Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites (15 page)

Todd loves frozen peas and he loves sausage, so this is his kind of recipe, and I created it with him in mind. When you smash the peas, they release their starches into the sauce, making it thick and creamy. To make life a little easier, use a potato masher to smash the peas.

4 to 6 servings

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes if dry or according to package directions if fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant. Add the sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break it up into bite-size bits. When the sausage has browned, about 5 minutes, push it over to one side of the pan. Add the peas to the pan and, using the back of the wooden spoon, smash the peas. Turn off the heat. Add the ricotta cheese to the pan and stir to combine, then add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add the pasta cooking water ¼ cup at a time, if needed, to make the pasta moist. Add the basil, Pecorino, and salt. Toss gently to combine and serve immediately.

In my family, baked pastas were always the crowd-pleasers, and I still love them—especially the crusty, cheesy tops. Full of cream and butter, this is a rich indulgence. Put it together a day ahead of time and bake it just before serving if you like.

6 to 8 servings

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large heat-proof bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the Marsala. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl, then add the cream, fontina, mozzarella, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and thyme. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes.

Not all cream sauces are super-rich. This pasta gets its creamy sauce from a combination of part-skim ricotta and pasta water, which come together to make a really easy, lighter cream sauce. Don’t leave out the lemon zest; it brightens the flavor and adds a wonderful lemony aroma as well.

4 to 6 servings

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the hot pasta to a large heat-proof bowl and add the ricotta. Toss to combine.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the green beans, garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the reserved pasta cooking liquid and continue cooking until the beans are tender, about 4 more minutes. Add the ricotta-coated pasta to the pan with the green beans and toss to combine. Add the tomatoes and toss gently. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Serve.

My brother and sister and I craved this dish so often as kids that we finally learned to make it ourselves; it is actually one of the first dishes I ever made for myself. These days I consider it special-occasion food, not everyday fare, and it’s especially good for Sunday brunch. Add champagne and a fruit salad and you’re done. The basil aioli keeps for up to a week in the fridge and it works as a dip for veggies, or as a sandwich spread.