Experiences Local Aromas

cookies made with olive oil
Pesto sauce
cookies made with olive oil
Pasta with Pesto
Villa with Olive Trees
mortar for pesto

Mastering Olive Oil: Tasting & Cooking Class

  • Experience

    Cooking class

  • Duration

    4 hours

  • Not Suitable For

    Gluten free

Learn to understand and cook with extra virgin olive oil the authentic Italian way — guided step by step by a local chef who is also a certified olive oil sommelier, in a private, hands-on experience.

In her home, surrounded by centuries-old olive trees, you’ll begin with a guided olive oil tasting before moving into the kitchen to use olive oil as the key ingredient in every recipe. You’ll prepare a dessert, make fresh pesto, and cook a classic Roman aglio, olio e peperoncino dish, discovering how olive oil’s flavor, texture, and balance shape Italian cuisine. At the end of the class, you’ll sit down to enjoy everything you’ve prepared, paired with local wine. It’s an unforgettable way to experience Roman cooking from the inside — and bring home the best souvenir ever: the confidence to use olive oil like a true Italian.

Contact Us

Everything You Need to Know

This cooking class runs every day, based on the chef’s availability and holiday schedules.

We can accommodate:

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • No pork
  • No alcohol

We are not able to accommodate:

  • Celiac/gluten-free
  • Severe food allergies

No walking is involved in this cooking class. Participants should be comfortable with short standing periods during hands-on preparation.

  • Local chef and Olive Oil Sommelier leading the class
  • Welcome drink and appetizer
  • Ingredients and tools for making fresh pasta
  • Ingredients and tools for making dessert
  • Ingredients and tools for making the sauces
  • Meal featuring all you prepared
  • Wine
  • Transportation to and from the meeting point
  • Gratuities
  • Additional food or drinks not listed above

The Local Aromas Guestbook

We loved every part of this class. The setting was beautiful and peaceful, and learning directly from a chef who is also an olive oil sommelier made the experience feel truly unique. The tasting at the beginning completely changed how we smell and taste olive oil, and then using it in each recipe really brought everything together. The pesto, the pasta, and even the dessert were delicious, and sharing the meal at the end felt like being welcomed into someone’s home. This wasn’t just a cooking class. It was a real insight into everyday Italian food culture.

Susie

Such a great experience from start to finish. The villa was beautiful and the Cristina explained everything in a very down-to-earth way. Loved learning how to taste olive oil properly and then actually use it in every dish we cooked. The pesto and pasta were delicious, and even the cookies were so good. We ate, drank, laughed, and learned a lot without it ever feeling like a “class.” Highly recommend if you want something authentic and fun.

Kevin

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