – risotto, wine in the glass and, to finish, gelato with a few drops of the Acetaia del Cristo balsamic – the cherry-barrel one, fruity and sweet, perfect on ice cream.
The signature dessert
Gelato with Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, aged 25 years
Every masterclass ends the same way: a scoop of gelato and a few drops of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP from Acetaia del Cristo, a family acetaia in Modena run for three generations.
It is made from one ingredient, cooked grape must, and it waits twenty-five years in a battery of wooden casks. Dense, dark, sweet and sharp at once: it is served by the drop. The one aged in cherry wood is the fruitiest, and it is the one we pour over the gelato.
- 25 yearsin wooden casks
- DOPTradizionale di Modena
- 1 ingredientcooked grape must
You’ll cook with Marco
Our home chef
Mani in Pasta is a family: Marco at the wooden bench, Valentina at his side — and some evenings Marco’s mamma, Silvana, at the stove. The ragù is hers. You cook the way this house has always cooked: together.
The aperitivo and the open kitchen
Frequently asked questions about this class
What's included in the price?
About three hours: an aperitivo with cured meats and cheeses, all ingredients, the meal at the table with local wine (one bottle for every four guests), and gelato with 25-year-aged Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP from Acetaia del Cristo. The Saffron Risotto is €130 per person, the Luganega Risotto (pork sausage) €140. At the aperitivo, vegetarians simply keep to the cheeses. No upfront payment.
How do I book?
Send a request from the booking form — no online payment. We confirm your date within 24 hours by email or WhatsApp. Up to 12 guests per session, minimum age 14.
Moments from our classes
What our guests say
5.0 · 12 Google reviews
Wonderful experience with delicious foods and wines!
Cannot recommend this experience enough! Marco was very knowledgeable and explained every step of the process. Val was extremely helpful with translating and had perfect English. Between the appetizer, main course, and dessert everything was fantastic and one of the best meals I have ever had. We cannot thank Marco, Val, and their mother for the hospitality and unforgettable experience.
More than 5 stars for Val, Marco and Silvana, who welcomed us into their family home to teach us Italian homemade pasta techniques in such a friendly pleasurable way. They made it fun and you can't help but love this family! A perfect family team working together wanting to share their love of traditional Italian food cooked with joy. We loved every minute. Our favorite thing in Como — this authentic Italian family cooking class should be at the top of your list to do! Grazie mille!!!
My mom, sister, daughter, niece and I did the tagliatelle al ragù pasta making class with Mani in Pasta and had such a great time! Val, Marco and Silvana were wonderful teachers and hosts! They are a wealth of knowledge and are happy to share it with you. I would highly recommend this class for anyone interested in learning how to make delicious, authentic Italian pasta. Gelato at the end was a delicious treat.
We had fun and learned so much! They were so knowledgeable and treated us like family. Not to mention the food was delicious (and maybe I can try to recreate it again at home)! They provided insight into the history of Italian food culture that can only come from generations who live here.
Wonderful experience near the center of Como. The cooking class was very detailed, engaging, and enjoyable. I learned a lot and had a great time. Highly recommended!
I loved the experience! A fun and easy way to learn how to make pasta, the REAL pasta. The chef was super friendly and patient, I really enjoyed the environment she created. I definitely recommend this experience, worth the money and the time.
I had a wonderful experience at this cooking class! The atmosphere was warm and welcoming from the very beginning, and the instructor explained everything clearly and with great enthusiasm.
It's a fantastic and unforgettable experience! A warm place with good vibes and atmosphere! Fun and very professional team! If you visit Como, don't miss Mani in Pasta.
Fantastic cooking class! Clear instructions, great atmosphere, fresh ingredients, and delicious homemade pasta. Highly recommended!