Ep 1. Straight From The Pantry
- June 26, 2003
In the first episode of season 1 of Everyday Italian, Straight From The Pantry, host Giada De Laurentiis explores how to make delicious Italian meals from basic pantry staples.
Giada starts by explaining how every Italian meal begins with a few basic ingredients: olive oil, garlic, and dried pasta. She then shares two classic pasta recipes that can be made with these ingredients: Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and White Beans, and Angel Hair with Pancetta and Asiago Cheese.
The Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and White Beans recipe involves roasting cherry tomatoes with garlic, red pepper flakes, and white beans until they are tender and slightly charred. Then, Giada tosses the roasted vegetables with penne pasta and fresh parsley for a simple yet flavorful meal.
The Angel Hair with Pancetta and Asiago Cheese recipe involves cooking pancetta (an Italian bacon) until it is crispy and using the rendered fat to sauté garlic and shallots. Giada then adds in cooked angel hair pasta, the crispy pancetta, and grated Asiago cheese for a decadent and satisfying pasta dish.
Next, Giada moves on to making a versatile Italian pantry staple: tomato sauce. She shares a recipe for Basic Tomato Sauce that can be used in a variety of dishes, from pasta to pizza. The sauce is made by sautéing onion and garlic in olive oil, then simmering canned tomatoes with basil and salt until the sauce has thickened. Giada suggests making a big batch of the sauce and freezing it in small portions for later use.
Giada then shows how to build on the Basic Tomato Sauce recipe to make two easy and delicious dishes: Baked Rigatoni with Beef and Veal Meatballs and Spaghetti with Clams and Mussels.
The Baked Rigatoni with Beef and Veal Meatballs involves making meatballs out of ground beef, veal, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and breadcrumbs and simmering them in the tomato sauce until cooked through. Then, the meatballs and sauce are tossed with cooked rigatoni pasta and baked in the oven with mozzarella cheese until bubbly and golden brown.
The Spaghetti with Clams and Mussels recipe involves cooking spaghetti until al dente and sautéing garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Then, clams and mussels are added to the pan with white wine and cooked until they open. The cooked spaghetti is added to the pan with the shellfish and their juices, along with chopped fresh parsley and lemon zest.
Giada wraps up the episode by showing how to use pantry staples to make a classic Italian dessert: Tiramisu. She layers espresso-soaked ladyfingers with a creamy mixture made from mascarpone cheese, egg yolks, and sugar, and dusts the top with cocoa powder for a decadent and satisfying dessert.
Overall, Straight From The Pantry is a great introduction to Italian cooking for beginners, demonstrating how to use basic pantry staples to create delicious and satisfying meals. Giada De Laurentiis is a charming and knowledgeable host, making the recipes accessible and approachable for home cooks looking to expand their culinary skills.
