Rediscovering the Joys of Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis
As a fan of the lovely and talented Giada De Laurentiis, I’m not sure which I appreciate more: her entertaining Food Network programs or her growing collection of cookbooks.
Already the author of three well-received cookbooks (Everyday Italian
While some dyed-in-the-wool culinarians have proclaimed De Laurentiis’s first book mediocre when compared to the collective works of Lidia Bastianich, Marcella & Giuliano Hazan, and even fellow celebrity chef Mario Batali (who also appears on the Food Network), I appreciate the fact that Everyday Italian (the cookbook) mimics the feel of the Food Network program by the same name.
Following the premier of her television show by approximately 2 years (Food Network’s Everyday Italian premiered in 2003, the cookbook was released in 2005), De Laurentiis’s Everyday Italian excels at presenting a fresh, easy, and simplified approach to creating delicious Italian meals with “a minimum of fuss and a maximum of flavor.”
Featuring 256 pages directed at home cooks and accompanied by full-color photographs of mouthwatering food, as well as appealing black-and-white photos of De Laurentiis herself, Everyday Italian
Whether you are striving to whip up a first-class marinara, create crowd-pleasing antipasti (appetizers), serve stunning entrees, contorni (sides), or dolci (sweets) that are sure to make your family and friends request seconds, Everyday Italian provides more than 100 tantalizing recipes geared toward beginning to intermediate Italian cooks.
With the emphasis on creating great-tasting food in a flash, Everyday Italian takes an unpretentious, refreshing and realistic approach to Italian food that will inspire culinary confidence in the kitchen. No other recipe exemplifies this more than De Laurentiis’s take on Ziti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella, and Prosciutto.
One of the most ridiculously easy yet best-tasting pasta dishes I have ever served, De Laurentiis’s Ziti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto is what fabulous, modern Italian cooking is all about – allowing each ingredient to shine while creating a single, outstanding dish.
This recipe is quick, uncomplicated, and insanely delicious, and requires no additional sauce. In our home, it has become known as “Giada pasta.” Call it what you like, but simply stated, it is a must try and a perfect introduction to this delightful cookbook.
Ziti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella, and Prosciutto
by Giada De Laurentiis)- Salt
- 8 ounces dried ziti (or other tubular pasta)
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1″ pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 3 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
Reviewer’s Note - Since so few ingredients are used in this recipe, it’s worth it to buy the highest quality mozzarella and prosciutto you can afford. This is an instance where taste matters, as it will make a difference in the flavor of your finished dish.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the asparagus and cook the two together until the pasta is tender yet firm to the bite and the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and asparagus, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the pasta, asparagus, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, the 1 cup of reserved cooking liquid and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from heat. Add the mozzarella, prosciutto, and basil, and toss to combine. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to shallow bowls and serve.
This recipe will produce approximately 4 first-course servings.
Cover photo of Everyday Italian from the Food Network Store
