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

8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and add the pasta directly to the pot with the duck ragù. Mix well to coat the pasta with the sauce. Add as much of the pasta cooking liquid as needed to moisten the pasta and ragù mixture. Spoon into individual bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

6 servings

The colors in this pasta—the orange of the squash and shrimp against the black eggplant skins—always remind me of Halloween, which is why I often serve it for that holiday. Actually, it’s a perfect dish for any celebratory fall meal.

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 5 cups)

2 Japanese eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

1½ cups fish broth or vegetable broth

1¼ cups dry white wine

2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound spaghetti

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut in pieces

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for just a minute, then add the squash, eggplant, and herbs and sauté until the eggplant softens, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broth and wine. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer until the squash is tender and the liquid is reduced by about half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer gently until almost cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, 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 often, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Add the cooked pasta, butter, salt, and pepper to the squash mixture, and toss to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to a wide shallow bowl and serve.

Crab Salad Napoleons with Fresh Pasta

6 servings

This is one of the prettiest dishes I have ever made. It’s perfect for a ladies’ lunch, as it’s not too heavy and is extremely elegant looking. Make it ahead of time and serve slightly chilled. You could also substitute chopped cooked shrimp for the crab if you prefer.

12 ounces fresh pasta sheets, purchased or homemade

1 cup mayonnaise

1 bunch of fresh chives, chopped (about ½ cup)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for garnish

1 pound lump crabmeat (about 3 cups), picked over for shells and cartilage

1 cup frozen peas (about 6 ounces), thawed

Zest of 1 lemon

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta sheets and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and cool under cold running water. Cut each sheet into 4-inch squares. (You need 18 squares in all.)

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, half of the chopped chives, the lemon juice, and black pepper.

In another, larger bowl, combine the crab and the peas and toss to combine. Add ⅓ cup of the chive mayonnaise mixture and toss gently to combine.

To assemble the Napoleons, place one square of pasta on a plate. Spread a small spoonful of chive mayonnaise on the pasta sheet. Top with ¼ cup of the crab salad and gently spread the salad out to the edges of the pasta square. Top with another sheet of pasta. Spread another spoonful of chive mayonnaise on the pasta square. Top with another ¼ cup of the crab salad and gently spread the salad out to the edges of the pasta sheet. Top with a final pasta square, and add a small dollop of chive mayonnaise. Sprinkle with a pinch of lemon zest, a pinch of the remaining chives, and a grind of black pepper.

Repeat to make 5 more Napoleons.

Shrimp Lasagna Rolls with Creamy Marinara

6 servings

On my last trip to Venice I fell in love with a shrimp lasagna I tried. This recipe is my twist on that Venetian dish. If you keep frozen shrimp in the freezer, this is a very good way to use them. Be sure not to overcook the lasagna noodles when you are boiling them, as they will finish cooking when you bake the assembled dish. You will only need twelve noodles in all, but cook a few extras in case some break or tear as you are boiling them.

1 pound lasagna

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 (15-ounce) containers whole-milk ricotta cheese

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)

1½ cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 5 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and the garlic to the pan and sauté until the shrimp are cooked, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool. Coarsely chop the cooled shrimp and place in a large bowl with 2 cups of the ricotta cheese (one container and about one-third of the other), the Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine.

In another bowl, combine the marinara sauce with the remaining 1 cup of ricotta cheese and stir to combine.

To make the lasagna, cover the bottom of a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of the marinara mixture. Lay four noodles flat on a dry work surface. Spread about ¼ cup of the shrimp mixture