Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites (7 page)

If you love fried calamari, you’ll really like having a new way to serve squid. The soup is thicker than a cioppino but not quite a chowder, and it’s nice and light. My husband, Todd, loves this soup because it’s spicy and the calamari gives it a meaty quality. Don’t add the calamari until right before you’re ready to serve, though, or it will become rubbery.

4 to 6 servings

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Warm the olive oil over low heat in a medium pot. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium. Slowly add the white wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato sauce, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Stir in the calamari and continue to cook just until the mixture comes back to a simmer and the squid is opaque, about 2 more minutes.

While the stew simmers, drizzle the bread slices with olive oil. Toast until the bread is crisp and turning golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic cloves. Serve immediately with the calamari stew.

In Venice you’ll find this soup in nearly every restaurant, and every version is a little bit different. I use two kinds of beans because I like the different textures each contributes: the cannellini are creamy while the garbanzos (chickpeas) have a slightly firmer bite. The final herb sauce brightens and freshens the long-cooked flavors.

You can substitute any mild white fish for the snapper, but try to keep the fillets whole as the soup cooks. I always feel if I’ve spent the money for a beautiful piece of fish, I want people to see it, not just find tiny flakes throughout the soup.

4 to 6 servings

For the fish minestrone:
Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, carrots, zucchini, and green beans. Stir to combine and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the beans and the chicken broth. Cook until the broth is simmering and the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season the fish fillets with the salt and pepper and add them to the simmering soup. Simmer until the fish is cooked, about 7 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

For the herb sauce:
While the fish cooks, combine the parsley, oregano, garlic, and red wine vinegar in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the herbs are almost a paste. Add the olive oil in a steady stream while the machine is running. Add the salt and pepper.

To serve,
ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a spoonful of the herb sauce. Serve immediately.

After tomato, basil, and mozzarella, prosciutto and melon just might be
the
most classic Italian flavor combination of all time. It gets a whole new lease on life, though, when served as a savory cold soup. The tomato contributes a bit of acidity that tones down the melon’s natural sweetness, and salty prosciutto makes the whole dish sing. If you can’t find canned San Marzano tomatoes, which are a bit sweeter than regular canned plum tomatoes, go for an organic brand such as Muir Glen.

4 servings

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the prosciutto slices on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until firm, golden around the edges, and almost crisp, about 18 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the soup.

Place half the melon in a blender with half the tomatoes. Pulse the blender until the mixture is puréed. Transfer to a large bowl and purée the remaining melon and tomatoes. Combine both puréed batches in the bowl and season with the salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Crumble the cooled prosciutto crisps over each serving. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Curry powder isn’t a traditional Italian ingredient, but over time it has found its way into Italian cuisine simply because of Italy’s geographic location and influences from its neighbors. I love the flavorful blend of spices in curry powder, which marries well with mayo and chicken. The radicchio adds a touch of bitterness and the pancetta a perfect crunch.

4 servings

Fry the pancetta slices in a large skillet over high heat until crispy. Drain the pancetta on paper towels and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, curry powder, lime juice, honey, and ginger. Stir to combine. Add the chicken and radicchio and stir to coat with the dressing.

Slice the rolls in half. Spoon the chicken mixture onto the bottom halves of the rolls. Top with pieces of the crispy pancetta and the roll tops and serve.

Purists will probably take issue with my spin on lobster rolls, but I think the light, sweet texture of mascarpone enhances the flavor of lobster far better than mayo does. There’s no question, though, that this is a decadent dish; enjoy it as an occasional—and outrageously delicious—treat.

4 servings

In a medium bowl, stir together the mascarpone and olive oil until combined and smooth. Stir in the tarragon, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Cut the lobster meat into nice, big chunks; if using prawns, peel them and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Add the lobster meat to the herb sauce and toss to coat. Divide the lobster mixture among the rolls and serve immediately.