Everyday Pasta

by DE LAURENTIIS, GIADA

• ISBN13: 9780307346582
• ISBN10: 0307346587
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-04-03
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter

Summary

ForNew York Timesbestselling author Giada De Laurentiis, pasta has always been one of the great pleasures of the table: it's healthy and delicious; it can be light and delicate or rich and hearty; it's readily available and easy to prepare--everything you want in a meal. And nothing satisfies a craving for Italian food quite like it! InEveryday Pasta, Giada invites you to share her love of this versatile staple with more than a hundred brand-new recipes for pasta dishes, as well as for complementary sauces, salads, and sides tempting enough to bring the whole family to the dinner table. Without forgetting about the classics we all love, Giada makes the most of the many varieties of pasta available to create recipes that combine familiar flavors in exciting new ways. Although most of these dishes are all-in-one meals in themselves, Giada also supplies recipes for her favorite appetizers, side dishes, and salads to round them out. Whether you're looking for a simple summer supper that makes the most of seasonal vegetables or seeking comfort in a pasta bowl on a cold winter's night,Everyday Pastaoffers just the thing. Tuna, Green Bean, and Orzo Salad Crab Salad Napoleans with Fresh Pasta Roman-Style Fettuccini with Chicken Baked Pastina Casserole Tagliatelle with Short Ribs Ragou Spaghetti with Eggplant, Butternut Squash, and Shrimp Easy to prepare and endlessly versatile, pasta makes a wonderful quick supper when time is short but easily becomes an elegant meal when the occasion requires. InEveryday Pasta, Giada shows you how, with a few basic ingredients from the fridge and the pantry, you're never more than minutes away from a delicious pasta dinner.

Author Biography

giada de laurentiis
is the star of Food Network’s Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.

Excerpts

Rigatoni with Sausage, Artichokes, and Asparagus
6 servings

Anytime you add sausage to a pasta dish, you exponentially increase the number of people who are going to love it; by adding vegetables, you turn it into a complete meal, a win-win situation all around.

3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil -reserved
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 (8-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts
1 cup asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
12 ounces rigatoni or other tubular pasta
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes, asparagus, and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta.
Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella, if using. Season to taste with salt and -pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

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Excerpted from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis
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