I grew up with a Sicilian zia who was like my second mom. My fondest memories include days spent together in the kitchen or at her beachside restaurant, where I learned (and ate) so much. So, of course, I’ve always gravitated toward cooking shows that feature Italian chefs, like Giada At Home, where I first laid eyes on her creamy Pastina With Peas and Carrots recipe that has since become a spring favorite in my home.
Even though it is easy to make and calls for simple ingredients, it feels like a big step up from the boxed macaroni and cheese that my kids always ask for (I think they actually love this Italian version more). So when spring rolls around—or whenever we feel like a comforting, one-pot meal—I turn to this Giada De Laurentiis dish.
Simply Recipes / Candace Nagy
How To Make Giada De Laurentiis’ Pastina With Peas and Carrots
Giada’s instructions are pretty straightforward: cook onions and carrots with olive oil and broth until softened; add frozen peas and warm through; then add al dente pasta to the pan; mix in the cheeses, season, and serve topped with fresh basil.
I don’t deviate much from Giada’s steps, but I do take the mascarpone and cream cheese out of the fridge about a half hour before getting started so it becomes softer and easier to incorporate later.
I begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. While that’s doing its thing, I dice the carrots and onions and preheat a pan with a few generous drizzles of my go-to Heraclea everything oil.
The onions go in first and, once softened, I add the carrots and broth, cooking until tender. I often use vegetable broth because my daughter leans vegetarian, and it tastes just as good as using chicken broth, as Giada does.
While tempting, try to avoid using a mix of frozen peas and carrots; the carrots never taste as fresh and quickly become mushy. Carrots and peas are in season in the spring, so you can’t go wrong with fresh for both, but Giada and I use frozen peas (a delicious time-saver), tossing them in just before the pasta so they remain vibrant.
As for the pasta, you could use almost any shape, though, in case you didn’t notice, Giada’s recipe name says “pastina,” which means “little pasta” in Italian and also refers to a traditional soup you might know as “penicillin soup.”
I personally like a small, twisty-shaped pasta like gemelli because of the way the cheeses get trapped in the swirls during the last step of the recipe when you add the pasta to the pan with a bit of the cooking liquid, slightly sweet mascarpone, and tangy cream cheese until it creates a rich coating for all of the other ingredients.
The result is so good that I can hardly resist sneaking bites from the pan. But with some serious self-control, I usually manage to scoop it into bowls and garnish it with fresh basil leaves before I say mangiare and dig in with my kids.
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