Everyday Pasta by Giada Laurentiis (summer beach reads TXT) 📕

dry with a towel. Return the water to a simmer, add the potatoes, and cook until they are just tender but still hold their shape, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the ice water to cool completely. Drain the potatoes and pat dry with a towel. Bring the water back to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Place the tomatoes, basil, and parsley in a large serving bowl. Add the tuna and toss gently to combine. Add the green beans, potatoes, and pasta. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss again to coat the salad with the dressing.

4 to 6 servings

Among the many virtues of this salad is that it can be made ahead very successfully and it also looks so attractive.

1 pound fusilli pasta

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined (24 shrimp)

5 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup low-fat sour cream

½ cup low-fat yogurt

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons drained capers

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 heads of Belgian endive, trimmed and leaves separated

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and cool.

Toss the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large bowl to coat. Heat the remaining 3 teaspoons of oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté the shrimp until they are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and cool completely.

In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, yogurt, parsley, chives, capers, lime juice, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Add the pasta and shrimp and toss to coat.

Arrange the endive leaves around the perimeter of a serving platter, tips out. Spoon the pasta salad into the center of the serving platter. The endive should be peeking out from under the pasta salad. Serve cool or at room temperature.

Neapolitan Calamari and Shrimp Salad

4 to 6 servings

Men sometimes complain that pasta salads aren’t a “real” meal because they’re so light. This one will make a believer out of anyone who has turned his nose up at pasta salad in the past. Meaty eggplant chunks, cannellini beans, plus lots of grilled seafood make this as filling and robust as it is attractive on the plate.

4 cups chicken broth

½ pound orzo pasta (about 1 cup)

½ pound calamari, bodies and tentacles

½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 zucchini, cut lengthwise in 3 slices

1 Japanese eggplant, cut lengthwise in 3 slices

2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Olive oil, for drizzling

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 ounces arugula (about 3 cups)

¾ cup chopped fresh basil

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Juice of 2 lemons

⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and place it in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the seafood, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the calamari and shrimp until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Grill the zucchini and eggplant until tender, about 4 minutes per side. Grill the tomatoes cut side down just until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes.

Cut the calamari bodies into 1-inch rings. Add the calamari rings and tentacles and the shrimp to the bowl with the orzo. Cut the zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes into 1-inch pieces and add them to the bowl with the orzo and seafood. Toss to combine. Add the cannellini beans, arugula, basil, parsley, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper and toss again. Gently spoon the salad into a serving bowl and serve.

Tips for a Perfect Pasta Salad

Cooking pasta for a pasta salad differs in a couple of important ways from cooking pasta that is meant to be served hot. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Because chilling tends to mute flavors, be sure to salt the water in which you cook the pasta especially generously to really flavor the pasta.

• This is the one time you can cook pasta a bit past al dente; the pasta should be cooked all the way through and soft (but not mushy!), as any uncooked core will be hard and taste starchy.

• Rinse the pasta briefly after draining it to get rid of excess starch, which will make your salad sticky. Again, this is an exception to the general rule!

• Don’t dress the salad until right before serving, especially if the dressing contains an acid like vinegar or citrus juice, as it will start to break down the pasta and make it mushy.

4 to 6 servings

Couscous is technically a pasta made from semolina, though many people consider it a grain. In southern Italy it is used often, a lasting memento of the Arabs that invaded Sicily in the ninth century. I particularly appreciate the way it cooks so quickly. This is a perfect side dish for large-scale entertaining because it doubles or even triples beautifully.

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-pound box Israeli couscous (or any small pasta)

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Juice of 2 lemons

Zest of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted (see note in recipe for Rotelli with Walnut Sauce)

In a medium saucepan, warm the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous