Abruzzo Traditional Pasta Making with 85y old local Grandma

Overview

Available languages

English

Italian

Spanish

5 hours

Mobile ticket

I grew up at my Nonna's house in a village nearby Teramo in the Abruzzo region. I grew up with the sound of the pasta making machine and the smell of her superb tomatoes sauce. I used to hide under the table and steal the row pasta...that's where my passion for food started.

The passion for food and people took me to found ExperienceBellaVita.com, a company that promotes sustainable tourism experiences in the less touristic areas of Italy, in Abruzzo.

One of the 5* Reviews

"We had a fantastic time with Marino and his Nonna Amina. We made it all from scratch and it was a lot of fun, not to mention absolutely delicious. Doing it at his home with his family made for a really memorable experience for us, because when travelling it's those local connections that make it extra special."

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

What To Expect

Within this experience, we want to take you through a journey 'in time'. This is not a simple pasta making class. We are going to make the traditional pasta of Teramo called ‘Pasta alla Chitarra’ from scratch. Very few people still make it following the tradition with an old wooden tool, called ‘chitarra’. Nowadays, restaurants and housewives prepare this pasta with the pasta machine, but you will experience with your senses that it’s a totally different story: making it completely by hand! Your life will change, when you will learn why it is important to make it by hand, and how to prepare it at your home. During the experience, we will prepare together the 'pasta alla chitarra' fro scratch Nonna Amina and Marino will also share with you all the secrets of making the best tomatoes sauce on Earth. In this way, once back home you can take with you a piece of Abruzzo and impress your friends and loved ones. With the two of us together, You will learn all the secrets of my nonna's recipes, which were kept within our family for generations. Together we will share a typical day of a family from Abruzzo.

Sample Menu

main

Family Experience

What‘s Included

All the Cooking equipments

Options

Abruzzo Traditional Pasta Making with 85y old local Grandma

Reviews

5.00

18 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

K7200JDlisac,,Jul 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Marino with Experience BellaVita was truly a blessing for our family trip. We had a group of 22, ages ranging from 2 years to 65 years and he crafted an itinerary that worked for all of us and gave us an authentic Abruzzo experience. I'm the mom of the 2 year old, who was not the easiest on the trip, but who took to Marino right away. He was great at giving us tours and taking us truffle hunting, etc, while also holding my 2 year old. He is a kind man who is plugged into the community and loves his region through and through. He was knowledgeable and easy to work with. We were all so so happy that we ended up booking with Marino.
Incredible
johncX4633ZQ,,Jul 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I can’t recommend Marino highly enough! He truly made this trip unforgettable and brought it to life in ways we never expected. The amount of effort and preparation he put in was remarkable—he even went into town to research our family history! His energy, knowledge, and passion elevated every part of our experience. Marino isn’t just a guide—he’s a difference-maker. Our trip wouldn’t have been the same without him. I am so grateful for his effort and glad my family got to experience Abruzzo with him.
Going back to the roots
jcH2691QD,,Jun 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Marino’s home and family received us generously and vulnerably. Anyone with Italian ancestry would have several contact points with what was done and said… From the pasta making to the wine that was served. Highly recommend this to anyone going to Italy who wants to get in touch With their roots
fine cuisine, fine instruction, and more
frodo1953,,Feb 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I thought I was a pretty good Italian cook, having learned from my Nonna who came from Abruzzo. But this experience definitely upped my game. Marino is a terrific cook and a terrific teacher. I learned more about making homemade pasta than I ever knew. As if that isn't recommendation enough, Marino also helped me discovered genealogical information about my grandparents that I was able to use to obtain their birth certificates--I might be able to get an Italian passport!
Our Abruzzi Adventures
Companion25546,,Nov 10, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We went to the Abruzzi area of Italy in September, 2022. I was able to find Marino online to help in locating Alvi, Italy. Alvi was the birthplace of my father and grandparents. Since none of us could speak Italian with any ease, Marino was an exceptional travel guide helping us navigate our way around a this language barrier with the citizens in this marvelous little community. We also attended a pasta making class at his home and it was a delight to meet his parents and his 85-year-old grandmother. My thanks to all of them for showing us how to make a delicious dish of pasta! Making pasta dough is harder than I thought it would be. No pasta making machine for us.! All done by hand! What a good experience! I would highly recommend him to anyone interested in seeing the beautiful sights in Abruzzi.
Pasta making traditional experience
Mauro11rev69,,Jul 21, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Having deep Abruzzo roots I wanted my friends to have a real traditional pasta making experience. Marino, Alberto, mama Anna and nonna herself gave us exactly that. We had a blast making chitarra pasta The home made Ragu was fabulous as well using all local ingredients Then to all sit down together and enjoy the wonderful taste of fresh pasta, local vino , while chatting and laughing about all that Italian wonderfulness ….. really made it a fantastic day. Grazie your new friend , Mauro
Magical Day
PlainJane1122,,Jul 21, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The pasta making class was simply magical. The minute we walked into the kitchen, we knew it was going to be a great afternoon. Marino and family were warm, welcoming and really fun! We made pasta, passagiata around the property with Marino's Dad and then a big family dinner with eth food we just made. Marino manages the outing professionally but also maintains an authentic experience. Highly recommended.
BEST COOKING EXPERIENCE (GENUINE)
Betty L,,Jul 21, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We were a group of four couples plus my 13y old boy visiting the town of Pacentro where my husband's family is from, looking to experience the originality of the flavors of food and food making of the area, that's how I found this add that as soon as I read Abruzzo Tradional Pasta Making with 85y old local Grandma I said "THIS IS IT! ". 3 out of the 9 in my group who love to cook were looking foward to learn the secrets of how to make a good pasta and sauce the others were just coming for the taste of good food. From the start Marino (the chef) was super helpful accomodating all of us for a class the date we requested. Going to his house, meeting his grandma (her recipes), his right hand Alberto and cooking in this tradional old fashioned kitchen was just like going back in time! Just by seeing the perfect set-up they had in this long table for all of us was enough to get the other six in my group excited to be there! What we experience from beginning to end was more much more than we expected!! Everything was amazing, Marino, Alberto, the Nonna and even Marino's mom Ana made us feel like family, preparing the pasta, the sauce, the meatballs while sipping delicious local wine was so especial that each of us including my 13y old boy enjoyed so much. Marino answered all our curiosities about the food preparation and local tradions, we all learned so much but most of all we were all happy to have been part of genuine Abruzzie family and their traditions...preparing from scratch all of the food and eating it was just pure love for this experience transformed into that delicious dish of guitar pasta, meat sauce, tiny meatballs we proudly learned to prepared! I GRADLY RECOMMED THIS TRADIONAL PASTA MAKING TO ANYONE LOOKING FOR GENUINE FLAVORS AND TO EXPERIENCE GENUINE PEOPLE AND THEIR TRADITIONS!
Fun day learning to make pasta and then enjoying it
J8113PUkathyh,,May 7, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Marino helped make this an amazing day learning how to make Chitarra pasta, observing Nonna with the sauce and making tiny little meatballs. The best part was enjoying everything that was made! Yum! Not sure I’ll ever be able to eat boxed pasta after this….
Amazing cooking experience
TangoCharlie24,,Aug 25, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We booked the cooking course as a family event. To cut a long story of a great evening short, Marino made us instantly feel very welcome and made this a marvelous experience for all of us. The whole approach, to use local products, take time and effort to make a traditional dish, combine it with local craftsmenship and throw in loads of information on Abruzese cooking very much appeals to anyone who loves to cook and loves food. I have attended several cooking courses including some done by chefs with their own TV show and I can honestly say that not a single one came anywhere near this event. Marino aims high when he cooks and still makes sure even an eight year old girl gets it right. I will definetely be back for more recipes, preferably from his wonderful family who all contributed to the menu with all kinds of tradional treats Needless to say that the pasta was spectacular.