Sicilian Cooking Class in Catania's Historic Center with Mariella

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Summary
Experience Details
What You’ll Experience
Where to Meet
Reviews
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Duration
3 hours
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Number of Guests
1 - 6 guests
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Language
English, French, Spanish, Italian
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Other
Private Experience
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Digital Ticket
Mobile or paper ticket accepted

Join Mariella in her Catania home for an immersive Sicilian cooking class. Craft authentic dishes with local ingredients, savor homemade meals, and explore culinary traditions. Vegetarian-friendly.

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For each guest that attends this experience, byFood will donate
10 meals

Experience Details

Mariella was born and raised in Catania, and after working in the confectionery and gift sector for 35 years, she has now decided to dedicate herself to cooking. She is so excited to share her passion for food with travelers visiting Italy. At Mariella’s home you will get glimpse into Sicilian cuisine. From the Greeks - with their passion for fish, olives and pistachios, to the Romans - with their cultivation of wheat and grapes and to the Arabs - for introducing couscous. Gastronomy has always been an integral part of the Sicilian identity and through this experience you will learn all about the local ingredients, cooking techniques, cultural traditions and family recipes.


• Private Sicilian cooking class in a beautiful home in Catania

• Learn to make a pasta dish and appetizer or dessert from scratch

• Cook using family recipes and learn tips and tricks to cook a traditional Italian meal

• Enjoy a homecooked meal with some local Sicilian wine

• Vegetarian options are available

Sample Menu

STARTER
Caponata with eggplant (salad) or Parmigiana (baked dish with sauce and cheese)
MAIN
Pasta alla norma (eggplant pasta) or Pasta with fish
DESSERT
Cannoli with ricotta or Biancomangiare (milk pudding)

What You Get

Alcoholic beverages
Alcoholic Beverages
If you select the market tour option, visit a neighborhood fish market
Private Sicilian cooking class and meal with Mariella
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Good To Know

  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required. If any travelers in your party have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking
  • Menu may vary depending on the season. The dishes you will prepare will depend on the season and what is available in the market, as Mariella likes to use fresh, local and seasonal produce
  • The meeting location for the cooking class and market tour is different. So please check the 'before you go' section on your ticket/voucher for more details
  • Maria speaks limited English but she will have a friend or guide present who can speak English and Japanese
  • The cost of your experience includes two glasses of local Sicilian wine
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

What You’ll Experience

This is a unique opportunity to visit the home of a local and explore traditional culture and cuisine. Mariella’s home is located in the historic center of Catania, with beautiful sea views from her kitchen. During your 3-hour Sicilian cooking class, learn to prepare two dishes from scratch. Your Catania cooking lesson will be hands-on, and you will cook together a pasta dish and an appetizer or a dessert. You might learn to cook linguine with mussels or spaghetti with cuttlefish or pappardelle with clams or pasta alla norma and aubergine parmigiana or caponata or dessert. The dishes you will prepare will depend on the season and what is available in the market, as Mariella likes to use fresh, local and seasonal produce. She will show you to cook a traditional Italian meal, that you will later enjoy with some local Sicilian wine. If you choose the market tour option, please meet Mariella at Piazza Duomo and then walk to the neighborhood fish market in Catania. Visit Mariella's favorite vendors and help her buy fish and other ingredients needed for your cooking class. After the market tour walk back to Mariella's home for your cooking class and meal experience.

Meeting & Pickup

Meeting Point

Via Antonino di Sangiuliano, Catania Città metropolitana di Catania Sicilia, Italy, IT, 95131

Open in Google Maps
For cooking class, please meet your host directly at her home in Centro Storico. Address can be found in your ticket upon confirmation. For market tour, please meet your host in front of the 'Fountain of the Elephant' at Piazza Duomo Catania. Address can be found in your ticket upon confirmation.
End Point

This experience ends at the meeting point.

Cancellation Policy

Cancel your booking at least 24 hours before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.

Read more

What People Are Saying
Overall ratings and reviews
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(3)
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Delicious food & good company
May 13, 2025
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(TripAdvisor)

The hosts were incredibly friendly, and we learned how to cook some of the most delicious foods! They were accommodating to our vegetarian diets and gave us a rich background on Sicilian cooking st...read more

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The Best Day
March 05, 2025
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(TripAdvisor)

My mom and I did the fish market shopping and lunch. It was a beautiful, unforgettable day! Mariella and Gino are wonderful hosts. I highly recommend!

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Local couple hosting cooking class
May 29, 2019
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(TripAdvisor)

We were lucky to be hosted by this couple during our recent visit to Sofia. We enjoyed an evening in their apartment with spectular views with food and drinks prepared for us. We were picked up at ...read more

from  $251.49 
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Please note: The price varies based on group size. The time is in Central European Time.
Free cancellation (24 hours notice)
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from  $251.49  per guest
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Please note: The price varies based on group size. The time is in Central European Time.
Free cancellation (24 hours notice)
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For each guest that attends this experience, byFood will donate
10 meals
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