Paper Palate

Food Network celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis is probably best known for her Italian cooking and pasta recipes, right up there with Mario Batali.  In a recent issue of Quick and Simple magazine, Giada shared her top tips for pasta:

- Stock your pantry.  Giada’s cupboard must-haves include an assortment of dried pasta, jarred marinara sauce (make sure the first ingredient is tomatoes, not sugar, she says), canned tomatoes, canned cannellini beans, a jar of herbs de Provence, extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

- Choose flavor-packed ingredients. You don’t need to douse foods with oil and fat, says Giada.  Add colorful veggies, lean meats and fish, and plenty of seasonings instead.

- Use the pasta water. Don’t let all that starchy, salty water go down the drain; use it to thin tomato sauce or to add extra moisture and flavor to other pastas.

- Get a pot with a colander insert. With this handy tool, you can drain the cooked pasta and strain the water right back into the pot (look for pasta pots for about $30 at Target).

- Get creative with leftovers. Try Giada’s childhood favorite - pizza di spaghetti.  Mix leftover sauced pasta with grated Parmesan, milk and eggs; fry in a skillet and cut into wedges.

Photo from Giada’s website.