Sicilian Cooking Experience: Market to Table

Join Maria Rita for a Sicilian market tour and cooking class, crafting gluten-free dishes with fresh ingredients. Perfect for all dietary needs.

Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Ortea Palace Hotel, Sicily, Autograph Collection - Guests will embark on a market tour, where the origins, uses, and seasonal availability of products will be explained. Following the tour, participants will head to the host’s home for a cooking class, where they can prepare a menu of their choice, considering their food preferences, allergies,…
What's Included
  • Red or white wine
  • Bottled water
  • Alcoholic beverages served to 18+
  • Lunch
  • Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
  • Private transportation
Meal Options
  • Fresh handmade pasta - Typical homemade pasta with a typical sauce or pesto

  • Fish/meat of your choice - We cook both a vegetarian, vegan menu, with fish with meat for all tastes

  • Cannoli

  • Almond biscuits - Ancient and typical Sicilian dessert

  • Arancino - Street food

Additional Information

Maria Rita, an ambassador with a deep passion for the authentic flavors of Sicilian cuisine, was born in Erice. Cooking is her passion, and from a young age, she cherished visits to the local market with her father, who shared fascinating stories and secrets about each product they purchased. Sicilian cuisine is known for its simplicity, with a strong…

Location
Ortea Palace Hotel, Sicily, Autograph Collection
Via Nazario Sauro
In Via Nazario Sauro in front of the Ortea Palace hotel entrance
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(15 Ratings)
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1 star
Hugo2425
Jun 11, 2025
What to do - Great experience, Maria Rita was very friendly and are apartment has an amazing view of the Archaeology Park!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightsee46559255775
May 31, 2025
A Magical Sicilian Experience with Maria Rita! - Our family had the pleasure of joining an Ortigia walking tour and Sicilian pasta cooking class with the delightful Maria Rita, and it was truly an unforgettable experience! The walking tour through Ortigia was the perfect way to immerse ourselves in the rich history and charm of this stunning Sicilian gem. Maria Rita’s knowledge of the local culture, architecture, and hidden treasures made every step captivating, offering us unique insights into Siracusa's vibrant heritage. The highlight of our day was the Sicilian pasta-making class, where we learned to craft several traditional pasta shapes completely from scratch, using just semolina flour and water. Under Maria Rita’s expert guidance, we kneaded, shaped, and perfected the dough, all while learning about the deep-rooted culinary traditions of Sicily. Her warm and engaging teaching style made the experience both educational and fun, creating lasting memories for our family. To top it off, we enjoyed our handmade pasta with a delicious homemead pesto using ingrediants Maria Rita gathered in the Ortigia market during our walk (tomato, almonds, basil, pecorino, olive oil, and garlic)--a deliciously authentic meal. We savored every bite with a newfound appreciation for Sicilian cuisine. If you're looking for an experience that blends history, culture, and hands-on culinary adventure, this tour with Maria Rita is an absolute must! Grazie mille, Maria Rita, for an incredible day—we will cherish these memories forever!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tallguy1066
May 28, 2025
Sicilian cooking with love - We had an unforgettable day with Maria Rita and got to know the soul of Sicilian food. First we walked the local market, where she had a lot of friends who offered us all kinds of samples. We discussed food options and picked ingredients for our cooking adventure. After a walk to her beautiful home, the cooking began. Making home made pasta seems easy but was harder than expected. After a while we made good progress while Maria Rita started preparing fish and vegetable. Finally the meal was ready and we tried all the fantastic food, and shared a good conversation on Sicilian traditions and food from different regions. We strongly recommend Maria Rita for a very personal introduction to Sicilian cooking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jenny
May 17, 2025
A great time on Siracusa - Maria Rita was a great host and guide! We learned about how real Sicilians shop in the Ortygia market and how they eat with a cooking class! We made two pastas with Sicilian pesto which was delicious, all at home overlooking the Greek archaeological site. Maria and Pepe were brilliant - would recommend if you want a slice of authentic Siracusa.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z1243lypaull
May 11, 2025
Fantastic experience. Culinary heaven. - Fantastic experience. Maria and Pepe are wonderful hosts and Maria is master chef. Very knowledgeable. Shared experiences every step of the way from the market to the lunch.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeff
May 11, 2025
Fantastic experience! - I highly recommend this exceptional experience. Maria was an outstanding host who helped us explore the marketplace and pick in-season ingredients for her to cook a delicious meal at her beautiful apartment. It was truly an amazing lunch and great learning experience. To be hosted by native Sicilians in their own home was experience we always treasure. Thank you Maria and Pepe!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
908haileyy
May 8, 2025
Best local food experience - Highly recommended for tourists. We absolutely loved going around the local market. Cookibg was very fun. Maria is lovely, and she explained the history and culture. & food was DELICIOUS. Lastly, I have allergies, and Maria was very accommodating. She made sure all allergens are not there so comfortable experience - thank you!
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Angthor1
Apr 28, 2025
Wonderful experience! - Our cooking experience with Maria and her family was amazing! We loved the market and she made sure we got some tasters of what the market had to offer. Welcoming us to her beautiful home to cook with her in her kitchen was very special. We made delicious pasta, amaretti biscuits, polpette di sarde (sardine balls), and pepperoni! Highly recommend this unique experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Conniez788
Apr 15, 2025
Delicious food, perfect view, wonderful host - We had a wonderful time learning to cook traditional Sicilian dishes with Maria Rita. Her home was warm and inviting and she had prepared everything ahead for her students. As a bonus the view was great of the historic ruins. Maria Rita taught us how to make delicious homemade pasta with pesto and peppers with meatballs and tiramisu and explained how Sicilian dishes differ from other regions. We learned a lot and ate very well. Her English is great as well.
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Stevenson16452
Mar 29, 2025
Traditional Sicilian cooking class - Maria is very thorough and explains everything she chose at the market and why. Her home is beautiful with a gorgeous view. We met her whole family, they are wonderful. It is a beautiful way to spend the afternoon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $140
up to 6 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).