Cooking with Carlotta

Thursday November 12 Morning TBD Optional Small Group Activity

Make fresh pasta, share a Tuscan meal, and enjoy a relaxed morning in the hills outside Florence.

Cooking with Carlotta offers classmates a chance to spend the morning together in a warm Tuscan kitchen just outside Florence. Rather than a formal cooking school, the experience is designed to feel like being welcomed into a family home.

Carlotta’s classes focus on handmade pasta, local ingredients, wine, conversation, and the pleasures of cooking and eating together. The setting is outside the city center, with views of vineyards and olive groves, and Carlotta offers pickup from the Villa Costanza tram stop.

This small-group activity is planned as a morning experience ending with lunch.

Estimated Cost: Approximately €100 per person

Group Size: 8–10 participants

Event details

A Taste of Tuscan Hospitality

Step into a traditional Tuscan home where cooking, conversation, and sharing a meal are every bit as important as the recipes themselves.

Just outside Florence, Cooking with Carlotta offers the kind of Tuscan experience that feels less like a class and more like being welcomed into someone’s home.

Hosted by Carlotta Conti in a restored stone cottage surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, this small-group activity combines hands-on cooking, local wine, conversation, and a shared meal around the table.

The heart of the morning will be making fresh pasta from scratch, then sitting down together to enjoy the lunch we have prepared. It is a relaxed way to spend time with classmates, learn something memorable, and enjoy the warmth of Tuscan hospitality.

What You'll Experience

The experience begins with a traditional Italian aperitivo and freshly baked focaccia before everyone gathers in the kitchen to begin cooking together.

With Carlotta’s guidance, participants will learn to make fresh pasta by hand using traditional techniques and seasonal ingredients. The class is designed to be participatory and social, with everyone having a chance to roll up their sleeves and be part of the meal.

After the cooking is finished, the group will sit down together for lunch, accompanied by local wines. The goal is not just to learn a recipe, but to enjoy the pleasure of cooking and eating together in a relaxed Tuscan setting.

Why Cooking with Carlotta?

cooking-pasta-galore-shop Cooking with Carlotta offers a more personal experience than a standard cooking class. The setting is intimate, the group is small, and the focus is on hospitality as much as instruction.

For many of us, returning to Florence is not only about seeing familiar places again. It is also about slowing down, sharing good food and wine, and reconnecting with classmates in a setting that feels warm and genuine.

Transportation

Cooking with Carlotta is located just outside central Florence and can be reached by public transportation.

Take Tram T1 from Firenze Santa Maria Novella toward Villa Costanza.
Travel time is approximately 20 minutes.
Carlotta offers pickup from the Villa Costanza tram stop.
Total estimated travel time is approximately 25–30 minutes each way.
Final meeting location and departure instructions will be announced before the reunion.

Proposed Schedule

Morning TBD — Meet in Florence and travel to Cooking with Carlotta.

Arrival — Welcome aperitivo and freshly baked focaccia.

Cooking Class — Prepare handmade pasta and the rest of the meal with Carlotta’s guidance.

Lunch — Enjoy the meal together with local wines.

Early Afternoon — Return to Florence before the Farewell Dinner later that evening.

Cost

Estimated Cost: Approximately €100 per person.
Final pricing will be confirmed when registration opens.
Payment details will be announced later.

Who Will Enjoy This Experience?

This activity is well suited for classmates who enjoy cooking, Italian food and wine, and relaxed conversation in a small-group setting.

No previous cooking experience is required. The experience is designed to be welcoming, hands-on, and social rather than technical or formal.

With space limited to approximately eight to ten participants, this will remain a smaller boutique activity.

Additional Information

Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Morning activity ending with lunch.
Approximately three hours, plus travel time.
Group size: 8–10 participants.
Comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes are recommended.
Dietary accommodations may be available with advance notice.
Registration information will be posted when available.