Cooking course · Puglia

Summer Course: annual tomato-sauce week

WherePuglia, Italy

Length4 nights (Mon–Fri)

Next departureSep 6–10, 2027

Price€2,295

StyleFive-day course

Run byThe Awaiting Table Cookery School

Salsa Week centres on making the year's tomato sauce as a group. One morning goes to the countryside for about six hours of sauce-making with lunch there, then back to Lecce for pasta, sides and wine-paired feasts.

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Free to ask. We confirm dates, availability and price before you commit to anything.

What you will do

Countryside morning making the annual tomato sauce, lunch included
About 50 Mediterranean side dishes taught
Eight fresh pasta shapes
Ten wine-paired feasts
16-17 local wines tasted with a sommelier
Amari tasting and a private amaro bar visit
Market visits and chalkboard talks on wine, olive oil and food history

Before you go

Eat the region first, then cook it. Everything here is free and saves to your trip.

The food of PugliaWhat to eat and drink, and where to start, region by region across Italy.The Best 100One hundred restaurant dishes with a home version to cook this week.

Who leads it

Silvestro Silvestori

Owner and lead teacher

Has taught Puglian food, wine and olive oil for about 22 years to students from dozens of countries. Holds sommelier credentials for wine (AIS) and extra virgin olive oil (FIS) and writes professionally about wine.

Day by day

Monday-Friday
Two sessions a dayDaily sessions run roughly 10:00-15:00 and 18:00 to 23:00 or later from Piazza Sant'Oronzo, covering cooking, markets and tastings.
One morning
Tomato sauce in the countrysideThe class is driven to the countryside to make the year's sauce over about six hours, eats lunch there, then returns to Lecce.

Itineraries can shift with weather, season and host availability.

What is included

Included

Transport to the countryside and lunch there
Wine tastings and meals
Recipes and tips with online content
Student contact list

Not included

Accommodation
Travel to Lecce
Travel insurance

Practical details

Where you base: Lecce, with a countryside morning
Where you stay: Not included. Accommodation suggestions, arrival and departure help are given through a student services area after booking.
Pace: Easy to moderate: about 4,000 steps a day, two hours standing in the kitchen; mention mobility needs when booking.
Arrival and departure: Lecce; Monday 10:00 under the column in Piazza Sant'Oronzo. Course finishes late Friday night.
Who it suits: Hands-on cooks who want to preserve a season's tomatoes the Salentine way.

Good to know

Gluten-free pasta can be served but is not made in class; the course is not suitable for anyone who cannot handle wheat flour
Vegetarian options available on request at booking
Wine is poured only for the first glass; non-drinkers can simply decline
Taught in English; no prior cooking experience needed
Meet at the column in Piazza Sant'Oronzo, not at the school
Reservations are by email; wait for confirmation before booking travel
2027 date: Sep 6-10

Dates and prices

2027

Sep 6–10, 2027

€2,295

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EUR 2,295 per person at the 2025 price (EUR 1,995 in 2024). A non-participating spouse pays half.

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Trip details are compiled from the published information of The Awaiting Table Cookery School, who runs this trip. Dates, prices and availability change; we reconfirm everything with you before you commit.

Chef Amazing · Will Travel for Food · 250 food markets · The Best 100