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

squash, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Bake until soft and golden, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the roasted squash, the shallot mixture, and the ricotta cheese and pulse a few times to blend. Add the crushed amaretti cookies and the nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until smooth. The tortelloni filling can be made one day ahead.

To make the tortelloni, lay out 6 wonton squares, keeping the remaining squares inside the package or under a very lightly dampened paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Place 1 tablespoon of squash mixture in the middle of the square. Using a small pastry brush, wet the edges of the square. Gently fold the square wrapper into a triangle, making sure the edges are securely closed and there are no air pockets inside. Dampen the corners of the longest side of the triangle and gently bring them together, pressing lightly to secure. Place the formed tortelloni on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Be careful to dry the work surface before laying out another 6 wonton squares; this will help keep the tortelloni from sticking to the baking sheet. Continue until all the squash mixture is used. There should be approximately 36 tortelloni. The tortelloni can be frozen on the baking sheet, transferred to a tightly sealed plastic bag or container, and stored for up to one month.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. As it heats, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sage and cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cranberries, walnuts, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Place the tortelloni in the boiling water and gently stir. When they begin to float, they are done, about 3 minutes for fresh, 5 minutes if they’ve been frozen. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the tortelloni to a serving platter. Top with the cranberry walnut sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve.

4 to 6 servings

This might be the Italian answer to Seafood Newberg: chunks of crab and clams in a rich cream sauce tossed with wide noodles. If you really like clams, it’s worth checking to see if you can buy fresh chopped cooked clams at your fish market; the pieces tend to be a little bigger and meatier, with a more subtle, briny flavor than those in cans. The cream sauce is tinted a pretty pink from the tomatoes.

1 pound pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large shallots, chopped

½ cup dry white wine

1½ cups heavy cream

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces lump crabmeat (about 1½ cups), picked over for bits of shell and cartilage

1 (6.5-ounce) can chopped clams, drained

2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)

¼ cup chopped fresh chives (about ½ bunch)

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 pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until the shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the cream, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. The sauce should begin to thicken.

Add the crab, clams, and tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the pasta and toss. If necessary, add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water at a time to create a more luscious sauce. Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates and sprinkle with the chopped chives.

2 servings

If you’re cooking for someone special, you won’t find many dishes more romantic than this one. It looks sophisticated, tastes rich, and makes a real statement. It’s one of my standbys when I want to make a cozy dinner for me and my husband.

4 thin slices prosciutto

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

12 asparagus spears, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot, finely chopped

¾ cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice

¾ cup champagne

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the prosciutto slices on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until the prosciutto slices are almost completely crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. The slices will crisp up even more as they cool. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the broth. Blanch the asparagus in the chicken broth for 2 minutes. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon. Set the asparagus aside and keep the chicken broth at a low simmer.

In another medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter. Continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes more. Add the champagne and simmer until the champagne has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed by the rice, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of 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 total. Remove from the heat.

Gently stir in the asparagus, the remaining tablespoon of butter, the Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Spoon the risotto into serving dishes and garnish by