The Cheesecake Factory is hosting a free online cooking class where viewers can learn how to make a new pasta recipe and popular brunch dish

• The Cheesecake Factory is offering its first-ever free online cooking classes.
• The restaurant chain's Chief Culinary Officer will teach viewers on Facebook Live how to make lemon-ricotta pancakes, as well as a new menu item, chicken and broccoli pasta.
• The cooking session will be available to watch at two separate times — 4 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. PT — on Thursday, May 7.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

We all could use some comfort food right now.

Lots of people are opting for cooking their own meals in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. Of course, not everyone is an accomplished home chef, so many restaurants and chefs are offering online cooking classes to help people stay home, stay safe, and limit their contact with others.

And if you're looking for something hearty, warm, and comforting for your next meal, The Cheesecake Factory is happy to help.

The restaurant chain is offering its first-ever virtual cooking class with the Chief Culinary Officer, Donald Moore, on Thursday, May 7. Moore will demonstrate how to cook one of the restaurant's most popular brunch items, lemon-ricotta pancakes, and a new menu item, chicken and broccoli pasta. The virtual class will be posted online on Facebook Live.

Even if you're a total cooking beginner, this livestream class will be easy to follow and perfect for the whole family.

The Cheesecake Factory is also well-aware that not everyone has lemon, ricotta, broccoli, and other ingredients lying around in their pantries, so it is also providing a full list of ingredients for people to prepare before the class goes live.

Chicken and broccoli pasta ingredients

2 tbsp. canola oil

1-½ cups chicken tenders, cut into ¾ pieces

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper, ground

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper, ground

1/8 tsp. crushed red chili flakes

1 cup broccoli, chopped into half-inch pieces

1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into one-inch pieces

4 oz. rigatoni pasta, dry

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp. garlic butter

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

¼ cup Roma tomatoes, oven roasted, cut into half-inch pieces

1 wedge lemon

1 tbsp. chopped croutons

Lemon-ricotta pancakes ingredients

1-¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

1-½ cups buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

4 tbsp. granulated sugar

2 tbsp. lemon zest (minced)

2-½ tsp. vegetable oil

There will be two chances to attend this virtual event. The Facebook Live streams will go up at 4 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. PT on Thursday, May 7, though everyone will be able to see both sessions regardless of which time zone they're in.

And when you're done making one of these delicious meals, you can have a scoop of the brand's delicious cheesecake ice cream for dessert.

For more information or to keep up to date, follow The Cheesecake Factory on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or visit their website.

Read the original article on Insider