Giada De Laurentiis
Chef, TV Host and
Cookbook Author
As a child growing up in Rome,
Giada de Laurentiis learned to cook pasta from her Italian grandfather. Now, as a bestselling cookbook author and Emmy-award winning TV show host, she still draws on the pasta lessons he taught her, such as adding parmesan rind to her Pomodoro sauce or using a special technique for tossing pasta with sauce. Her new pasta collection for Williams Sonoma features tools, sauces and seasonings that represent the best of these Italian traditions blended with Giada’s modern take.
Q & A with Giada
Q: What’s the biggest mistake you see home cooks do when making pasta?
A: Not saving their pasta water! It’s easy to forget when you drain your boiled pasta in the sink, but you should always set aside a half cup or so. That starchy water helps your sauce come together.
