Three Michelin-starred Massimo Bottura, chef owner of Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, is known for upending the traditions of Italian cooking. A force in the culinary world for years, he has been in the top five on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for eight consecutive years and held the No. 1 spot in 2016 and 2018. According to The New York Times, he describes his cooking as “compressing passion into edible bites.”

Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn the art of Italian cooking with Chef Bottura and prepare his version of one of the most famous and loved Italian recipes, pasta al pesto. Originally from the northern Italy region of Liguria, pesto is made with basil, pecorino cheese, garlic and pine nuts. Massimo’s pesto is untraditional but flavorful and loaded with meaning. His pesto tells the story of Refettorio Ambrosiano – the first community kitchen opened with Food for Soul, a nonprofit organization founded by Massimo and his wife, Lara, in 2015. When he and his Osteria Francescana team were serving at the Refettorio in Milan, they wanted to use leftover basil, so they made pasta al pesto. Without enough basil leaves, they added other aromatic greens, like mint and parsley. Also lacking pine nuts, Massimo used breadcrumbs, which is how breadcrumb pesto was born. Refettorios worldwide use this recipe while fighting food waste and social isolation, serving delicious meals made with salvaged ingredients.

Through this interactive cooking class, you’ll not only experience Massimo’s signature style but also have an opportunity to ask him you cooking, personal and business questions.

Learn the art of cooking from a culinary master chef.
Find out what it takes to succeed as a repeat Michelin-starred chef.
Connect with YPO members who share your love of and passion for the culinary arts.

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