What we do

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Cooking Classes at Amy’s

Join us for a genuine Italian cooking class!  We offer beginner’s cooking classes in the art of pasta making. The class is hosted by Amy in her “casa di epoca”, a beautiful, vintage, Italian home, walking distance to the center of Como. Amy is an American, but has lived with her Italian husband in Italy for over 14 years.  She has a passion for the Italian lifestyle, and would love to share it with you!

The hands-on class will teach you how to  make different kinds of pasta with delicious sauces. The pasta and sauces will be based on whatever is in season, and can easily be replicated on your own.

Once you have made the pasta, you then sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor!  Lunch is served in Amy’s beautiful dining room with your fellow students, where you can enjoy a beautiful meal, including wine, water, dessert and coffee.

Contact us to sign up for a class if you are traveling by yourself, a couple or a group. It is a great experience to share with family and friends while in Italy!  We can modify the class according to your group needs.

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Who is Amy?

I am an American from Chicago and I moved to Italy over 14 years ago with my Italian husband and 2 boys. I am from a big Irish family, and my husband is from a large Italian family, and our boys are a great mixture of both cultures!

Living in Italy has been such a wonderful experience, and food has been a big part of that.   Over the years, I have learned so much from all kinds of Italian cooks, and it is amazing the simplicity and freshness that is the base of all Italian cooking. I decided to host these classes so you too can have a unique Italian experience. It is a fun, hands-on class, in my Italian home, which I am sure you and the people you are traveling with will enjoy. It is also great way to meet other fellow travelers from all around the world!

I am also very passionate about living in Como, and I would love to share my knowledge with you about the area, and my personal experiences of what it is like to live here!

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What our guests say about us

“Absolute Italian highlight”

Amy La Via is a consummate host. She opens her stunning apartment on the shores of Lake Como to groups of four or more for hands-on cooking classes. Guests learn the art of making pasta, lasagne, ravioli, risotto, tiramisu… depending on what’s available at the market on the day… and then sit down to enjoy the fruits of their labour in the dining room. It’s a rare and privileged slice of life in an Italian home and may just be the best value 50 euros a head you will find in the whole country. – Kirsty


Read Kirsty’s full article published in Australian Country Magazine.

“Must do! Such a delight and fun activity in Como.”

I found Amy’s Cucina on TripAdvisor and how glad I am I did. My husband and I signed up for her class and it ended up being perfect for the very rainy few days we had while in Como. Amy is a wonderful host and her home is absolutely beautiful. Ale was fun and full of information. My husband and I can’t wait to put our new cooking skills to use, now back at home. Thank you Amy and Ale for a great experience! – Rachel

“Wonderful time at Amy’s Cucina; a must-do in Como!”5 of 5 bubbles

We were so thankful we stumbled upon Amy’s Cucina on tripadvisor. We were in Como when it had been raining for several days and were looking for an indoor activity. We could not have been more pleased. Firstly, the meal we prepared ruined the rest of our meals in Italy. It was by far the best meal we had. And amazingly we had helped prepare it! Amy welcomed us into her beautiful home, we met other friendly travelers and enjoyed learning how to make pumpkin ravioli and risotto from the chef. I strongly recommend! – Elizabeth

EXCELLENT
121 reviews on
Jane S
Jane S
2023-10-27
Brilliant fun and a great experience Such a friendly and relaxing way to learn more about Italian cooking in a beautiful setting. My husband, daughter and I joined a group of friends in Amy’s cucina where she entertained us and we helped prepare a delicious lunch of ravioli and gnocchi along with panna cotta. We had such a great time and would highly recommend.
Megan R
Megan R
2023-10-27
Amazing! Wow wow wow amazing cooking class. Amy was the loveliest and has made our trip to Como very special. Very talented lady. Thank you so much!!!
MrsKAA
MrsKAA
2023-10-17
Best outing for all ages with the care of the kind considerate chef and host Amy! A must do when in Como! Best outing in Como! Everyone loved it the host Amy was incredibly kind , caring and considerate. The actual experience was amazing we made delicious gnocchi , Ravioli and tagliatelle followed by the highlight of the day the pana cota we did this all under the great care of Amy. The flat was stunning and so was the kitchen. Amy made everyone feel welcome by asking via email everyone’s names before we went then greeted us knowing our names ages and where we lived! This was an amazing must do in Como which is fun for anyone any age! Thank you Amy we can’t wait to come again!
Bermuda2011
Bermuda2011
2023-09-20
Amy is the best! Fantastic!! Amy was a gracious host and so much fun! We were paired with a family from Israel and learned so much about the culture. Amy was knowledgeable about Italian cooking and the food was delicious!! She made you feel so at home and felt like we were long time friends! A must when in Como!
Wanderer27461039456
Wanderer27461039456
2023-09-03
Great Italian food We loved the class with Amy. She is an excellent hostess, made us feel very welcome and relaxed. Amy explained and showed us “around” the Italian culinary experience as well as giving us tips on the “must see” of Como and surrounding. We highly recommend this experience.
Barbara H
Barbara H
2023-08-16
Great experience in cooking local cuisine We arrived a day early for our group tour and wanted to do a cooking class. I can not say enough good things about Amy. She invites you into her beautiful home and you do hands on cooking in her kitchen. Nothing like making pasta while drinking Prosecco. We made potato gnocchi with pesto, ravioli filled with ricotta and asparagus,and panna cotta with berry topping. After cooking we all sat at her dining room table and chatted while enjoying the food, wine and limoncello. It is a lovely way to spend a few hours in Como.
Simon K
Simon K
2023-06-14
Fantastic experience with Amy! Absolutely loved this experience with Amy. There were 6 of us (3 couples) and from the moment we walked in the door we felt like we were family. Amy gets to know each of her guests, and shares her story and passion in cooking. Her kitchen and house had ample space for cooking, eating, and socializing. As a want-to-be chef, I love to learn new recipes and explore new things, Amy’s class provided this and the best part is I didn’t have to clean up the mess we made or the dishes!!! The food was fresh and delicious. The atmosphere was perfect. We were staying close to San Giovanni train station and it was an easy, leisurely 15 minute walk to get to Amy’s place. If you are in Como, this is an excellent alternative to eating out. Amy and Guido were the perfect hosts.
Nimish M
Nimish M
2022-09-05
Home cooked Italian! Amazing way to spend our last evening in Italy. Amy and her family are wonderful hosts. Delicious gnocci/ravioli/panna cotta/wine. An unique experience definitely worth trying!
Stephen B
Stephen B
2022-08-19
A great day in Como Amy hosts an amazing class where she teaches you all about different pasta making with an engaging and fun atmosphere. She is an excellent host and makes you feel at home in her stunning Italian apartment. The food was excellent, not to mention the wines, and coffee, with a lovely digestif to finish. Could not recommend more! A bargain at that price
rtlaut21
rtlaut21
2022-07-18
Can’t recommend highly enough! Thank you Amy! Six of my family had the most extraordinary time with Amy early this July while traveling Europe. Amy welcomed us into her beautiful classic Italian home that was breathtaking and then we spent 4 hours learning to cook ravioli, gnocchi, panna cotta and tortellini. She was so personable, sweet and patient with all of us who had a combined knowledge of authentic Italian cooking of ZERO. Our cooking challenged husbands were totally invested and the non stop wine and Prosecco added to the evening. Can not rate this highly enough and will forever be one of our top memories.