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Pesto Course in Levanto

Badge of ExcellenceLa Spezia, Italy

1 hour
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Learn the authentic recipe for pesto Genovese with an hour-long, hands-on cooking class in Levanto. Use a mortar and pestle to turn fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, and olive oil into a classic Ligurian sauce, then enjoy what you’ve made alongside a glass of wine, and a spread of local products.

Pesto cooking class in Levanto
Cook alongside a local chef
Learn to make Genoese pesto from scratch
Taste local products with wine
Fun, hands-on way to explore Italian cuisine
Perfect for all ages and skill level

Sample Menu

Starter

pesto sauce

Served on bruschetta

Starter

Local olive oil

Served on toasted bread

Starter

wine tasting

What's Included

Included in the price: pesto course with mortar, pesto tasting with a glass of wine and local appetizers, olive oil tasting, printed recipe.

Lunch

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Corso Italia, 16, 19015 Levanto SP, Italy
From the train station “Levanto” walk straight to the centre following Corso Roma, which is the main road with trees. Turn on the left in Corso Italia go ahead and before entering the square with public garden, you will reach Corso Italia n. 16 – “LA NICCHIA PESTIFERA”.

Start time

11:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Make your way to a small shop and kitchen that’s walking distance from the Levanto train station, then meet a charismatic local chef who loves to share Ligurian food and culture.

Start the class Italian-style—with a glass of sparkling wine and bruschetta made with local olive oil—then learn how Ligurian chefs make pesto using traditional tools.

Next, roll up your sleeves to make the classic Genoa sauce from scratch. Wash and dry the fresh basil leaves, then pound them with salt, pine nuts, and garlic, finally blending in Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil.

Finally, enjoy a glass of white wine and a spread of local products, such as small, black taggiasche olives, bruschetta with anchovies, and a local pastry made with limoncino.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation

Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
There isn't any restriction to attend this pesto class.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Kea_A

Great price for a great experience. The host was amazing and the pesto and wine super tasty. Would totally recommend it.

Reviews

5.0

49 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 49 reviews

Amazing

Kea_A, Jul 2023

Great price for a great experience. The host was amazing and the pesto and wine super tasty. Would totally recommend it.

Amazing experience!! Must do!

Lie_S, Jun 2023

After not being sure how many people would come we ended up having a private lesson and she taught us all about the different kinds of pesto, pasta and other local foods and drinks like limoncino. She prepared one portion of pesto herself and then each one of us was able to prepare one as well which we got to eat. The class ended with a local lemon cake and limoncino! Unforgettable experience!!!

Wonderful experience!

Geraldine_F, Jun 2023

Wonderful experience in a delightful shop, in the streets of Levanto. Lots of pesto to sample, including wine and at the end, lemon cake and limoncello! Came away with a sound knowledge of how to make pesto!

Great Pesto making class to try when visiting Liguria

Sinead_A, Nov 2022

Brilliant activity to do when in Liguria. The teacher was very friendly, and the wine , appetizers and pesto are all delicious :)

So fun!

Jeanette_R, Sep 2022

This was SO fun! The host was lovely, generous with food and wine, and we had a great time making the pesto! Highly recommended!

Charming class

Samantha_S, Oct 2020

Awesome class! Pesto was some of the best I’ve had. The couple that runs the grocery store is so knowledgeable and friendly.

Response from Host, Feb 2021

Hi Samantha! Thank you for your nice review, we are so glad that you liked the class! Hope to see you again soon! Rosalba/Arbaspàa staff

Lovely Diversion!

Mark_M, Aug 2019

We had a lovely time learning to make pesto with Mornia. She demonstrated and then let us (family of 3) make some. We tasted delicious samples of everything. It was about one half hour. A perfect way to experience Levanto!

Amazing class! Amazing pesto!

Chris_C, Jun 2019

We knew we wanted to do a pesto class whilst we were visiting the area but a lot of the classes were very expensive. We saw this one and though we'd give it a go. We were not disappointed and had such a wonderful time making and trying pesto. We first got to try pesto made by blender and compared to homemade, then we got to have a go at making the pesto too. There were lots of local ingredients to try and we had a lovely glass of local wine followed by lemoncino to finish. I would recommend this class to everyone, it was really enjoyable. Don't let the price fool you, it is a 5* experience and apart from having to travel to Levanto (which has a lovely beach) the experience would be exactly the same in the Cinque Terre towns.

Pesto class

Trek781685, Sep 2018

Class was very fun and entertaining, more of a demonstration than a hands on class. The instructor was wonderful and very nice! It was great that the class was right in the center of Levanto.

Great fun, I would suggest it for anyone

annasY3593LJ, Aug 2018

I have never been a great pesto fan, but learning how to make fresh pesto was a fun & I’ll make as soon as I get home for friends and family

Great fun!

Margaret_J, Jul 2018

My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed this class! It was intimate and hands on, plus it tasted great! Wonderful recipe. Purchased pesto and pasta before we left and enjoyed one of our best meals later that day! Highly recommend.

My sister and I had a lovely time...

Liezlann_D, Jan 2018

My sister and I had a lovely time learning how to make pesto and eating! A fun experience in a part of the area i may not have visited. Loved it!!

This was such a fun lesson and the...

Sharon B, Oct 2017

This was such a fun lesson and the owners are lovely people! Bring home some of their jarred pesto sauces, they are amazingly delicious!!!!

Fabulous experience. Very engaging host...

Jennifer B, Sep 2017

Fabulous experience. Very engaging host that made the experience quite enjoyable!

Loved this course! It was such a...

Heather W, Aug 2017

Loved this course! It was such a beautiful and delicious way to spend a Sunday morning. Levanto is beautiful and a little outside the crazy tourists parts of Cinque Terre- but easily accessible by the main train line.

We had so much fun on this tour...

Kimberly K, Jul 2017

We had so much fun on this tour. Not only did we learn how to make amazing pesto, but we sampled several different oils, enjoyed tasty wine and got to try a couple of different anchovy preparations. We also got to meet lots of different people. I would highly recommend this tour.

We had such a wonderful time...

Leanne D, Jul 2017

We had such a wonderful time learning about the regions delicacies. Not only pesto, but olives, wine, pasta..educational and so much fun. The wine and chocolates were delicious, but the pesto was just out of this world. We very much enjoyed our class and would recommend to anyone visiting Levanto!

My girlfriend and I loved doing...

Deborah A, Jun 2017

My girlfriend and I loved doing this. We started our Cinque Terre adventure here and it was memorable. The pesto we made was fantastic. I am only sorry I didn't purchase some oh the pesto at the store.

We loved this Pesto making class...

Mallory W, Jun 2017

We loved this Pesto making class! The instructor was friendly, the ingredients were fresh and the pesto was honestly the most delicious pesto we have ever tasted. We bought a jar to take back to the U.S. Highly recommend.

One of the best experiences my wife...

Michael P, Apr 2017

One of the best experiences my wife and I had during our recent trip to Italy. Luigina our hostess provided an excellent course for making pesto. We made our pesto with another small group. We each sampled and compared the pesto we made - it was all great - while sampling appetizers and wine. It was all hands-on fun, with instructions to make the pesto included to take home. Optional purchases that are available at the store include: mortar and pestle, pesto ingredients, as well and foods, wines, and liquors. Luigina was friendly, enthusiastic, and engaging during the time we spent with her. We highly recommend the Pesto Course with Luigina!