Learn to Cook Like an Italian With the Best Chefs in Australia

If there’s one thing the pandemic taught me, it’s that you can never be too good in the kitchen. There’s always going to be some fresh advice, a new recipe or a technique that could help to up your game and keep your dinner table homely and exciting. And in my opinion, it doesn’t get any homelier than Italian cooking!

To help you cook like un maestro, you need a teacher with experience and passion.

These top chefs have a wealth of masterly advice for the budding home cook, and teach from their professional workshops, online and in your very own kitchen! Read on for a closer look at each one...

Best Italian Cooking Classes in Australia

The Coastal Italian - Sydney

The Coastal Italian is the website and passion project of Sydney-based Italian ex-pat, Davide Tonucci. A one-stop-shop for any pasta enthusiast, the website features a whole host of recipe blog posts and recorded tutorials as well as an online store, stocked with the essential kit you need to start rolling pasta today.

Davide hosts regular group cooking classes at venues throughout Sydney (usually at The Essential Ingredient, Surry Hills), where he brings his passion for Italian cuisine and more than a decade of experience in fine dining hospitality.

Davide also offers teaching sessions for private events as well as corporate team-building events, to grow your cooking skills and camaraderie with your colleagues.

Flour Eggs Water with A Tavola - Sydney

Flour eggs and water is the latest enterprise by Sydney’s long-standing Italian dining institution, A Tavola. With two locations, in the historic Tramsheds and in Surry Hills, Flour Eggs and Water is headed up by Chef Eugenio Maiale and welcomes home cooks both young and old, rookie and expert.

Flour Eggs and Water’s classes centre around the art of pasta making, with monthly adult workshops where wannabe pasta chefs can learn how to mix, knead and extrude like a professional, before indulging in a two-course lunch with some fine wines. Special workshops are also held on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, where parents and their lucky plus one can enjoy the magic of cooking together.

Mr Gnocchi - Perth

Nothing says comfort food like gnocchi. And nobody knows gnocchi better than Mr Gnocchi himself!

Orlando Scolese, as he is officially known, is a Napoli-born chef based in Perth with decades of passion and experience in all things Cucina Italiana. Part showman and part sensei, Mr Gnocchi teaches the fine art of gnocchi making in the comfort of his student’s homes, using everyday utensils and easy-to-find, honest ingredients.

Mr Gnochi’s home classes are the perfect feature event at family gatherings and special events, where everyone can cook together and learn something new in a relaxed and familiar environment. Mr Gnocchi’s classes cover everything from the classic traditional potato gnocchi, to a delicious polenta-based Gnocchi Alla Romana, served with a rich and hearty ragu.

La Cucina di Sandra - Melbourne (and online)

Sandra Del Greco is one of Melbourne’s most cherished cooking tutors and has shared her passion for Italian food and culture with students in her very own home, since 2014. Her classes are renowned for their interactivity and holistic learning experience, featuring her advice on where to shop for the best ingredients, as well as the origin story of each recipe she presents.

Since the pandemic, Sandra has moved her classes online, broadcasting the warmth and friendliness of her kitchen to her student’s without missing a step.

Taking place on Zoom, the classes offer the same interactivity and intimate number as her in-person classes, with ample time for questions and advice as well as a recommended wine pairing of both Australian and Italian wines for each recipe.

So, whether you’re looking to simply add a new recipe to your repertoire or make a whole day of learning new techniques and tips, these masters of Italian cuisine have the knowledge and experience you’re looking for. Be sure to take a look at their websites for all class and booking details.

And to pair with your wonderful home-cooked food, pick up a bottle of wine from one of Sydney’s best wine shops.