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

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, chopped

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup Marsala wine

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 pound rigatoni pasta

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan.

Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and basil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, then add the Marsala, tomatoes with their juice, and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each. Return the sausages to the pan. Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, 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 add to the thickened sauce; toss to combine. Spoon into individual bowls and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Roman-Style Fettuccine with Chicken

4 to 6 servings

This is a typically Italian way of preparing chicken, but Italians rarely combine chicken with pasta; by serving chicken over wide ribbons of fettuccine I’ve created a hybrid Italian-American one-dish meal.

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced

3 ounces prosciutto, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice

½ cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

1½ pounds fresh fettuccine

2 tablespoons drained capers

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juice, wine, thyme, and oregano. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the fresh pasta, stir, and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Drain.

Remove the chicken and let it cool slightly on a cutting board. Using a fork and knife, gently shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the pan. Stir in the capers and parsley.

To serve, spoon the pasta into serving dishes and top with the chicken and sauce.

4 to 6 servings

The assertive flavor of Gorgonzola cheese gives the sauce for this dish a nice, sharp bite. This combination of flavors is very typical of northern Italian food, and it makes for a particularly earthy, satisfying dish. You can have fun with this recipe, varying the kinds of mushrooms you use; try to incorporate a few varieties. The frozen peas add a welcome pop of color.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2½ cups whole milk, at room temperature

5 ounces creamy Gorgonzola cheese, cubed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound assorted mushrooms (such as cremini, oyster, stemmed shiitake), sliced

¾ cup frozen peas, thawed

1 pound farfalle pasta

In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, add the flour and whisk until smooth and the flour loses its raw flavor, about 2 minutes. Carefully add the milk all at once and whisk until smooth. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat. Add the Gorgonzola and stir until melted. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender and golden, about 12 minutes. Stir in the peas. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Add the Gorgonzola sauce and mushroom mixture, and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

6 servings

I really prefer the texture of fresh pappardelle with the savory lamb stew; it just seems to absorb the flavors better. If you can’t find fresh pappardelle, though, the dried kind is perfectly acceptable, and it’s good to have on hand to toss with any leftover braised meats and their braising liquid for a quick, warming meal.

3 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of excess fat and sinew, meat cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1½ cups dry red wine

3½ cups beef broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 tablespoon tomato paste

18 small cipolline onions

2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

1½ pounds pappardelle pasta, preferably fresh

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper. Toss the lamb with the flour in a large bowl to coat. Heat the oil in a heavy,