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Everyday Pasta
Collects Italian cookery recipes that range from classic favorites to innovative new dishes and are accompanied by simple instructions for making fresh pasta and a selection of side dishes.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2007
128 people are currently reading
14068 people want to read
About the author
Giada De Laurentiis
40 books446 followersGiada Pamela De Laurentiis is an Italian American chef, entrepreneur, writer, and television personality. She was the host of Food Network's program called Giada at Home. She also appears regularly as a contributor and guest co-host on NBC's program entitled Today. De Laurentiis is the founder of the catering business GDL Foods. She is a winner of the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle Host and the Gracie Award for Best Television Host. She was also recognized by the International Hospitality Institute as one of the Global 100 in Hospitality, a list featuring the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Hospitality.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
March 11, 2024
Giada De Laurentiis is responsible for my go-to Tiramisu recipe, but until this cookbook that dessert was the only recipe by her I'd made. That recipe and the delicious looking food on her cooking show set expectations high for this cookbook. The results? Not great.
The organization is fairly well done. There are a few brief sections at the beginning, for antipasti/appetizers and for salads and soups, with the following pasta sections divided by type, i.e. no cook sauces, heavy pastas, weeknight pastas, etc. About 1/2 to 2/3 of the recipes have color photos. The index is well organized. I often questioned why one recipe was in one of the categories over another, such as recipes in the quick and easy weeknight pasta section that took as long or longer than recipes in other sections, but generally thought the categories worked. Additional information is included on the best types of pastas for different sauces, wines, and flavored pastas, but I found the information limited and incomplete.
I didn't make any recipe that I would make again as written. A few were better than others, such as the Baked Gnocchi, the Saffron Orzo with Shrimp, the Rotini with Roasted Garlic and Salmon, and the White Bean Soup. Yet, there were flaws in each. The Saffron Orzo with Shrimp was overwhelmed with black pepper. It is all we could taste. I would make it again but significantly cut back on the salt a bit and the pepper a lot. The Rotini with Roasted Garlic and Salmon was great, except it was significantly under sauced. I'd half the pasta and salmon but keep the sauce amount for the full recipe.
In general, the seasonings were off - not just to our taste but generally. The recipes that called for specific amounts of salt and pepper in the ingredient list were either very salty or significantly lacked. A lot of the recipes I made were 1 note - meaning one flavor overwhelmed the others leaving no depth of flavor. I've long known that adding pasta water to sauce helps make it creamier and adhere to pasta better. Yet, adding water of any kind of is going to dilute your flavors. That's not an issue for a 1/2 cup or so, but as in the case of the Tomatoes and Peas with Capellini, adding 2 1/2 cups of pasta water to the sauce made it near flavorless.
It should be noted that the serving sizes are inaccurate. After making the first few recipes, such as the Tomatoes and Peas with Capellini and the Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables, I ended up throwing out a lot of food. The Ziti lists the servings at 6 to 8. After eating 7 sizeable servings out of it, we just couldn't eat anymore. I threw half - yes half - of it out. Most of the servings listed are for 6 (some give 4-6 and others says 6-8), but I found halving the recipes got me closer to 6 or 8 servings that making the full recipe. For example, the Baked Gnocchi lists 6 servings for the full recipe. I halved it, and we got 7 servings out of the half.
I appreciate a few of the techniques I learned while testing this cookbook. Baking gnocchi in the oven in the sauce instead of boiling it and adding to a sauce, for example. I also enjoyed exploring new flavor combinations, even if the results were mixed. It is for these reasons I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1.
The organization is fairly well done. There are a few brief sections at the beginning, for antipasti/appetizers and for salads and soups, with the following pasta sections divided by type, i.e. no cook sauces, heavy pastas, weeknight pastas, etc. About 1/2 to 2/3 of the recipes have color photos. The index is well organized. I often questioned why one recipe was in one of the categories over another, such as recipes in the quick and easy weeknight pasta section that took as long or longer than recipes in other sections, but generally thought the categories worked. Additional information is included on the best types of pastas for different sauces, wines, and flavored pastas, but I found the information limited and incomplete.
I didn't make any recipe that I would make again as written. A few were better than others, such as the Baked Gnocchi, the Saffron Orzo with Shrimp, the Rotini with Roasted Garlic and Salmon, and the White Bean Soup. Yet, there were flaws in each. The Saffron Orzo with Shrimp was overwhelmed with black pepper. It is all we could taste. I would make it again but significantly cut back on the salt a bit and the pepper a lot. The Rotini with Roasted Garlic and Salmon was great, except it was significantly under sauced. I'd half the pasta and salmon but keep the sauce amount for the full recipe.
In general, the seasonings were off - not just to our taste but generally. The recipes that called for specific amounts of salt and pepper in the ingredient list were either very salty or significantly lacked. A lot of the recipes I made were 1 note - meaning one flavor overwhelmed the others leaving no depth of flavor. I've long known that adding pasta water to sauce helps make it creamier and adhere to pasta better. Yet, adding water of any kind of is going to dilute your flavors. That's not an issue for a 1/2 cup or so, but as in the case of the Tomatoes and Peas with Capellini, adding 2 1/2 cups of pasta water to the sauce made it near flavorless.
It should be noted that the serving sizes are inaccurate. After making the first few recipes, such as the Tomatoes and Peas with Capellini and the Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables, I ended up throwing out a lot of food. The Ziti lists the servings at 6 to 8. After eating 7 sizeable servings out of it, we just couldn't eat anymore. I threw half - yes half - of it out. Most of the servings listed are for 6 (some give 4-6 and others says 6-8), but I found halving the recipes got me closer to 6 or 8 servings that making the full recipe. For example, the Baked Gnocchi lists 6 servings for the full recipe. I halved it, and we got 7 servings out of the half.
I appreciate a few of the techniques I learned while testing this cookbook. Baking gnocchi in the oven in the sauce instead of boiling it and adding to a sauce, for example. I also enjoyed exploring new flavor combinations, even if the results were mixed. It is for these reasons I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1.
September 27, 2009
Giada De Laurentiis has become quite well known as a result of her expertise in cooking. This cookbook is another among a number that she has authored. And it is a nice addition to the collection of cookbooks "out there."
We do a lot of pasta cooking and Italian cooking at home. We cook up a "gravy" each Sunday (tomato sauce and accompanying herbs and goodies). The recipes in this book will be solid additions to our repertoire.
The book begins with a nice, brief essay on the nature of pasta, concluding with the author's "Top 10 Pasta-Cooking Tips" (e.g., always cook pasta in a big enough pot; don't add olive oil while cooking; make sure that the end product is al dente; don't overdo portions when serving; etc.). The introductory part of the book concludes with a "dictionary" of types of pasta, from capellini/angel hair to spaghetti.
The first section of the book is what she calls "Pasta Go-Withs," antipasto, appetizers, side dishes. One dish in this section that resonates with me: "Sautéed spinach with red onion" (page 58). Easy to make and tasty! Ingredients are straightforward; the instructions are pretty easy to follow. A good antipasto is always a nice accompaniment to a meal. On page 81, the author presents a nice antipasto salad, complete with pasta (in this instance, fusilli).
Pasta main dishes? Some that strike my fancy: Roman-style fettuccine with chicken; Linguine with butter, pecorino, arugula, and black pepper; Spaghetti with sautéed onions and marjoram; Mini penne with parmesan chicken.
Sauces? I like marinara. The author provides her recipe for this redoubtable treat on page 224. Dressings? Take a look at her Roasted garlic vinaigrette on page 228.
All in all, for those who like pasta dishes, this is a very nice addition to one's culinary library.
We do a lot of pasta cooking and Italian cooking at home. We cook up a "gravy" each Sunday (tomato sauce and accompanying herbs and goodies). The recipes in this book will be solid additions to our repertoire.
The book begins with a nice, brief essay on the nature of pasta, concluding with the author's "Top 10 Pasta-Cooking Tips" (e.g., always cook pasta in a big enough pot; don't add olive oil while cooking; make sure that the end product is al dente; don't overdo portions when serving; etc.). The introductory part of the book concludes with a "dictionary" of types of pasta, from capellini/angel hair to spaghetti.
The first section of the book is what she calls "Pasta Go-Withs," antipasto, appetizers, side dishes. One dish in this section that resonates with me: "Sautéed spinach with red onion" (page 58). Easy to make and tasty! Ingredients are straightforward; the instructions are pretty easy to follow. A good antipasto is always a nice accompaniment to a meal. On page 81, the author presents a nice antipasto salad, complete with pasta (in this instance, fusilli).
Pasta main dishes? Some that strike my fancy: Roman-style fettuccine with chicken; Linguine with butter, pecorino, arugula, and black pepper; Spaghetti with sautéed onions and marjoram; Mini penne with parmesan chicken.
Sauces? I like marinara. The author provides her recipe for this redoubtable treat on page 224. Dressings? Take a look at her Roasted garlic vinaigrette on page 228.
All in all, for those who like pasta dishes, this is a very nice addition to one's culinary library.
March 25, 2009
I always love watching Giada's television shows on Food Network. Her cookbooks are a great way to bring more of her delicious recipes into the home. Everyday Pasta contains all sorts of recipes that use the Italian staple of pasta, in all its shapes and sizes. I tried a few of the recipes from the book, and they tasted great. But then pretty much every dish I've made from Giada's recipes tasted good.
May 1, 2011
A great book! I love how Giada is more realistic about cooking than some chefs- most of the recipes really are fairly simple, her pantry staples consist of many items I do actually keep on hand, and she is not afraid of pre-packaged ingredients. She also incorporates low-fat and low-sodium ingredients directly into many of her recipes. I started a list of which recipes I wanted to try and realized it was so long that I needed to go buy this book (I had borrowed it from the library). Yummy!
December 7, 2008
I learned a lot about cooking pasta beyond spaghetti and marinara sauce from this book.
March 19, 2010
Reading books written by/about TV shows about food is always a mistake.
February 16, 2018
A whole book about pasta.. what more can an Italian ask for?
This had some pretty good recipes that I'm hoping to try at some point, and came with a homemade pasta recipe that seems promising!
This had some pretty good recipes that I'm hoping to try at some point, and came with a homemade pasta recipe that seems promising!
December 16, 2019
Another exceptional cookbook from Giada De Laurentiis.
March 14, 2009
Everything that I have found in here is AMAZING!!! There isn't anything we have tried in this book that wasn't absolutely delicious. My husband cook together every Saturday night from one of our cookbooks and we usually pull something from Giada because everything she creates is a hit with us. If you love anything about pasta you will LOVE this.
January 6, 2010
This is my favorite cookbook by De Laurentiis so far. The recipes are simpler and seem to be more appealing to my taste. There are many color photos of the recipes which I find especially helpful in a cookbook. I have picked two recipes to try from this book and will update my review once I have made them.
January 19, 2011
I like the conversational tone of Giada's cookbooks, and the ingredients and instructions themselves are uncomplicated. I picked the pasta book over her more general Italian fare because I'm a pretty novice cook and spaghetti is always simple, quick, and delicious enough, but i need help in the creativity department where my meals are concerned.
July 1, 2007
Giada is my favorite Food Network chef! Her meals are not only easy and fun to prepare -- they are absolutely delicious, and for the most part, healthy. I like how this book centers on pasta -- because face it, most of us who cook Italian, want to cook pasta!
July 26, 2008
What I like about DiLaurentiis is that her recipes are all relatively easy, but usually always delicious. Many of the recipes in this book and on her show have become staples in my kitchen. This is a great book if you eat a lot pasta, as we do in my home.
September 3, 2008
I learned that Giada's cleavage photographs nicely. Oh, and by the way the food is fantastic! We tried many recipes and they were out of this world. So, you cook while your husband "browses" through the book and everyone is happy!
January 13, 2009
If you are a pasta eater/lover than this is a must have for your cook book collection.
Lots of different recipes to try out for one simple kind of pasta and many others that will become your favorites.
Lots of different recipes to try out for one simple kind of pasta and many others that will become your favorites.
October 2, 2011
Easily my favorite cookbook ever. (must be the italian in me) It is so easy to modify all of her receipes too. I have never been disappointed with any. I have a few of her books (all good) and this one is my favorite
April 7, 2020
I have used this cookbook for many years but wanted to dive into it again with fresh, hungry eyes. My favorite from this is Orcheitte with greens and goat cheese which I have made for lunch or a light dinner on a hot day. I decide to add the salad with citrus vinaigrette to my quarantine lunch salad menu. I love the emphasis on moderation of pasta instead of total abstinence and the fact that it can be included in healthy recipes. She adds so many veggies and good fats like olive oil and nuts that it is hard not to get excited about pasta again!
January 11, 2021
Pasta lover 101
Great layout with tons of easy pasta recipes. Again I love all the history lessons & fun facts about ingredients as you go along.
Great layout with tons of easy pasta recipes. Again I love all the history lessons & fun facts about ingredients as you go along.
January 22, 2021
Some interesting recipes ... in fact we are having the Chicken in Lemon Cream Sauce with Penne for dinner tonight
July 25, 2021
Lots of yummy Italian pasta dishes to enjoy.
October 21, 2021
Appealing pictures. Solid recipes.
February 26, 2022
All pasta, but pretty basic for Giada. Not one of her best.
August 7, 2023
There are some nice ideas in here. It's a small cookbook, but worth having.
October 10, 2023
Said the f word at the beginning and had a horrible description of pasta!
November 9, 2023
Got this at a used bookshop for when I'm craving comfort food, and it didn't disappoint. Easy recipes, great color photos and a variety of options no matter your tastes. A modern classic 👌
February 10, 2024
As an avid pasta lover, this book was probably dangerous for me to have access to. Every recipe immediately went into my future cooking plans.
December 3, 2024
the chicken fettuccine was really good
August 12, 2020
I have been cooking for a long time, but I learn something new from Giada every time, I watch her or read the information she gives everyone in her cookbooks, it's not just recipes it's a learning tool.
January 12, 2015
I have yet to try any of the recipes here, as I just read through the recipes today. I have saved quite a couple and will re-visit the star rating once I get the opportunity to try some.
I was caught off-guard by how defensive Giada (or whoever wrote this) was on eating pasta and the size that she is. I know that we are in flux as to whether we consider carbohydrates to be the building blocks of Satanic empires and pasta (and probably bread) are the embodiments of our collective social aversions, but she was really pressing on the defensive pedal. She was arguing for 2oz portions and enjoyment in moderation, which is similar to language that is spilled by spokespersons for industries under attack, a la tobacco, alcohol, fast-food. Pasta and noodles in general are the staple of the diet for millions and possibly a billion people on this earth, through generations and centuries. I am sure there were some publication company pressures to include this kind of false affirmative defense of "let's enjoy in moderations, guys," but it struck me as cosmetic window dressing and overly strenuous in tone. Perhaps it is a reflection of where we are today and the necessity to include disclaimers that are not even necessary.
The other affirmative defense that caught me looking was a mention of people asking her how she is so thin with the foods she is cooking. I really abhor that kind of inquisitiveness. I understand the connection of it is morally bankrupt to promote certain products if the promoter avoids it. The parallel is someone who makes money off selling football or a dangerous product and does not allow their children to engage in football or use the dangerous product. It all seems like reckless speculation. If she, or any other TV food personality eschews their own cooking while promoting it for others, I see the issue. It does not seem like there is any indication that is the case here. Spitting out food during TV filming or not consuming food cooked on TV does not count for me. I don't see anything worth defending and nothing worth attacking.
I was caught off-guard by how defensive Giada (or whoever wrote this) was on eating pasta and the size that she is. I know that we are in flux as to whether we consider carbohydrates to be the building blocks of Satanic empires and pasta (and probably bread) are the embodiments of our collective social aversions, but she was really pressing on the defensive pedal. She was arguing for 2oz portions and enjoyment in moderation, which is similar to language that is spilled by spokespersons for industries under attack, a la tobacco, alcohol, fast-food. Pasta and noodles in general are the staple of the diet for millions and possibly a billion people on this earth, through generations and centuries. I am sure there were some publication company pressures to include this kind of false affirmative defense of "let's enjoy in moderations, guys," but it struck me as cosmetic window dressing and overly strenuous in tone. Perhaps it is a reflection of where we are today and the necessity to include disclaimers that are not even necessary.
The other affirmative defense that caught me looking was a mention of people asking her how she is so thin with the foods she is cooking. I really abhor that kind of inquisitiveness. I understand the connection of it is morally bankrupt to promote certain products if the promoter avoids it. The parallel is someone who makes money off selling football or a dangerous product and does not allow their children to engage in football or use the dangerous product. It all seems like reckless speculation. If she, or any other TV food personality eschews their own cooking while promoting it for others, I see the issue. It does not seem like there is any indication that is the case here. Spitting out food during TV filming or not consuming food cooked on TV does not count for me. I don't see anything worth defending and nothing worth attacking.
October 26, 2012
This is a great collection of pasta recipes and also includes salad, appetizer and dessert recipes. We don’t have television feed but I have read that many of these recipes are featured on the Food Network channel. This book highlights many beautiful photos and just about all recipes are easy to prepare. Anything that helps me get dinner on the table in under a half hour is a winner for me! Some of the baked pasta dishes will take more planning, time-wise, but I sure look forward to trying them.
Full review and photos may be found at Novel Meals:
http://novelmeals.wordpress.com/2012/...
Full review and photos may be found at Novel Meals:
http://novelmeals.wordpress.com/2012/...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews