We recently caught up with Chef Chiara Lima, founder of the renowned Mamma Agata Cooking School in Ravello, Italy, and author of the award-winning cookbook Mamma Agata: Simple and Genuine Italian Family Recipes.

For interested travelers, Artisans of Leisure can arrange a private cooking class at Mamma Agata as part of a private Artisans of Leisure tour in Italy. These classes offer a cooking demonstration and an immersive experience in the culinary traditions and culture of the Amalfi Coast. The Mamma Agata Cooking School is also now offering culinary weeks in August 2026 that include a more hands-on experience, allowing students to learn how to cook many more Mamma Agata recipes.

Q: Tell us about Mamma Agata Cooking School. For readers who are not familiar with the school and experience, what can they expect?

A: Mamma Agata is a culinary treasure in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. It is situated on land that overlooks the coast and boasts stunning sea views from the terrace. The cooking school is surrounded by the gardens of Mamma Agata. For 250 years the family has been on this land, which has been passed down through the generations and is truly a “hidden treasure.”

For the cooking experience, students can expect to see the love, passion, simple and genuine food full of flavor with secrets passed down through generations. I demonstrate how to make the recipes with the students helping and teaching important cooking skills, such as how to infuse the flavor into each dish like garlic into the oil and the frying technique.

They can enjoy time to explore the gardens, relax, and sip wine or lemonade in between each demonstration. My class is a celebration of tradition and culinary heritage.

Q: Are private experiences available?

A: Yes, there are definitely private classes.

Q: What are some of your earliest memories of being in the kitchen with your mother, renowned chef Agata Lima?

A: Mamma was very strict because she was passionate about her cooking. The food had to taste perfect, so she poured her heart into cooking. She was strict because she wanted to show love through food.

Q: Mamma Agata’s Cooking School holds classes in the family home and is truly a family affair. Tell us about how your family is involved with the school to this day.

A: I started with Mamma and my late husband Gennaro cooking at the cooking school. I am currently the chef at the cooking school. Now Mario and Paola, my children, are involved when they are not at university.

Q: What can visitors expect from a typical day at the cooking school?

A: The day begins on the terrace with coffee and Mamma’s famous lemon cake, and I chat about the legacy of the land, the food and wine, with everyone being introduced to each other.

We first make Mamma’s tomato sauce, the basis for so many recipes.

We then make eggplant parmigiana, followed by Bolognese sauce and Mamma’s meatballs, teaching all the techniques. In between, we have many tastings of the sauces with fresh bread, fried eggplants, Parmesan cheese and “red hell” spicy sauce.

From 2–4 pm we sit down to eat what we have cooked, finishing with more cake and limoncello.

Q: What are some ingredients or techniques that might be new to some travelers?

A:

• How to fry healthily
•  How to infuse garlic into the oil
• Sharing secrets from generation to generation
• How to make the most delicious tomato sauce with the sweetest tomatoes
• How to cook with passion and from the heart

Q: You source many of your ingredients from your beautiful garden. How does the local landscape and climate influence the flavors of Amalfi Coast cuisine?

A: The land and soil are unique to this area. The soil is rich, long hot sunny weather for ripening of the vegetables and fruit.

The ingredients speak for themselves. Less is more, tradition and food are simple.

Q: Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?

A: I discuss any dietary restrictions with the student directly.

Q: Where do you like to eat on the Amalfi Coast?

A: Marina Grande Amalfi, which has excellent seafood with a Michelin rating.

Q: What are some of your favorite travel destinations?

A: Ireland, Scotland and Norway.

Q: What are some of your favorite cookbooks?

A: Of course, it has to be Mamma Agata: Simple and Genuine Italian Family Recipes. The second cookbook is due out next year. The first cookbook, Simple and Genuine, has been translated into three languages and is now in its 6th edition, having won awards such as Best Easy Recipe Book at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2010 in Paris.

Q: Is there a recipe you would be willing to share?

A: Spaghetti of the Farmer. 

Q: What is your go-to meal or snack when you are at home?

A: I love steak, fish (tuna and salmon), Mozzarella and other cheeses.

Q: What are some of your favorite things to do in Ravello when you’re not cooking?

A: Yoga on my terrace and walking through the Ravello piazza first thing in the morning.

Q: Do you have any must-visit spots on the Amalfi Coast for first-time travelers?

A: Positano, Ravello and its famous villas, Cimbrone and Rufolo. And of course, Mamma Agata Cooking School.

Q: What’s something travelers should purchase to take home?

A: Amalfi coast ceramics and from Mamma Agata, the cookbook and my amazing lemon squeezer that is easy to pack.

Q: Your cookbook is such a wonderful testament to your family’s passion for cooking. Are there any new projects on the horizon?

A: A second cookbook is coming soon.

Contact Artisans of Leisure to begin planning a private Italy tour that includes the highlights of the Amalfi Coast,  including a private cooking class at Mamma Agata Cooking School in Ravello.