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

with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. Add the cucumbers to the salad.

Toss the salad with enough basil dressing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Do-Ahead Tip

The vinaigrette and salad can be prepared one day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate. Whisk or shake the dressing to blend before using.

4 to 6 servings

I make this salad most often in the winter and early spring months, when there aren’t a lot of vegetables in the market. The olives and cheese make it a bit more substantial than most green salads.

Sherry vinegar is the special ingredient in the versatile dressing. It’s Spain’s version of balsamic vinegar and it’s less acidic than other vinegars with a mellow, sweet-and-sour taste that is just perfect with more delicate greens.

Dressing

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 large garlic clove

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 (10-ounce) bag of mixed baby greens, rinsed and spun dry (about 6 cups)

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

2 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled

Blend the vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a blender until the garlic is finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly blend in the oil.

Toss the baby greens, bell pepper, olives, and cheese in a salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat.

Greens with Gorgonzola Dressing

4 to 6 servings

This is the Italian version of blue cheese dressing, and it’s just as rich and decadent as its American counterpart.

¼ cup creamy Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 ounces)

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons sour cream

½ garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

10 ounces bibb, iceberg, or Romaine lettuce in bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)

Combine all the ingredients except the greens in a blender or a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine, then blend until smooth.

Place the greens in a salad bowl and pour the dressing over the greens. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

Asparagus with Vin Santo Vinaigrette

4 to 6 servings

Vin Santo is known as the Wine of Saints, and some of the very best is produced in northern Italy. It’s drunk mostly as a dessert wine (it’s perfect for dipping biscotti), but I also like to use it in vinaigrettes because of its smooth, sweet flavor. It brightens up the asparagus and makes this simple salad more luxurious.

1½ cups Vin Santo (about 375 milliliters)

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed

6 Bibb lettuce leaves

1 hard-cooked egg, peeled and chopped

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

In a small saucepan, reduce the Vin Santo to ⅓ cup over medium heat, about 10 minutes. In a small jar or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the reduced Vin Santo, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Shake to combine, making sure the mustard is fully incorporated.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a bowl filled with ice water and let it cool, about 3 minutes. Drain the asparagus and pat dry with paper towels.

Place the lettuce leaves in a serving bowl and arrange the asparagus on top. Top with the hard-cooked egg and chopped almonds. Drizzle the entire salad with the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Parmesan Popovers (left) and Anytime Vegetable Salad

4 to 6 servings

The perfect light, clean side salad to serve alongside a hearty pasta, this is my version of succotash. The different shades of yellow and green beans make it really pretty, too.

2 cups frozen edamame (soy beans), shelled

8 ounces thin green beans, trimmed

8 ounces yellow wax beans, trimmed

⅓ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1½ cups halved cherry tomatoes

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or tarragon

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

Cook the edamame in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water, then drain well and pat dry. Repeat with the green beans and yellow beans. Leave the green and yellow beans whole or cut them crosswise into 1- to 1½-inch pieces.

Whisk the vinegar, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Add the beans, tomatoes, basil, and thyme, and toss to coat. Season the salad to taste with more salt and pepper, and serve.

4 to 6 servings

I make this as a side dish at least three times a week—that’s how much I love spinach, and how much I love it served this way. It’s easy, delicious, and great for you. The secret is the soy sauce; although it’s not Italian, it gives the spinach a fabulous salty kick.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 (10-ounce) bags of prewashed spinach (about 10 cups)

Zest of 1 lemon

Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the broth, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Add one third of the spinach and cook until it begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Continue adding the spinach one large handful at a time, sautéing just until it begins to wilt before adding more. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, sprinkle with lemon zest, and serve.

3:

soups and pasta salads

This chapter may be the best illustration of just how versatile pasta can be. A little bit of pasta—whether fun small shapes like ditalini or little stars or just broken bits of long-strand pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine—can turn a light vegetable soup into