Giada at Home: Family Recipes From Italy and California (12 page)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and discard. Add the Swiss chard and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. In batches, add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to the skillet and add half of the cheese and the lemon zest. Toss well. If needed, thin out the sauce with a little pasta water and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve.

Penne with Treviso and Goat Cheese

Treviso is a leafy vegetable found all over northern Italy, especially around Venice. It looks like a cross between romaine lettuce and radicchio, whose burgundy color and slightly bitter flavor it shares. I like to wilt treviso and then add it to pasta with some creamy goat cheese to mellow its bitterness.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and golden, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic and discard.

Add the treviso, spinach, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook until the treviso and spinach wilt, 6 to 8 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta and Parmesan cheese to the skillet. Toss well, thinning out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed. Season with salt, if needed.

Transfer the penne to serving bowls. Top each portion with the crumbled goat cheese and garnish with basil before serving.

Pasta Ponza

Ponza is an island off the west coast of Italy where my aunt Raffy and I first tasted this dish, in the home of a family friend. Like all the best pasta dishes, this one is simple; what makes it special is how the sauce comes together. The tomatoes and capers are roasted with a bread crumb topping, concentrating their flavors and making them very juicy with a crunchy crust. When they’re mixed with the hot pasta and cheese, the textures and flavors explode in your mouth. This just might be my favorite recipe in the book!

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter an 8 × 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

Combine the tomatoes, capers, olive oil, salt, and pepper in the prepared baking dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the tomato mixture. Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the pasta. Add the cheese and toss well. If needed, thin out the sauce with a little pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Spaghetti with Beef, Smoked Almonds, and Basil

The sauce for this pasta is really a simple fresh salsa, and if you are making it in the summer months, feel free to substitute two or three diced beefsteak tomatoes for the canned. It is just as good at room temperature as it is served hot, so it can be made ahead of time—perfect for large get-togethers and buffet-style parties. The sliced steak turns this dish into a meal. I’m seeing smoked almonds used more and more in Italy and I have fallen in love with the deep flavor they add; however, as they are quite salty, when I use them in a dish I reduce the amount of salt I would normally add.

Place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Place the steaks on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the herbes de Provence on both sides of the steaks and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes for medium. Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the tomatoes and their juices with 2 cups basil leaves, the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the ¼ cup olive oil. Process until the mixture is coarsely chopped.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the cooked pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the tomato mixture and smoked almonds and toss well. If needed, thin out the sauce with a little pasta water and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Slice the steaks ¼ inch thick and serve alongside the pasta.