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

and bacon in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sauté until the meat is crisp and golden, about 2 minutes longer. Turn the heat to low. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, and egg yolks. Add the cream mixture to the pan with the pancetta and cook at a very low simmer, stirring often with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the fettuccine and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes.

Drain the pasta and add it to the cream mixture with the salt and pepper. Continue cooking over very low heat until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Transfer the pasta to a large, wide serving bowl. Sprinkle with the chives and serve.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Artichokes, and Asparagus

6 servings

Anytime you add sausage to a pasta dish, you exponentially increase the number of people who are going to love it; by adding vegetables, you turn it into a complete meal, a win-win situation all around.

¾ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed

2 (8-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts

1 cup asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1¾ cups chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine

12 ounces rigatoni or other tubular pasta

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

⅓ cup chopped fresh basil

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes, asparagus, and garlic to the same skillet, and sauté over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta, sausage, ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese, the basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

Linguine with Turkey Meatballs and Quick Sauce

6 to 8 servings

These meatballs are inspired by a turkey meatloaf that I wrap in pancetta before baking. Everyone loves spaghetti and meatballs, though, so I decided to put the pancetta directly into the meatball mixture and bake rather than fry them. The salty pancetta and the sweet sun-dried tomatoes make these meatballs that people will rave about for a long time.

Turkey Meatballs

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 ounces pancetta, finely diced

½ yellow onion, finely diced

1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat

½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup plain bread crumbs

¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound linguine

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes, drained and cut into pieces with kitchen scissors

2 whole garlic cloves, peeled

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup finely chopped fresh basil

To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 450°F.

Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion and continue to cook until the pancetta is crisp and the onion is tender, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the pancetta-and-onion mixture with the remaining meatball ingredients and stir to combine. Form the turkey mixture into balls about 2 inches in diameter, using about 2 tablespoons for each, and place on a foil-lined and greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

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, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, warm the ¼ cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic cloves, parsley, salt, and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Discard the garlic cloves. Add the cooked meatballs and the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add the reserved pasta water, about ¼ cup at a time, if the pasta needs moistening. Arrange on a serving platter and top with the basil.

4 to 6 servings

The literal translation of ditalini is “small fingers,” and I’m partial to this small, short shape because I like the ingredients in a pasta dish to be all roughly the same size—including the pasta. You can substitute any other small short-cut pasta you have on the shelf.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 pound mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned, and finely chopped

1 teaspoon plus ¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup dry Marsala wine

½ pound frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

½ cup heavy cream

1 pound ditalini or other small, thimble-shaped pasta, such as penneti

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms have cooked down, about 10 minutes. Add the Marsala and continue cooking until almost all the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and cream and cook until the artichokes are heated through, about 5