Giada de Laurentiis is one of my favorite celebrity chefs. She's classically trained and Italian - certainly not just a pretty a face. I usually find her recipes online, but I do own her cookbook, Giada's Family Dinners, and I find myself reaching for it a lot - she really masters the combination of comfort and wholesome, which I guess is the hallmark of Italian food in and of itself.
Case in point: Little Thimbles Scuie Scuie. I made this last Friday for Jack and Nellie and planned on serving it to them two nights in a row. Evan and I were about to order a pizza when he took a bite of the pasta and said, "nope, we're eating this." It's simple and simply delicious.
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
5 plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), chopped (I used a 15 oz can of organic chopped tomatoes because that's what I had in my pantry)
8 ounces cold fresh mozzarella, drained, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, about 8 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a heavy large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and saute just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the cheese and basil, and toss to coat. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt. Spoon the pasta into small serving bowls and serve immediately.
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