Boston's Best Italian Cooking Classes

Boston may be famous for its Irish or sort-of Irish populations, but it's got a healthy dose of Italy, too. The North End serves as the city's "Little Italy," so Bostonians have a taste for Italian-style cuisine. Anyone in the area can learn how to cook the flavorful pastas, sauces and meats of Italy, and they don't have to go to the North End to do it. The city has a number of fantastic classes that range in everything from technique to regional dishes.

The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts has a pretty full schedule of open classes in which any adult can enroll. One of the best ways to learn Italian cooking via these classes is to choose one or all of the Regions of Italy classes. Several chefs teach these, and they focus on the cuisine of different areas of Italy. For those who are looking for something to do on a date, there are also couples classes. Italian ones crop up every so often. There are also classes on technique for those who want to brush up before taking a course on cuisine.

Related: Guide To Cooking Classes In Boston

One of the first places adults should look for any kind of class is the Boston Center For Adult Education. It offers a variety of subjects, including cooking and wine. While there are currently no offerings for strictly Italian food, the center does offer Mediterranean classes, which embrace the entire region. There are also classes for techniques that are crucial to authentic Italian cooking, such as pasta making classes. Some of these classes are very affordable, so be sure to look at the full calendar.

The Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts is doing a series of Italian cooking classes. Each class is under $100, including wine. Every session will include three menu items from a different region of Italy. Pick a favorite and learn to cook amazing dishes like lobster spaghetti, crostinis, hazelnut cake and meatballs. All of these classes feature organic foods and are taught by the society's new chef, Federico Zampieri.

ArtEpicure is the cooking school of Mark DesLauriers, who will also invite guest chefs to classes on occasion. He teaches a wide variety of classes from Mediterranean vegetarian to gluten & dairy-free Italian. These classes, and nice additions like pasta workshops, are open. However, the best part about ArtEpicure is that customers can book private classes. This means choosing the cuisine with the help of the chef. Take a look at the website's sample menus to see the sort of Italian food that has come out of ArtEpicure.

Related: Boston's Best Tasting Menus

Mamma Licia Italian slow cooking lessons are offered for individuals and groups in either Licia's kitchen in Salem or a kitchen of the student's choosing. That means private lessons in the home for those in the Boston and North Shore areas. Booking a class with this safety certified teacher means getting a menu consultation first. That means choosing the techniques and recipes to be learned in class. Each class is three hours, with additional time billed by the half hour. Mamma Licia will travel outside of the area, but at a cost of $1 per mile.