Notes about Recipes in this book

• Tomato soup with pancetta

  • debcapecod on January 31, 2010

    Delicious. I only had small pumpernickel bread in freezer so I used that. The marscarpone and sour cream really added to the taste of the soup. Do not leave out.

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    So good & smoky. Stirred in cheese mix after dollop-ing into bowls. Used: 1pkg broth, diced tomatoes & dried basil. Served on French HoneyWheat Bread

• Linguine with chicken ragù

  • Breadcrumbs on October 29, 2010

    p. 135 - Oct 2010 - First use of this recipe. Did this in two steps, cooked the chx on the weekend and froze it until it was needed for a weeknight meal. Dish came together very quickly and produced tasty results. Chicken was a nice change from beef/pork/veal in usual ragu. K would have preferred chx to be in larger pieces but it wouldn't have suited the "ragu" style of the dish. I'd definitely make this again as it's super-quick and tasty. K8.

  • Lnevva on January 01, 2015

    Hearty & Delicious!

• Chocolate anise biscotti

  • sideshoes on October 20, 2010

    Excellent!

  • BrendaD1962 on December 07, 2021

    Absolutely delicious! I make these often.

• Chicken Vesuvio

  • vickster on April 29, 2016

    Very good chicken dish, and easy. I used fresh artichoke hearts. Also made a couple of changes with russet potatoes and a lot of rosemary instead of the oregano and thyme. And I cooked it stovetop instead of in the oven.

  • Zosia on December 12, 2016

    Simple and very tasty but I don't think the frozen artichoke hearts I used added much to the dish, though the sauce certainly made them delicious. I've noticed that some recipes include green peas which I think my family would prefer.

• Limoncello cheesecake squares

  • PennyG on November 02, 2013

    Really good. I find that I can trust most of Giada's recipes to make for guests without doing a trial run in advance!

• Penne with sausage, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes

  • crandall57 on April 29, 2023

    Excellent! Family favorite; have made this with several variations many times.

• Grilled chicken with basil dressing

  • crandall57 on June 17, 2015

    Chicken was great. Nice fennel flavor on the skin. The sauce was so-so.

  • averythingcooks on May 02, 2024

    I marinated the chicken in a zip lock (scaling back the fennel seed as we sometimes find it over powering) & then sous vided the chicken in the marinade before finishing it on the grill. The cooked chicken was sliced over a cherry tomato / couscous salad from another book and the basil dressing was drizzled over everything. This was a lovely dinner bowl that will be repeated.

• Chicken marsala with mustard and mascarpone

  • Kfaber on September 24, 2013

    This is a family favorite. The mascarpone adds a nice richness to the sauce but is not too heavy.

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    cook slowly or else chicken gets too tough; sauce is great

• Broiled salmon with garlic, mustard, and herbs

  • ecasey830 on May 28, 2011

    Delicious! Make sure to let the mustard really caramelize over the salmon!

  • Katielang on March 08, 2017

    Really yummy! I added a tsp of honey because I was a bit worried about the acidity of the mustard. It was very good and very fast to make!

  • mfranklin125 on May 14, 2018

    Great sauce

• Quick marinara sauce

  • jbuchman on September 19, 2015

    Excellent and easy. Keeps well in freezer.

  • averythingcooks on January 15, 2017

    In a sea of available simple marinara sauces , this one is really good! I particularly like the idea of blending the basil and whole tomatoes together at the beginning ( maybe this appears in other recipes but I've never seen it and I certainly didn't think of it myself). The only additions I make include a good pinch of red pepper flakes, a big splash of red wine into the onions/garlic before adding the tomatoes and I do use less oil than she calls for.

• Sautéed green beans with tomatoes and basil

  • chawkins on January 04, 2015

    The wine and basil stirred in at the end really elevates this dish. I used frozen home grown green beans, and home canned tomato sauce in lieu of fresh tomatoes. Also skipped the Parmesan crisp due to a guest's allergy to dairy products.

  • Lepa on June 06, 2023

    We didn't love this. The green beans may have been the issue- they were unpleasantly stringy and almost made me gag. BUT the soft texture also wasn't great. My husband said this reminded him of canned green beans, which is the ultimate insult for him. I will probably look for a fresher, brighter version of this dish next time I make it.

  • Wojtanowski on August 05, 2018

    DELICIOUS AND easy...great for a dinner party

• Penne with spinach sauce

  • ckbkaddict on April 02, 2017

    Delicious, easy family recipe. I tweaked the recipe a little. Only added one clove of garlic, upped the cream cheese (regular not low-fat) to 2oz and only used 3/4 cup pasta water. Used fusilli as that is all I had and not the full amount (about 12oz). Still served 4 with a little leftover. Next time will add all the spinach to the food processor, kids did not like the texture of the whole wilted spinach leaves. Weeknight winner!

• Butternut squash lasagna

  • Yildiz100 on March 05, 2020

    When I first tried this I thought it was a little heavy on the bechamel and a little light on the butternut squash. When I reheated it, I thought the balance was just right. I would make it again exactly as written, but I will also experiment with using just a bit more squash. (My squash weighed 1 lb, 14 ounces before peeling. ) I would also experiment with roasting the squash instead of braising it, and/or adding a bit of onion, slowly sauteed, to the puree. However, I wouldn't be surprised if in the end it is best very simple, just as it is written.

• Lasagna rolls

  • minervasowl on December 14, 2012

    Somewhat labor intensive, but well worth the effort. The individual noodle rolls make it easy to serve and store.

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Omit nutmeg; Add Italian sausage instead of prosciutto

  • averythingcooks on September 17, 2020

    I had a box with 5 lingering lasagna noodles to use up and a pot of marinara on the stove so I came here just for the filling - a 1/2 recipe gave me 5 nice sized rolls for the 2 of us. With prosciutto added to the usual suspects, this was a tasty & hearty filling which was good nestled in a meatless sauce. HOWEVER, I would be very careful next time adding the requested salt....go slowly as many of the ingredients are inherently salty. I was also glad I did not put extra parmesan on top with the mozzarella. When I have prosciutto & ricotta in the fridge, I can see myself using this filling again for rolls - or with added mozza/maybe shredded chicken - to stuff shells.

• Arugula and orange salad with basil vinaigrette

  • julesamomof2 on September 25, 2024

    Nice and light, very simple salad. I paired it with the grilled pepperoncini shrimp from the same book for a light dinner. I would make the basil vinaigrette again.

  • Zosia on December 05, 2015

    Bright and very fresh tasting salad.

• Marinated zucchini and summer squash

  • julesamomof2 on September 25, 2024

    Very simple grilled squash recipe. After making this several times, I've cut back on the garlic otherwise the raw garlic flavor overpowers the finished dish.

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Easy & Delicious; Also can use Italian Dressing in a pinch

• Butternut squash gratin with pesto

  • julesamomof2 on September 25, 2024

    I used an enormous butternut squash for this and it yielded barely enough squash for one layer of gratin. I would guess I'd need 3 x the amount to actually make a gratin which would mean a ton of work prepping squash. This might work with pre-cubed or even frozen squash but I doubt I'd make it again. I used vegan pesto.

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Very good, but a lot of work (& dishes / 2 uses of food processor) for a weeknight; Mix basil into squash & parm into pesto so top isn't crunchy

• Stuffed zucchini and red bell peppers

  • julesamomof2 on September 17, 2024

    I've made this a bunch of times and it's my go-to for stuffed vegetables. I like the mix of zucchini and peppers and it turns out great every time.

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Use Italian Sausage instead of ground turkey; Sub dried oregano for parsley

• Grilled portobella mushrooms with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella

  • julesamomof2 on September 25, 2024

    Delicious and easy, like a caprese topped grilled mushroom. Made a nice side on the grill.

• Braised Swiss chard

  • julesamomof2 on September 22, 2024

    My chard turned out pretty mushy after braising for 12 min., and I'm actually not sure what it's supposed to be like as I'd never had braised chard before. Leftovers did not reheat well.

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    1/2 the garlic, onions & tomatoes

• Pepperoncini shrimp

  • julesamomof2 on September 25, 2024

    I made this on the grill with skewers. The pepperoncini oil made a nice marinade with a kick although I would have liked a bit more heat. I served this with the orange and arugula salad from the same book.

• Garlic and citrus chicken

  • julesamomof2 on September 25, 2024

    This was a nice departure from my Ina Garten roast chicken recipe and the citrus made for a moist chicken. I loved the sauce and it was much easier and lighter then a typical gravy.

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Very good & moist, but way too much sauce - cut amount in half & would still be plenty for basting (and not wasted afterwards)

• Salami crisps with sour cream and basil

  • julesamomof2 on September 25, 2024

    I used pre-sliced salami and popped these in the oven for an extremely simple warm appetizer. My guests devoured these.

• Espresso brownies

  • julesamomof2 on September 25, 2024

    These taste like doctored up boxed brownie mix which is what they are. Not bad if that's what you're after but I'd rather have a homemade brownie.

  • mharriman on April 22, 2019

    This recipe makes a rich, dense espresso and chocolate brownie that was loved by 8 people after our Easter holiday dinner. The glaze is a wonderful complement because it is just right in creaminess and flavor - not overpowering. I made this 24 hours ahead of time. I usually don’t cook with mixes, but decided to try this and glad I did - It tastes homemade. It was easy to make and easy to cut into squares the next day at serving time. Really delicious with vanilla ice cream.

• Chocolate chip cookies with hazelnuts

  • julesamomof2 on September 25, 2024

    Delicious cookies- I think the last time I made these was over 15 years ago and they are still as good as they were last time. The recipe makes a TON of cookies and probably could be halved.

  • averythingcooks on April 15, 2021

    Oh boy - these are really good cookies. I used Skor bits & also pecans in place of hazelnuts. I made a 1/2 recipe which yielded 31 cookies (using 24 g of dough per cookie). I will absolutely make these again!

• Roasted red snapper with parsley vinaigrette

  • Zosia on April 14, 2014

    Delicious. My fish were the size called for in the recipe and they were perfectly cooked following the instructions provided. The parsley vinaigrette really enlivened this dish but would also be very good with grilled chicken.

• Pot roast with porcini mushrooms

  • Zosia on November 01, 2020

    The meat turned out well and we loved the sauce. I added the rosemary to the pot with the liquid to extract more flavour and removed it before pureeing.

  • Shelmar on September 06, 2019

    Melts in your mouth. Fabulous.

• Chicken tetrazzini

  • Zosia on October 16, 2014

    Made as a way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey, it turned out to be one of the better variations I've tried. I replaced the chicken with cooked turkey breast, used the same amount of pasta but reduced the sauce ingredients by half, replacing the cream with extra stock. It was a lighter, less saucy version but still creamy and very tasty. Of course in my family any baked pasta with a crisp cheesy topping is always a hit.

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    So good; Cook chicken before hand using Barefoot Contessa method

• Grilled chicken with gremolata

  • Zosia on April 14, 2014

    What a great idea to add that classic Italian topping to grilled chicken.

• Pork chops alla pizzaiola

  • Zosia on August 10, 2020

    Really delicious! I cooked the pork until the internal temperature was 135F (instead of 160F) then simmered the chops for about 5 minutes in the sauce. The meat was cooked through and very tender. I used boneless loin chops.

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Good - spicy! Usually use boneless pork chops; Do the chops about six minutes per side; make the sauce for 15 minutes, then put chops back in sauce about 5 - 10 minutes.

• Stuffed artichokes

  • Zosia on April 14, 2014

    More of a salad than the dish that normally comes to mind when I think of stuffed artichokes, boiled artichokes act as a vessel for a zingy tomato-caper-bread topping. The artichokes were a little lost amongst the more strongly flavoured ingredients - perhaps grilling them might have helped - but it was a tasty dish nonetheless.

• Baked angel hair timbale

  • Lnevva on January 05, 2017

    Make mixture earlier in day to cool; used 1 big regular eggplant; only cooked 1 hour until done

• Chicken carbonara

  • Lnevva on January 25, 2015

    Didn't toast walnuts, and halved egg yolks & cream for two

• Fresh fettucchine with roasted chicken and broccoli rabe

  • Lnevva on January 01, 2015

    Use regular broccoli & cooked chicken breasts (BC method); Also good with Angel Hair

• Roasted eggplant and tomatoes

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Used regular eggplants - delish!

• Broccoli florets with Meyer lemon olive oil

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Also zested with lemon

• Pasta e fagioli

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Better Day 2

• Escarole and bean soup

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Easy & delicious; Added browned sausage & used kale

  • Ezair92 on November 30, 2024

    I love this soup. It has just the right amount of heat. Great go to and very quick I have added leftover turkey or chicken to it just to add a little protein but it is great without.

• Italian wedding soup

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Mods: Used Fresh Thyme, 1/2 onion & 1 shallot in meatballs Broth = 7 cups chicken broth, 1 cup wine, 3 cups water

• Flank steak with red wine sauce

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Cut sauce amount in half - way too much as is

• Parmesan-crusted pork chops

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Bake instead - about 30 minutes @ 400

  • averythingcooks on August 18, 2022

    We really enjoyed these crispy pork chops. The breading order of just the cheese then egg & lastly seasoned bread crumbs (this time I used panko with some Italian seasoning stirred in) ensured a good cheesy flavour. We cooked them in the air fryer and I would use this recipe again.

• Grilled lamb with salsa verde

  • Lnevva on January 01, 2015

    Easy & sauce is great! Grilled lamb on indirect medium for about 1 hour & rested about 10 minutes

• Swordfish spiedini

  • Lnevva on January 01, 2015

    Don't use the EVOO & added garlic powder to spice rub; Grill about 10 minutes

• Grilled steak sandwiches

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Used rondele garlic & herb for cheese spread

• Chicken Florentine

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Cut sauce amount in third - makes way to much as written; Cook chicken again in sauce for about 10 minutes at the end

• Pepperoncini oil

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Used on Rockfish - baked 15 min @ 350. Pretty good.

• Roasted fennel with Parmesan

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Served over farro

• Tilapia with citrus bagna cauda

  • Lnevva on December 31, 2014

    Easy & good... sauce is great. Used anchovy paste instead of anchovies

• Farfalle with asparagus and mushrooms

  • Lepa on May 10, 2023

    This is really easy and delicious. The walnuts put it over the top!

• Apricot crostata

  • tmitra on July 07, 2017

    Good use of pie dough scraps!

• Baked mashed potatoes with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs

  • averythingcooks on July 10, 2022

    I cut this back to 1/3 for the 2 of us and we enjoyed this little side with steak & a green salad. The only changes were mixing in chopped scallions and then using fresh bread crumbs (granted, from the freezer) mixed with melted butter & the parmesan for the crumb topping. Very tasty and worth repeating.

• Basil pesto

  • averythingcooks on July 13, 2023

    What sets this apart from other pestos I've made is that this one is made in a blender. I would actually pre-chop my pine nuts a bit if I used this method again and as much as I did get a lovely, vibrant green & brightly flavoured (pretty smooth) pesto...it is a total pain to get out of my blender compared to the food processor.

• Turkey with herbes de Provence and citrus

  • Shelmar on September 06, 2019

    Favorite spicing for turkey, though used Alton for cooking method.

• Roasted beet and arugula salad with goat cheese and avocado

  • BrendaD1962 on March 05, 2022

    Absolutely delicious. Followed the recipe exactly except cooked my beets in my Instant Pot and left out the avocado. Will be making again this week.