Welcome to Cooking with Domenica Cooks:
AN EVERYDAY ITALIAN MENU

 
 

In this online “hands on” cooking class, we will make a dinner menu from my latest book,
Williams-Sonoma Everyday Italian.
On the menu:
* Arugula Salad with Blue Cheese, Dates, and Toasted Hazelnuts
* Chicken-Ricotta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
* Lemon-Rosemary Cornmeal Cake with Lemon Syrup


ZOOM LINK FOR CLASS

Please follow the above link to access the class at the appointed date and time.



C LASS PREPARATION

Here are a few things you can do to get ready for class:

  • Refer to the ingredients and equipment lists below to make sure you have everything you need well before the class date. Links are provided for less common ingredients and tools, and for ingredients/brands I like and use (no sponsorships; just sharing my preferences).

  • Read through the printable recipes (linked below) to familiarize yourself with them.

  • Get a head start by gathering everything you need and doing advance prep work, such as draining ricotta and measuring out your ingredients.



INGREDIENTS LIST
(please refer to printable recipes below for details)

For the Arugula Salad:

  • 1/4 cup (28 g) toasted skinned hazelnuts, lightly crushed, or coarsely chopped (see Cook’s Note)

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

  • 5 cups (100 g) arugula

  • 2 to 3 ounces (60-90 g) Gorgonzola or other salty, pungent blue cheese, crumbled

  • 6 to 8 dates, pitted and cut into pieces

  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the Chicken-Ricotta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

  • 1 pound (454 g) skinless chicken breasts

  • 1 cup (227 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese

  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

  • 1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

  • 1 clove garlic, pressed or grated on the small holes of a box grater

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • Finely grazed zest of 1 lemon

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

    Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 1 small dried chile pepper, or a pinch of red pepper flakes

  • 2 bottles (24-ounce/680 g each) tomato passata (purée), such as Mutti or 2 cans (28 oz/800g each) whole tomatoes, such as these, passed through a food mill

  • 1 small carrot, peeled

  • 1 large fresh basil sprig, plus 4-5 whole leaves

  • Fine salt

For the Lemon-Rosemary Cornmeal Cake

Cornmeal cake

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan

  • 1 cup (200 g) sugar

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

  • 1 tablespoon finely minced rosemary

  • 1/2 cup (115 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (145 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal, such as Indian Head

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

 Lemon syrup

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

  • Whipped cream for serving (optional)

EQUIPMENT

  • Cheesecloth, for draining ricotta cheese

  • Food processor, for grinding chicken breasts

  • Skillet for frying meatballs

  • Saucepan for making tomato sauce

  • Food mill or potato masher, for mashing canned tomatoes (if not using passata)

  • 8-inch (20-cm) cake pan for the cake

  • Parchment to line the bottom of the pan (optional)

  • Whisk to mix ingredients for the cake

PRINTABLE RECIPES