Rotini With Salsa Di Limone Recipe Courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

BAKED RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the topping: Add the ricotta, basil, and salt to a small bowl. Stir together with a rubber spatula. Set aside.
• For the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season well with salt and cook the rigatoni for 5 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Meanwhile, heat a large braiser or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and sausage to the pan. Cook, stirring often and breaking apart the meat with the back of a spoon, until beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the broccoli and garlic and cook to marry the flavors, about 3 minutes. Stir in the marinara and 1/4 teaspoon salt until fully combined. Add the pasta to the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Toss well to coat. Add the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce slightly.
• Dollop the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the top. Nestle the ricotta mixture into the pasta and cover with some of the pasta. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

CROSTINI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the slices of ciabatta on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden around the edges, about 8 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven. Place the prosciutto slices and mozzarella on the crostini toast and return to the oven to melt the cheese, about 8 more minutes.
• Meanwhile combine the butter and the sage leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter is melted and starting to brown in spots and the sage leaves are crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the crostini to a serving plate. Drizzle the crostini with the sage butter and serve immediately.

GATEAU DI PATATE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 9-inch spring form pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs and rotate the pan to coat the bottom and the sides completely. Set aside.
• Put the potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Season the water well with salt and 2 tablespoons butter and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer until cooked through and easily pierced with the tip of knife, about 15 minutes. Drain well.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining stick of butter. In a large bowl combine the melted butter, sour cream, 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well with a rubber spatula.
• Using a ricer, rice the cooked potatoes over the sour cream mixture. Use the rubber spatula to combine well. Add the beaten eggs and stir to combine. Scoop half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the finocchiona evenly over potato mixture and top with the provolone. Scoop the remaining potato mixture on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano and top with the remaining 5 teaspoons of butter. Bake until hot all the way through and golden brown on top, about 45 minutes. Allow the gateau to rest for 15 minutes before unmolding and serving.

SPICY TOMATO SALSA

Steps:

• Put the tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, orange juice, and red pepper flakes in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are combined but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a small bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

ROTINI WITH SALSA DI LIMONE RECIPE COURTESY GIADA DE LAURENTIIS

Steps:

• 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, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Place the hot pasta in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, ricotta salata cheese, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Toss to combine, adding the remaining pasta water, if desired. Serve.

BRACIOLE - COURTESY OF GIADA DE LAURENTIIS

Steps:

• Stir the the bread crumbs, cheeses, garlic and herbs together with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
• Pound the flank steak as thin as possible. Add the mixture of herbs and cheese to the flank steak and spread evenly on the work surface. Starting at one end, roll up the flank steak like for a jelly roll, and tie off with butcher's twine or toothpick.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the flank steak and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer.
• Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.

GIADA DE LAURENTIIS'S GARLIC AND CITRUS CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
• Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, and garlic halves. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string to help hold its shape. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Place a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack in the pan. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting occasionally and adding some chicken broth to the pan, if necessary, to prevent the pan drippings from burning. Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, oil, oregano, and chopped garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Brush some of the juice mixture over the chicken, after it has baked 1 hour. Continue roasting the chicken until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F, basting occasionally with the juice mixture and adding broth to the pan, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Tent with foil while making the sauce (do not clean the pan).
• Place the same roasting pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in any remaining broth and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and discard the solids. Spoon the fat from the top of the sauce. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.