Cooking Class - Classic Italian Food Made Fresh

$ 109 Per person

all-inclusive: 2-hour class, 4-course meal.

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Gift card can be used for any experience or cookware

What You'll Do

Master Italian American comfort cooking one essential technique at a time.

This cooking class in Naperville is your chance to discover a fresh take on Italian classics in a fun, hands-on setting. You'll prepare polpette al forno, then fill and roll homemade manicotti with a rich three-cheese and spinach mixture, all finished with a bright tomato sauce. On the side, you'll roast broccolini with garlic and lemon and wrap up the meal with a simple affogato. Chef Jesse or a resident chef will guide you through pasta assembly, sauce preparation and flavor-balancing techniques. This cooking class in Naperville is perfect for anyone looking to build confidence with Italian cooking.

Tea, coffee and water will be provided. Guests are welcome to bring non-alcoholic beverages.

This class is suitable for ages 14+ with an adult present. Children under 17 must be accompanied by a paying adult. Class price is per person.

Your Menu

Jul 13th at 7:00 PM

Polpette al Forno (Meatballs)
Homemade Three-Cheese and Spinach Manicotti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Roasted Broccoini with Garlic and Lemon
Affogato

Jul 19th at 4:00 PM

Polpette al Forno (Meatballs)
Homemade Three-Cheese and Spinach Manicotti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Roasted Broccoini with Garlic and Lemon
Affogato

Jul 26th at 1:00 PM

Polpette al Forno (Meatballs)
Homemade Three-Cheese and Spinach Manicotti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Roasted Broccoini with Garlic and Lemon
Affogato

For public cooking classes, menu changes cannot be made. For private events, most dietary restrictions can be accommodated if noted prior to the event. Please mention this in the message field when you submit your booking request.
Adjustments cannot be made during the event.

Details

Minimum Guests 1
Maximum Guests 16
Meal Courses 4
Event Duration 2 hours
Labels Beginner, Cheese, Italian, Mediterranean, Pasta Making
Additional information In this class you will be working hands-on in groups of four sharing work stations and equipment.

Meet your chef

Chef Jesse or Resident Chef

61 reviews

Chef Jesse brings a rich culinary background to every class, shaped by experience in Michelin-starred restaurants, private chef work and operating his own food ventures. He has played key roles in opening restaurant and brewery kitchens, as well as developing diverse menus. Now instructing, Chef Jesse combines his deep knowledge and passion for food with a love for teaching, helping students master efficient kitchen techniques while making cooking a fun, engaging experience.

View all of Chef Jesse or Resident Chef's Experiences

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Cancellation Policy

Flexible booking: Cancel or reschedule this event's reservation for free up to 48 hours before the event.

Event location:

(Exact location will be provided after booking)

What You'll Do

Master Italian American comfort cooking one essential technique at a time.

Your Menu

Jul 13th at 7:00 PM

Polpette al Forno (Meatballs)
Homemade Three-Cheese and Spinach Manicotti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Roasted Broccoini with Garlic and Lemon
Affogato

Jul 19th at 4:00 PM

Polpette al Forno (Meatballs)
Homemade Three-Cheese and Spinach Manicotti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Roasted Broccoini with Garlic and Lemon
Affogato

Jul 26th at 1:00 PM

Polpette al Forno (Meatballs)
Homemade Three-Cheese and Spinach Manicotti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Roasted Broccoini with Garlic and Lemon
Affogato

Details

Minimum Guests 1
Maximum Guests 16
Meal Courses 4
Event Duration 2 hours
Labels Beginner, Cheese, Italian, Mediterranean, Pasta Making
Additional information In this class you will be working hands-on in groups of four sharing work stations and equipment.

Reviews

Verified guest reviews for other experiences with Chef Jesse or Resident Chef

aileen

03 Apr 2026

Awesome

Marci

15 Jan 2026

Pan seared NY strip with Chianti sauce, gnocchi with walnut pesto, arugula salad with lemon Parmesan dressing and butterscotch budino. Chef Charlie was awesome! Hoping to get the recipes sent to my email soon. Thank you!

Nicole vallez

18 Dec 2025

This was not with Chef Jesse. I believe the chef's name was Charlie. He was very friendly and informative. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we will back for another.

Kathy

29 Nov 2025

We made a tuscan steak, with homemade, kale-pesto pasta, and an arugula salad with parmesan cheese and balsamic dressing. It was excellent! Our Chef, Will, was very thorough explaining each step, however, it was a lot of steps for the amount of time we had. We enjoyed it; especially my husband who is the cook in the family! My only complaint is that we had to stand to eat the meal, after already standing for 2 hours! After paying the total amount for the class, I thought we would be able to sit and savior the meal we just made; instead of rushing to be done and leave.

Tracy

19 Oct 2025

Fun class but cannot replicate at home ... don't have all of the equipment necessary

Kate

02 Sep 2025

A wonderful experience for my grandson and I - and the food was delicious!

Marisa

06 Aug 2025

The class was great, however we never received the recipes for the pastas and the sauces.

DeEtta

31 Jul 2025

Claire is an awesome chef! Don’t judge how I plated my food, it tasted amazing. This was such a fun way to try new things and step out of my comfort zone. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a unique and delicious experience!

Michele

16 Jul 2025

My daughter and her friend had a wonderful time! Definitely recommend.

Chuck

28 Jun 2025

Class was easy to follow. Chef Will answered all our questions and was very helpful making class go smoothly

Pam

31 May 2025

Jesse was fantastic! Great class, delicious food. Highly recommend!

Zakyrah

27 May 2025

Amazing experience! Learned the right way to make pork chops and they were the best I’ve ever had. Will be booking another class soon!

Walter

11 May 2025

Still looking for the recipes. Chef missed opportunity to demonstrate the checking of the meat temperature. I would have used lemon zest in the risotto to enhance lemon flavor

Nidhi

11 May 2025

Loved the whole experience!!!

Chuck

09 May 2025

Chef Jesse class was great. very easy to follow directionsa nd answered all questions aand made sure u understood wht you were doing

Alex Messina

08 May 2025

This class was a lot of fun. The chef was knowledgeable and easy to talk with. I really liked how the chef talked through some of the science behind certain ingredient choices or how particular ingredients interact to give a desired outcome. 10/10 would recommend the class

Victoria

28 Apr 2025

My group of 5 had a blast making ramen with Chef Will in Naperville. The recipe was approachable, we used some new tools, and spent time as a family cooking a meal. A lovely way to spend two hours. Tasty too!

Steve

21 Apr 2025

It was a fun evening. Chef Monsoor was knowledgeable and helped us becoming more knowledgeable on preparing and cooking the meal. It was a fun experience.

Krista

21 Apr 2025

Met expectations

Callum

13 Apr 2025

Had this as a birthday gift and loved it!

Kristen

05 Apr 2025

Chef Nancy was very good! I enjoyed this class a lot and the food was simple and tasty. I do wish there was a little more dialect about Thai food in general (main spices, history, common dishes) but maybe that isn’t typical of these classes. All around great date night!

J-Treme

14 Mar 2025

Jesse was fun. Our meal was great and he took the tip to answer any questions we had and give out good pointers on cutting and how to avoid mistakes with our fried rice

Michael

10 Feb 2025

Excellent food and great instructor!

Steve

30 Jan 2025

The evening was great. My girlfriend and I both learned new things about cooking. Neither of us are big cooks, but we now want to cook more often. Chef Jesse made it a fun evening and the food was excellent. We’ll be attending additional classes.

Jeff

16 Jan 2025

Chef Jesse was great! He was professional and very personable. My wife and I attended the sushi making 101 class, and Chef Jesse provided some great tips and tricks to making/rolling sushi - the number 1 being practice! It's a bit odd to share ingredients with others at your table, but for sushi it was fine and not a big deal. Overall, it was a great - and we took away some great pointers and ideas.

Jennifer

27 Oct 2024

Great class

James

03 Oct 2024

Fun informative!

Evan

29 Sep 2024

This was an excellent class. Our instructor was very helpful, kind, and knowledgeable. The food was also delicious. Left this class with a full stomach and equally enriched mind.

Deborah

25 Aug 2024

We had so much fun. It was a great class and the food was great!

Abraham

29 Jul 2024

The class was fun and amazing! The environment was warm and welcoming, and I learned a ton from our chef mentor! Definitely would try again!

Brad

09 Jul 2024

Great meal. Great experience.

Christine

10 Apr 2024

Our Chef Wendy was excellent! She worked with adults and kids and everyone was engaged and enjoyed themselves. The only reason I did not give the experience 5 stars is because while we were listening to Chef Wendy, the assistants were cleaning pots and pans and utensils and their noise disrupted hearing our Chef. Chef Wendy deserves five stars.!!

Tyler

07 Apr 2024

TJ had a great time. He was able to understand Thank you very much!

Brianna

22 Feb 2024

Great

Michael

19 Nov 2023

Fun class. Chef was very friendly, gave clear instruction. Food was delicious. Will do again!

Reviews Chef Jesse or Resident Chef received outside of Cozymeal

Anna

06 Oct 2023

Amazing class. Chef and her assistant were wonderful! Highly recommend.

Micky

06 Oct 2023

Great class. I learned a lot and class was very hands on.

Joyce

06 Oct 2023

This was the first cooking class I have ever taken! It was very informative and I enjoyed the class . I will be taking more classes in the future.

Kathleen

06 Oct 2023

We thoroughly enjoyed our class. The instructor made our class so much fun. The macarons were delicious. Looking forward to more classes.

Theresa

06 Oct 2023

This class was great! Very informative and lots of fun, the instructors were very helpful (and the food was delicious!). I highly recommend this class and look forward to taking another class soon.

Sharon

06 Oct 2023

This was the first cooking class I took, it was great! Greg, the chef, did such a great job teaching the class. I'm looking forward to going to more classes.

Jenny

06 Oct 2023

Loved the class! Chef did a great job teaching us these recipes. I can not wait to take more classes.

Jenny

06 Oct 2023

Loved the class! Chef did a great job teaching us these recipes. I can not wait to take more classes.

Bob

06 Oct 2023

Excellent class. Chef Michael made it fun and informative.

Jay

06 Oct 2023

The class was really fun and informative. My girlfriend and enjoyed it as a birthday gift. We will definitely attend more classes in the future.

Anne

06 Oct 2023

Absolutely loved the class. I'm an experienced baker and have wanted to make macarons. The instructor was extremely knowledgeable. I enjoyed the class so much, I'm considering taking the class again as it was so much fun!!!

Beverly

06 Oct 2023

Fabulous class, food was fantastic and met some great people! This was my second class, I'm signed up for several others!!

Nicole

06 Oct 2023

Super enjoyable class! Instructor moved at a good pace and food ended up tasting delicious! Will be back for another class for sure!

Kerry

06 Oct 2023

I walked out with technique and confidence. I enjoyed the setup of the class and the instructor very much. Would take another class!

Aimee

06 Oct 2023

Great class! So delish!

Sonda

06 Oct 2023

Loved the class. I was able to make the croissants at home with ease. My family loved them. Looking forward to my next class.

Beth

06 Oct 2023

Excellent instructor. Great hands-on experience. I was able to go home and replicate the recipes.

Lisa

06 Oct 2023

Our instructor was super hands on - taught us some great techniques! Food turned out amazing. We were all impressed!

Kelli

06 Oct 2023

I loved the class. The ladies I was paired up with were a little chatty so was hard to listen to chef! Before class I was very intimidated but after class I was I got this! Excited to try making fresh pasta my self! Great class over all would definitely take again!

Lois

05 Oct 2023

The Instructor was "world class" with supportive instructions and humorous analogies. Considering taking the class for a second time.

Marianne

05 Jul 2025

We really were looking forward to this event. Unfortunately, we were disappointed. There wasn't much "instruction" (chef did it himself or said mince that without instruction and didnt provide tips on best way to peel garlic as one example), resident chef speech was difficult to understand, did not introduce new tools that could have provided more sales in the store. We had to ask for a food mover, for instance. The empanadas were undercooked and steak not made to our requested doneness. We had to eat standing up and not even a linen napkin but a flimsy cocktail napkin. Did not encourage team camaraderie to make it a more fun experience. Can you call him a chef when he is still in school? Definitely an experienced chef would have been ideal. The food was good and event space was pleasant.

VIKTORIIA

20 Oct 2024

My husband and I recently attended a cooking class led by Chef Justin, and while we appreciated his wide knowledge and the overall enjoyment of the class, we left feeling disappointed for a few reasons. First, we found it frustrating that we had to share our cooking table with other participants. This made it challenging to fully engage in the cooking process. Additionally, we were only given the opportunity to make one pasta dough collectively, which didn’t allow each of us to have our own hands-on experience. We believe that having individual stations would greatly enhance the learning process. Moreover, much of the food, like sauces, was pre-prepared by the chef. While we enjoyed learning about the techniques, we missed out on the practical experience of cooking those items ourselves. It felt more like a demonstration rather than an interactive cooking class. Overall, while we appreciated Chef Justin’s expertise, the format of the class didn’t meet our expectations for a hands-on experience. We hope future classes will offer more opportunities for individual participation and cooking.

Jill & Chuck

21 Sep 2024

Meal overall was good - the other participants were into it, however, our chef could've brought more energy - like she liked her job. We were all fun and ready to enjoy the experience.

Gabrielle

27 Jun 2024

Went for a sushi class. Instructor was horrible and didn’t even know how to roll sushi. Taught us to roll the seaweed long ways instead of short ways so our rolls were huge and totally incorrect. We will not be back.

Jerry

20 Mar 2024

Chef Justin was not our chef. The experience was not to bad, except we had a lot of Nats at our table, and a few got in our flower.