Ever wish you could dine on pasta and pizza together? Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis makes that dream happen with the ultimate comfort food: her crispy, satisfying Pasta Pizza.
De Laurentiis’ Pasta Pizza just needs a few ingredients
You likely have everything you need to make the Everyday Italian star’s pasta pizza (full recipe and ingredient quantities can be found here): eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, cooked spaghetti, diced salami or ham, your vegetable of choice (De Laurentiis recommends cooked edamame, peas, or broccoli), olive oil, and if you like your pasta and pizza spicy, some crushed red pepper.
As the Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef wrote on her lifestyle and food blog Giadzy of her humble yet filling dish, “This recipe was a staple in my childhood, and one my mom always turned to with leftover spaghetti. It’s now a staple of my own for Jade, and a perfect dish to make when you have random odds and ends in the fridge: frozen vegetables, greens, leftover roasted vegetables, and beyond all make a great addition.”
Here’s how to make pasta pizza
De Laurentiis begins by beating the eggs until they’re “well combined.” The Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper are mixed in.
The spaghetti (or whichever pasta you prefer to use), meat, and vegetables you’re using are all tossed in a large bowl. De Laurentiis highly recommends just using your hands for this part of the recipe, as it “gets the job done most efficiently.” The egg mixture is combined with the pasta and other ingredients, making sure to “distribute the eggs thoroughly.” In a medium-sized skillet that has been heated over medium to high heat, the pasta mixture is then flattened with a spatula.
The chef instructs at this point to lower the heat to medium and leave the “pizza” to cook for about 5 minutes “or until the bottom of the cake is browned and crisp and releases from the pan.” Here’s the fun part: once it’s browned on the bottom, place a good-sized plate on the pan and flip it over (carefully; remember, it’s hot). Slide the pasta pizza back into the pan to continue cooking for another five minutes. Enjoy!
Another childhood favorite of De Laurentiis’
Food memories from childhood really do stay with us, and De Laurentiis is proof of that. Her memories and experiences in the kitchen with her family clearly cemented in her a love of food and understanding how to use food to express love. And one of her favorite meals from childhood involves, as well, spaghetti.
She opened up to Bon Appétit about the meal that brought her comfort as a child.
“Spaghetti with melted chocolate,” she recalled. “Once in a blue moon, I’ll still have it. I made it for my daughter recently, but she didn’t like it. She thinks it’s slimy and gross. I guess it’s not for everyone?”
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