Read Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites Online

Authors: Giada de Laurentiis

Tags: #Non-Fiction, #Reference

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Roasting brings out the best flavors in fall vegetables, and it’s a super-easy way to cook them, as well: just cut them into cubes and let the oven do the rest. Once puréed they become a warm, mellow sauce that collects in the tubular pasta, so that when you bite one the flavors explode in your mouth.

4 to 6 servings

1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pint cherry tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, whole

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ cup pine nuts

1 pound penne pasta

¼ cup torn fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegetables. Roast until golden, about 8 minutes, stirring once. Remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl to cool.

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 occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1½ cups of the cooking liquid, and transfer the pasta to a large bowl.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and the extra-virgin olive oil. Pulse until the vegetables are puréed, but don’t make it too smooth; it should be a bit chunky with some distinct bits of vegetables.

Transfer the puréed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta. Add the Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid ½ cup at a time until the pasta is saucy. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve.

I’ve made this a
lot
. Even though it’s completely vegetarian, it tastes very full-bodied and complex, with a deep, winy flavor that even meat-lovers will enjoy. I serve it often when I am cooking for a crowd and don’t know how many vegetarians may be in the group.

6 to 8 servings

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1½ cups very hot water

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

2 garlic cloves

¼ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 ounces assorted mushrooms (such as shiitake, cremini, and brown), stemmed and chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ cup red wine

½ cup mascarpone cheese

1 pound rigatoni pasta

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the hot water. Set aside and let the mushrooms soften.

Place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped but still chunky. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 6 minutes.

Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the porcini mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste, until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom soaking liquid and the red wine. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir just until the cheese is incorporated.

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 occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid, and add to the vegetable mixture. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, if necessary, to moisten the sauce. Toss with the Parmesan and serve.

I love to prepare and serve stuffed peppers because they make such a beautiful presentation; when you cut into them and the delicious filling spills out, it’s like getting a present. My mother is also partial to stuffed peppers, which she fills with vegetables, meat, pasta—almost anything.

4 to 6 servings

1 (28-ounce) can whole Italian tomatoes

2 medium zucchini, grated

½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1½ cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)

¼ cup chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl and break them into pieces using a pair of kitchen shears or your fingertips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo will be only partially cooked. Drain the orzo through a sieve, reserving the chicken broth, and add the orzo to the large bowl with the vegetables. Stir to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up.

Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle each pepper with cheese, and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the stuffed peppers to serving plates. Garnish with basil, if desired.