September 23, 2019
Our walking tour and pasta making class in Rome was simply superb. On our most recent trip, the desire for something a little different came to mind. As much as l love seeing the most famous spots in Rome, every once in a while, it’s good to try something unique after so many Rome holidays. The last time we visited was a few months ago on our way to Verona to spend time with friends.
Walking Tour And Pasta Making class In Rome:
This time, the something different came courtesy of our old friends at The Tour Guy who gave us complimentary tickets so we could come back and share our awesome pasta making experience in the eternal city of Rome with you. As l mentioned on the last postcard, our pasta making and walking tour took place on a warm fall day that started out a bit rainy, but turned out to be wonderfully sunny.
Why you should take The Tour Guy small group tour:
- The tour was conducted in English by a guide who was really enthusiastic and knowledgeable guy
- Smaller number of participants
- Makes socialising with the other fellow tourists easier
- Easier for the guide to keep track of the guests
- More intimate encounters. We had the option of headphones, but since we were a small number, there was no need.
Rome walking tour and pasta making class:
We met our very capable guide Dimitri at the plaza de Chiesa Nuova in the center of the city. The group numbered six, just like on our food tour. There were two ladies who were visiting Rome, one from Houston and the other from New York. The other two was a young couple from California. We had plenty to talk about with all of them since we had lived in Houston and California before. Turned out the girls had gone to college in Boston just like l did. It was a lot of fun chatting and walking. Safe to say the tour was a hit with all of us.
Our tour set out on time at 9am. We made a quick stop to the Chiesa Nuova church right at the plaza, one of the 900 or so churches in Rome. It was gorgeous of course, and the first piece of art we saw upon entry was a Raphael! Imagine that, something so valuable in just an “ordinary” church.
The interior was amazing, and the guide’s advice is, “when in Rome and you see a church, go in”. I agree, they are all breath taking. It really reminds you how immensely rich the Catholic church is. Over the hour or so that we walked around the centre, we visited some of the most famous attractions in Rome and picked up even more history, including:
Piazza Navona:
Once called Stadium Domitian, it was where the ancient Romans used to watch the games, and was built in the 1st century A.D. The current square built on top of the stadium was designed by perhaps most famous architect and sculptor in the world, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who we learned was basically a rich brat who got whatever he wanted (sound familiar?) and was instrumental in the death of his considered superior competitor Borromini. I knew about the rivalry, but didn’t know much else and so l was thrilled to hear all about it.
Spanish Steps:
Let me just say how happy l am that tourists, and everyone else as a matter of fact are no longer allowed to sit on the Spanish steps. It’s been too long coming in my opinion. We have avoided going there for the longest time because of that. If you look closely at the image, you can see the attendants in green neon who are there to shoo people off. In the future, they will begin issuing fines, but for now, just a verbal warning.
Pantheon:
The former Roman temple that is currently a church and has the perfect dome that has yet to be replicated. Something else l didn’t know. Most of us remembered it from Angels and Demons l think. It was fascinating to know how rain never entered the Pantheon in the old days. Did you know that the painter Raphael is entombed in there, along with some other famous Italians, like the last king of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele.
Our walking tour ended just a few steps away from the newly refurbished Trevi Fountain, and that point, we were all ready for the second part of the tour which was the small group pasta making class at a neighbourhood restaurant. We said our goodbyes to our Rome tour guide Dimitri and he handed us over to our lovely hostess Ludovica.
Pasta making class in Rome:
This was such a fun experience. There were two others in the class, making a total of eight. The restaurant was not yet open to the public, so we had plenty of space. We were given aprons and the ingredients we would need to make fresh pasta were already set out. Ludovica started the class by showing us some of the different types of pasta that we could make, including my most hated pasta in the world gnocchi! :-). We started out mixing flour with egg in the amount instructed.
Federico was a show off because his family had owned a pasta making company years ago and had supplied restaurants in the Trastevere area. We all were game to learn though, so we kneaded, pulled, flattened with the rolling pin, flattened some more, watered, etc., until we had an acceptable form of flat pasta that passed her inspection.
There was so much laughter, especially because the guy was California was having the hardest time with shaping his pasta, which produced lots of giggles for the rest of us. He was so totally into it though, which was wonderful. I don’t think the prosecco that was included in the tour had anything to do with it. :-). I heard him say at least a couple of times that it was the best tour in Rome that they had taken.
Once we had the pasta made, we were asked to choose what kind of pasta to make in the pasta making machine. I chose Fettuccine and Angel Hair, two of my all time favourites. It was a joint effort as we all lent a helping hand to whoever needed it. I have to say, they all came out great in the end.
Ludovica and her helper packed it up for us to go, because by law, we weren’t allowed to eat our own pasta (has to be prepared by a proper chef). In case you’re wondering though, we did eat it the next day at home, and it was delicious! We are purchasing a pasta making machine for our home use!
CLICK TO FIND YOUR ROME HOTEL
Tiramisu for dessert:
No Italian food menu is complete without dessert in my book. Our pasta making experience concluded with making our own tiramisu. Once the table was set up, we were given the go ahead to pile on as much mascarpone, crumbled chocolate and coffee with a funnel as wanted. This dessert, we were allowed to eat after our tasty pasta lunch. I chose the red ragu for my lunch off the menu. Very, very good. My tiramisu was great too.
By the end of the class, there were other patrons in the restaurant and people were taking pictures of us having a good time. Some came in because they could see us from the street and wanted to find out what was going on. It was impossible not to enjoy the atmosphere. Food really is a universal language, and Italian food especially.
Tips for the Rome small group walking and pasta making tour:
- Make sure to wear comfortable shoes. There is a lot of walking. This is not the time for high heels 🙂
- Arrive on time. It’s rude to keep people waiting. If you are running late, call the company to update them.
- No need to bring water. Rome has clean and free drinking water from the many, many fountains found in the city.
- Wear a hat and sunscreen if traveling in the summer. It’s not a bad idea to have a scarf to cover your shoulders since you will be entering churches.
- Make new friends by chatting up the other participants
- Your guide will always appreciate a tip.
How long does the Rome walking and pasta making tour take?
The whole experience takes between three – four hours
Is lunch included on this pasta making course?
Yes, a proper lunch is included, along with some prosecco
How much does the tour cost?
€64.95 per person (approximately $73 )
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Rome pasta making and walking tour: Wrap-up
A great culinary tour that we highly recommend. If you visit Italy, you should consider doing one. It is a lot of fun, a worthy experience, and one that enhances your trip and will leave you with many wonderful memories. I will not hesitate to say that this is one of the best of Rome walking and pasta making tours.
Have you ever taken a cooking class while on holiday? Did you enjoy it, and would you recommend it to others? What do you think of this walking tour and pasta making class in Rome?
Kemkem, this is my kind of tour. What better place to learn about past making than in Rome and you get to make tiramisu also… I love the idea of doing this tour, definitely will give it a go next time I visit Rome. Your pictures are great and have made me very hungry 😋
Glad to hear the pictures make you hungry. :-). We absolutely loved the tour, and you’re right. Where better to take a pasta making class? Fede makes an awesome tiramisu, but he picked up on a hint to make it even better. You should definitely do it the next time you visit Rome.
Great tour overall, although I definitely prefer the food part for some reason. Everything looks so good… and being able to make your own pasta and eat it, then prepare your own tiramisu… now that’s something that you definitely don’t get to do every day! And I bet it tastes even better when you know you did it yourself. Great stuff!
It was a great tour. You’re right too, the food part was the most fun. Nothing brings people together like food. I loved the other people looking in from outside and wanting to be part of the fun. Once the restaurant opened for business, it was packed within minutes as people wanted to take our pictures and listen in on the class :-). My tiramisu was excellent if l may so myself. Our pasta was also delicious, when we shared it with my MIL the next day. I think l will go order my machine now :-).
Rome is a wonderful city for walking. Just about everything you want to see is within walking distance and it gives you a chance to work off all that great food. It sounds like making pasta was terrific fun.
I agree. Rome is fabulous for walking, and yes, it gave us a chance to walk it all of. I suggested walking all the way back home, but l was shut down totally, not that l could have anyway :-). The class was the highlight, and so much fun.
I too love those churches but I sometimes wonder where all the folks came from to fill them even back when they were built. (That thought crosses my mind a lot when I see churches that are huge on the barren Greek countryside. . .’if you build it, they will come’. . .perhaps, but still I wonder. And I love the looks of that pasta making class!
You’re right, even in the old days, I don’t think they had that many people at the services. I think it was more a show off kind of thing where they were all trying to outdo each other, and of course the church had loads of money.
The class was absolutely wonderful. We had so many laughs because everyone was really into it :-).