Bellagio Cooking Class in the Village + Villa Melzi

About this tour

Learn to roll, cut and shape fresh pasta with a professional chef in Bellagio's old town, then explore Villa Melzi's lakeside gardens. This three-hour class covers egg and water doughs, hand-cut ribbons, gnocchi, and a traditional Italian dessert. Work in small groups (up to five) with Alessandro, who provides all equipment, ingredients and written recipes to take home. Ideal for friends, families, and anyone keen to understand Italian cooking fundamentals beyond theory.

Highlights

• Hand-make tagliatelle and fettuccine from raw dough
• Master both egg and water-based pasta doughs
• Shape and cook gnocchi and classic Italian pudding
• Learn techniques directly from working Italian chef
• Visit Villa Melzi gardens after class (seasonal access)
• Receive printed recipes to recreate at home
• Groups kept small for personal attention

What to expect

You'll start at Alessandro's kitchen workspace in central Bellagio. After a brief introduction, you'll get your hands into dough—mixing, kneading and understanding the difference between egg pasta (richer, yellow) and water pasta (simpler, often regional). You'll learn to flatten sheets by hand or tool, then cut clean tagliatelle and fettuccine. Next comes gnocchi: rolling, shaping, testing for doneness. Finally, you'll prepare a traditional Italian dessert. Everything cooks and gets tasted. If Villa Melzi is open that day, you'll have access to its gardens overlooking the lake—a quieter spot to wander after cooking.

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