Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites (16 page)

4 to 6 servings

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus bundle and cook for 3 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water and let sit until cool, about 5 minutes. Drain the asparagus, remove the rubber band, and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Make the basil aioli:
While the asparagus cooks, combine the garlic, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a food processor and run the machine to mix. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the vegetable and olive oils.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the same pot of salted water used to cook the asparagus and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add 1 cup basil aioli, the asparagus, the shaved cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and combine. Turn out onto a serving platter.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and fry to your liking. Place the eggs atop the pasta and serve.

Note:
This recipe includes raw egg yolks, which are not recommended for children, the elderly, or those with compromised immune systems. If you have health concerns about raw eggs, choose a different recipe.

This dish is comforting yet elegant, which is why I like to serve it at gatherings during the winter holidays. Best of all, it’s a very quick and easy go-to recipe for when you’re short on time and need to deliver something special.

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 and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, ¼ cup of the basil, ¼ cup of the parsley, and the red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the clam juice and cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, the cooked shrimp, the drained pasta, and the remaining basil and parsley. Toss together until all ingredients are coated with the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.

Orecchiete are like little spoons that cup the ingredients and ensure you get a little bit of all the flavors in every bite. This is a particularly fast dish to put together.

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.

In a large, heavy skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onion and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into bite-size pieces as it browns. Continue cooking until the sausage is golden and the onion is tender. Add the beans and oregano and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until it dissolves into a light sauce. Add the salt, pepper, and hot pasta. Stir until coated, and serve.

This dish is real comfort food without the meat. It’s great for Sunday family dinners, as a side or a main course, and an equally great way to sneak some greens into your diet. You’ll need a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip for this recipe.

12 manicotti (4 to 6 servings)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 13 × 9-inch glass baking dish liberally with butter.

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, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

For the filling:
Using kitchen scissors or a knife, remove the Swiss chard stems. Chop the leaves into 1-inch pieces. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer, then add the chard and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Place the ricotta cheese, peas, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Add the cooled chard mixture and blend until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pastry bag and stuff each manicotti shell with the filling. Place the stuffed manicotti in the prepared baking dish.

For the fontina fonduta sauce:
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Add the fontina cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and basil.

Pour the sauce over the stuffed manicotti and sprinkle with the 1½ cups mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden. Let the baked manicotti stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Creamy, lemony, and delicious, either as an entrée or a side dish. For a fun, elegant touch, serve individual side-dish portions in a hollowed-out lemon cup
(see Note)
. It would make a pretty, festive accompaniment to almost any springtime meal.

4 entrée servings or 8 side-dish or appetizer servings

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and ¼ cup of lemon juice to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.

In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and remaining ¼ cup of lemon juice and simmer until it has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, ½ cup of the Parmesan, and the mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, and the salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, garnish with the parsley, and serve.