Pasta & Risotto with Lidia Bastianich

I ALWAYS LOVED REAL ITALIAN PASTAS AND RISSOTOS BUT I NEVER LIVED AND COOKED IN ITALY AND I JUST NEVER FELT I HAD THE RIGHT TOUCH.

SO I WAS JUST DELIGHTED WHEN LIDIA BASTIANICH INVITED US INTO HER OWN HOME KITCHEN FOR A FAMILY MEAL AND A LESSON.

LIDIA WAS BORN IN NORTHERN ITALY.

BY THE TIME SHE CAME TO NEW YORK WHEN SHE WAS ELEVEN, SHE'D ALREADY BEEN COOKING WITH HER MOTHER AND HER GRANDMOTHER AND THEN IN RESTAURANTS WITH HER GREAT AUNT, NINA.

LIDIA KEPT ON COOKING WHEN SCHOOL PERMITTED IT AND ALWAYS DURING VACATIONS.

AND BY THE TIME SHE MARRIED, SHE AND HER HUSBAND, FELICE FELT THAT SHE'D HAD ENOUGH EXPERIENCE FOR THEM TO OPEN THEIR OWN RESTAURANT.

NOW THEY'RE OWNERS OF FELIDIA, ONE OF NEW YORK'S BEST AND MOST POPULAR ITALIAN RESTAURANTS.

SHE ALSO FINDS TIME FOR LECTURING AND TEACHING AND LIDIA IS A GREAT TEACHER AS YOU WILL SEE.

SHE'S A CHEF WHO CARES DEEPLY ABOUT INGREDIENTS AND IN HER FIRST DISH, RISOTTO WITH WILD MUSHROOMS SHE USES ARBORIO RICE WHICH LOOKS LIKE THIS.

IT HAS A PEARL OF STARCH IN THE CENTER AND THAT'S NECESSARY FOR THE RICE TO RETAIN ITS TEXTURE AND HOLD THE FLAVORS THAT ARE GOING INTO IT.

THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

A RISOTTO TO DREAM ABOUT.

WHEN ONE TALKS ABOUT THE ITALIAN TABLE, PASTA ALWAYS COMES TO MIND AS THE MAIN STAPLE.

BUT CERTAINLY RICE HAS, IS A SECOND RUNNER UP.

AND TODAY WE'RE GOING TO DO A RISOTTO AND A RISOTTO WITH WILD MUSHROOMS.

NOW, TO DO A PROPER RISOTTO, YOU NEED THE PROPER RICE.

WHICH IS THE ARBORIO RICE.

THIS IS THE ARBORIO RICE, AND ARBORIO RICE IS A SHORT GRAINED RICE.

AS A FLAVORING OF COURSE, WE'LL HAVE THE DIFFERENT MUSHROOMS, AND TODAY WE HAVE ABOUT SIX DIFFERENT KINDS, THEY'RE RIGHT HERE.

YOU CAN USE ONE, TWO, OR AS MANY AS YOU HAVE.

THE MORE YOU HAVE, THE MORE FLAVORFUL CERTAINLY THE RISOTTO WILL BE.

THE FIRST ONE WHAT I HAVE HERE IS THE DRY PORCINI MUSHROOM.

AND I HAVE RECONSTITUTED THIS IN HOT STOCK, AND I LET IT STEEP LIKE THAT FOR ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR WHILE I PREPARE MY OTHER INGREDIENTS FOR THE RISOTTO.

THIS IS THE PORCINI MUSHROOMS, AND PORCINI BECAUSE PORCHETTA IT LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE PIGLET AND IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE CHUBBY PIGLET.

WE'LL CUT THE PORCINI, YOU CUT OFF THE BOTTOM PART.

USUALLY YOU'LL HAVE HERE A LITTLE BIT OF DIRT OR SOMETHING, YOU JUST CUT IT OFF.

YOU BRUSH IT OFF, AND YOU BRUSH IT OFF WITH A MUSHROOM BRUSH.

THE MUSHROOMS, IF THEY ARE REALLY DIRTY AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF DIRT, THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND CERTAINLY WASHING THEM.

BUT LET THEM DRY WELL BEFORE YOU USE THEM AGAIN, BECAUSE YOU WANT TO CONCENTRATE THE FLAVOR OF THE MUSHROOMS AND TAKE AWAY THE WATER IN THE MUSHROOMS.

THE NEXT ONE IS THE OYSTER MUSHROOM, AND USUALLY THE OYSTER MUSHROOM WILL BE IN A CLUSTER LIKE THIS AND YOU WILL HAVE ONE MAIN ATTACHMENT TO THE, IT GROWS ON, ON WOOD ON TREES, AND YOU TAKE THAT AWAY, AND THAT IS THE TOUGH PART AND USUALLY WILL BE FAIRLY CLEAN.

NOW, WHENEVER YOU SEE THE, SORT OF, THE TOUGH CORE, TAKE ALL THAT OFF BECAUSE THAT IS THE TOUGH PART.

AND I THINK IF THEY'RE SMALL THEY'RE JUST NICE LIKE THAT, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO CUT THEM.

THEY SORT OF SHRINK A LITTLE BIT WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU COOK THEM.

THE NEXT ONE IS THE SHIITAKE MUSHROOM.

THE SHIITAKE MUSHROOM HAS, HAS A LITTLE STEM HERE, WE CUT THAT OFF, THAT IS TOUGH.

WHAT YOU'RE DISCARDING, IF IT'S CLEAN OF DIRT, SAVE THAT.

THAT'S GOOD FOR STOCKS, JUST SA IT, WASH IT AND PUT IT IN THE FREEZER AND RESUSE IT AT SOME LATER TIME.

THE NEXT ONE IS THE CHANTERELLE AND THIS ONE IS A LITTLE BIT DIRTY.

WE HAD ONE WASHED AND READY TO CUT.

I THINK IF YOU LEAVE DIFFERENT, SOME SMALLER, SOME LARGER, IT ALSO PLAYS NICE IN THE RISOTTO ITSELF AS FAR AS TEXTURE, AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL VISUAL.

OKAY, HERE IS A SAUTE PAN, WE'LL PUT IN A LITTLE BIT OF OLIVE OIL.

SALT THEM LIGHTLY.

JUST LET THEM SIMMER SLOWLY TO GET THE WATER, EVAPORATE THE WATER AND CONCENTRATE THE FLAVOR.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE RISOTTO.

A LITTLE BIT OF OLIVE OIL.

I THINK THE RISOTTO IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE SHY AWAY FROM IT.

THEY FEEL THAT YOU CONSTANTLY, THAT'S IT'S VERY LABOR INTENSE AND VERY SENSITIVE.

IT REALLY IS NOT IF YOU UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE PRINCIPLES THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT AND IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE RISOTTO ITSELF.

YES, YOU HAVE TO BE CLOSE BY, BUT YOU CAN BE DOING OTHER THINGS AS WELL.

WE'LL ADD A LITTLE SALT TO THE ONIONS AND WHILE THEY'RE SAUTEING WE'LL CHOP THE SHALLOTS.

THE SHALLOTS TAKE ABOUT HALF OF THE TIME OF COOKING AS THE ONIONS DO, SO WE'LL ADD THEM ABOUT HALF TIME.

JUST LOWER THE FLAME AND LET IT SAUTE.

AND NOW WE BEGIN TO ADD THE RICE.

NOW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, THAT WE FIRST TOAST THE RICE.

AND THE STARCHES THAT ARE IN THERE ARE RELEASED SLOWLY AND CONTINUOUSLY.

AND AT THIS POINT YOU HAVE TO STAY CLOSE TO THE POT AND YOU HAVE TO MIX CONTINUOUSLY BECAUSE YOU WANT ALL OF THE RICE TO HAVE CONTACT WITH THE HEAT AND BE TOASTED.

OKAY, THE RICE IS TOASTED, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TELL THAT THE RICE IS TOASTED BECAUSE IT IS GETTING A LITTLE GOLDEN AND IT IS SORT OF LOOSE, LOOSE, NICE AND, AND DRY.

YOU'LL ACTUALLY SENSE IT, ACTUALLY MIXING IT YOU WILL SENSE HOW IT HITS THE POT, IT'S A LITTLE CLING-LING SOUND, THAT IT'S TOASTED AND DRIED.

OKAY, WE'LL ADD THE WHITE WINE TO IT.

WE LET THE WINE COMPLETELY BE ABSORBED BY THE RICE.

AND THE STOCK WILL BE THE NEXT ONE THAT WILL GO IN.

NOW IT'S VERY IMPORTANT ALSO THAT THE STOCK BE ALWAYS AT A BOILING TEMPERATURE.

THAT ANY LIQUID THAT YOU ADD TO THE RISOTTO BE AT THE BOILING TEMPERATURE.

BECAUSE THE STARCHES ARE BEING RELEASED AND YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO COAGULATE.

IF YOU ADD SOMETHING COLD, IT WILL COAGULATE AND GET STARCHY AND WOULD GET LUMPY.

SO YOU WANT THIS SORT OF FREE FLOWING, UM, AMALGAMATION TO HAPPEN AND THAT'S WITH ALL THE TEMPERATURES BEING THE SAME.

AND, ANOTHER, YOU WANT TO ADD THE STOCK A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME AND CONTINUOUSLY.

YEAH, I'M BEGINNING TO SMELL THE NICE AROMA OF THE MUSHROOM, THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE JUST ABOUT DONE, THAT WE HAVE EVAPORATED ALL THE EXCESS WATER FROM THEM, AND WE'RE GETTING TO THE PULP OF IT, SO WE'LL CLOSE IT AND LEAVE IT FOR THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

DO LOWER THE FLAME A LITTLE BIT, ALWAYS KEEP IT PERKING.

IT ALWAYS HAS TO BE AT A BOILING, BUT DO LOWER IT A LITTLE BIT SO IT DOESN'T SCORCH ON YOU.

AT THIS POINT, I'LL ADD THE RECONSTITUTED PORCINI MUSHROOMS.

I'LL CHOP THEM FINE.

AND INEVITABLY THEY WILL ALWAYS HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF GRIT, OR A LITTLE BIT OF SEDIMENT, SO EITHER PASS THE JUICE THROUGH A CHEESECLOTH OR A COFFEE FILTER OR I, I USUALLY JUST LEAVE A LITTLE BIT AT THE END, I DON'T PUT THE WHOLE THING, I'LL LET IT SETTLE AND THEN I JUST LEAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE JUICE AT THE END.

LITTLE BIT OF SALT.

OKAY, AT THIS POINT I'LL ADD THE JUICE FROM THE PROCINI MUSHROOMS THAT WERE RECONSTITUTED.

AT THIS POINT, I'LL ADD THE REST OF THE MUSHROOMS.

AND, AND I THINK, WHENEVER YOU, YOU SAUTE OR BEFORE YOU ROAST SOMETHING USE, UM A LITTLE STOCK TO GATHER ALL THOSE LITTLE JUICES AND ALL THAT CARAMELIZATION THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE.

THERE'S A LOT OF INTENSITY IN FLAVOR IN THAT LITTLE UH... NOW, AS YOU CAN SEE, I COULD BE DOING OTHER THINGS AT THE STOVE WITH THE RISOTTO GOING.

BUT YOU DO HAVE TO COME BACK EVERY FEW MINUTES.

SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I GET ASKED MOST OFTEN IS...

WHEN DO YOU ADD THE LIQUID TO THE RICE?

WELL, IN THE FIRST STEP, WHEN THE WINE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY ABSORBED AND THE RICE BEGINS TO SLIGHTLY STICK TO THE BOTTOM YOU ADD THE FIRST STOCK.

AND THEREAFTER, WHEN THE RICE IS JUST ABOUT TO BE DRY AND JUST ABOUT SLIGHTLY ATTACHES, BEGINS TO ATTACH ITSELF TO THE, TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN, THEN THE NEXT STOCK SHOULD GO IN.

BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT ONE, A FEW SECONDS BEFORE OR AFTER, IT'S NOT ALL THAT CRUCIAL.

IN THE RISOTTO, WE WILL USE THE PARMIGIANO, PARMIGIANO REGGIANO.

PARMIGIANO REGGIANO IS 100% COW'S MILK, AND IT'S, UH, I GUESS THE KING OF ITALIAN CHEESES.

IT'S USED IN AN AWFUL LOT OF PASTAS AND RISOTTOS AND IT IS JUST WONDERFUL!

AND AGAIN, THE PARMIGIANO REGGIANO IS A FOOD THAT'S READY TO EAT, PREDIGESTED ALREADY, SO YOU ADD IT ON TO THE RISOTTO AFTER IT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE FIRE.

THE SAME AS THE BUTTER.

I WILL ADD THE BUTTER AFTER I REMOVE THE RICE FROM THE FIRE.

I'LL ADD THE BUTTER, AND I'M GOING TO MANTICARRE MANTICARRE IS, I GUESS AMALGAMATE IS THE WORD, TO AMALGAMATE THE BUTTER INTO THE STARCH AND RICE.

AND THEN THE LAST IS THE CHEESE.

BEFORE I DO THAT THOUGH I ALWAYS LIKE TO TASTE A LITTLE BIT.

MAYBE A LITTLE DROP OF SALT STILL, ALWAYS THINKING THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT THE CHEESE IN YET, AND THAT'S A BIT SALTY.

FRESH PEPPER.

PEPPER IS ANOTHER ELEMENT THAT YOU ADD AFTER THE COOKING PROCESS IS DONE, OTHERWISE, IT DOES RELEASE A CERTAIN BITTERNESS TO THE FOOD.

IF YOUR RISOTTO IS, AT THIS POINT, AL DENTE AS YOU LIKE IT AND IT IS A LITTLE BIT, IF YOU LEAVE IT A LITTLE BIT JUICY, IT COULD STAY LIKE THIS FOR I WOULD SAY A MAXIMUM OF ONE MINUTE.

WHILE YOU PREPARE THE DISHES OF SOMETHING ELSE.

IT IS PERFECTLY FINE, IF YOU HAVE IT, IF YOU HAVE LEFT IT JUICY ENOUGH.

OKAY, SERVING PLATTER NICE AND WARM.

AND WE POUR THE RISOTTO RIGHT ON.

GRATE SOME FRESH PARMIGIANO.

AND SERVE.

THAT'S A REALLY MARVELOUS RISOTTO, PERHAPS THE BEST I EVER ATE.

IT'S FULL, RICH AND CREAMY.

THE RICE IS SUSPENDED IN ITS SAUCE.

AS LIDIA SAYS, "YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT, DON'T LET IT COOK TOO LONG, AND ONCE IT'S READY, SERVE IT IMMEDIATELY".

LIDIA'S NEXT DISH IS A GREAT DEMONSTRATION OF HOW TO COOK PASTA THE REAL ITALIAN WAY.

I GOT LOTS OF GOOD ADVICE HERE AND I THINK YOU WILL TOO.

NOW HERE IS ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI DI RAPE AND SAUSAGE.

AS AN ITALIAN CHEF, I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF WORKING WITH MANY WONDERFUL INGREDIENTS, BUT PASTA MUST BE MY FAVORITE, FRESH PASTA, DRY PASTA, THEY ARE BOTH WONDERFUL, VERSATILE, INTERCHANGEABLE AND THEY JUST MAKE A GREAT MEAL.

WE WILL NOW PREPARE ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI DI RAPE.

ORECCHIETTE IS A DRY PASTA.

IT'S CALLED ORECCHIETTE BECAUSE, IT'S, AH, ORECCHIO IS THE EAR AND IT RESEMBLES THE EAR AND IT'S A PIECE OF PASTA WHICH IS PRESSED WITH THE THUMB ON A WOODEN SURFACE.

AND IT CREATES THIS LITTLE POCKET AND HERE COLLECTS ALL THE SAUCE.

AND IT'S, AND IT'S JUST WONDERFUL!

IT MATCHES VERY WELL WITH THE BROCCOLI DI RAPE AND THE SAUSAGES.

WE WILL FIRST TAKE THE SAUSAGE OUT OF THE CASING, AND THIS IS A SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE.

IF YOU PREFER TO HAVE A LITTLE SPICY ONE THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.

BUT, WHEN YOU TAKE IT OUT OF THE CASING YOU GET IT NICE AND CRISP ALL OVER.

WE WILL BROWN THE SAUSAGES WHILE, THEN I'LL SHOW YOU HOW TO CLEAN THE BROCCOLI DI RAPE.

THE BROCCOLI DI RAPE IS, IS A VEGETABLE.

IT'S A VERY UNIQUE VEGETABLE.

IT'S VERY ITALIAN AND IT'S WONDERFUL, IT HAS THAT SORT OF ALMOND BITTER FLAVOR, AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY, BUT TO ME IT FEELS A CROSS BETWEEN BROCCOLI AND MUSTARD GREENS AND TURNIPS.

THIS IS HOW YOU WILL FIND BROCCOLI DI RAPE, AND USUALLY YOU BUY IT IN BUNCHES LIKE YOU WOULD ASPARAGUS.

AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS, IN CLEANING IT IS TAKE, TAKE THE LARGE STEM, THE BIG LEAVES AND PEELING IT LIGHTLY LIKE YOU WOULD AN ASPARAGUS.

AND JUST GRAB A LITTLE BIT AND JUST PULL AND IT WILL TELL YOU, BY ITSELF, WHEN YOU'VE DONE THE JOB.

AGAIN HERE, CUT OFF THE BOTTOM PART AND ALWAYS PULL THE STRING.

LIKE YOU DO ON STRING BEANS.

OKAY, BASICALLY, WHAT, WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE IS FLORETS WITH A LITTLE BIT OF THE STEM TO BE LEFT OVER.

TRY TO ALWAYS GET NICE TIGHT ONES.

AVOID THE OPEN ONES WITH THE FLOWER.

THERE IS A BIT OF DIFFERENCE IN INTENSITY OF FLAVOR.

OKAY, LET THE SAUSAGE BROWN WELL, WE'LL GET ALL THE EXCESS FAT OUT OF THEM.

IN THE MEANTIME, AGAIN, GARLIC.

ADD THE GARLIC TO THE, LET THE GARLIC BROWN.

I LIKE JUST A TOUCH OF SALT AT THIS POINT, AND THEN I'LL CONTINUE ON TO THE NEXT STEP AND ADD SOME MORE.

WE WILL DRAIN THE ACCESS, EXCESS FAT OUT OF IT.

ADD A LITTLE BIT OF THE FRESH OLIVE OIL AGAIN.

CUT THE BROCCOLI DI RAPE.

DON'T DRAIN IT, LET, LET A LITTLE BIT OF WATER REMAIN IN THE BROCCOLI DI RAPE WHEN YOU WASH IT.

YOU'LL NEED THAT JUST TO STEAM IT WHEN YOU ADD IT TO THE POT.

AT THIS POINT AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT OF SALT A LITTLE BIT OF THE CRUSHED PEPPER.

AND YOU COVER IT AND WE'LL LET IT STEAM FOR A FEW MINUTES.

THE WATER IS BOILING.

PUT SOME SALT AND ADD THE ORECCHIETTE.

MIX IMMEDIATELY THE PASTA, THEN COVER IT TIGHTLY AND BRING IT BACK TO THE BOIL.

WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THE PASTA TO COME BACK TO THE BOIL, WE'LL FINISH THE SAUCE.

WE'LL ADD THE BUTTER.

NOW THE ORIGIN OF THIS DISH IS IN CALABRIA, AND THEY DID NOT USE BUTTER.

BUT I ADD IT JUST FOR A LITTLE EXTRA TASTE, YOU COULD OMIT IT OR USE IT AS I DID.

AND WE'LL ADD SOME STOCK, AND THE STOCK SHOULD BE EITHER CHICKEN STOCK OR A LIGHT, FLAVORFUL STOCK.

WE'LL BRING IT TO THE BACK.

LET'S GO BACK TO THE PASTA.

THE PASTA CAME BACK TO A BOIL.

MIX IT.

AT THIS POINT I JUST LEAVE THE SPOON THERE, COVER IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO IT WILL CONTINUE TO BOIL, BUT IT WON'T OVERFLOW.

NOW, LET'S SEE HOW THE SAUCE IS DOING.

VERY GOOD.

WE'LL LET IT SIMMER LIKE THIS.

BUT YOU WANT THE BROCCOLI DI RAPE STILL TO REMAIN NICE AND CRISPY AL DENTE.

THERE ARE NOT MANY INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS DISH, SO EVERY INGREDIENT REALLY COUNTS.

AND IN THIS CASE WE'RE GOING TO USE CHEESE PECORINO ROMANO.

IT IS AN EXTREMELY INTENSE CHEESE, FULL OF FLAVOR AND IT REALLY OFFSETS THE BROCCOLI, THE BITTERNESS OF THE BROCCOLI DI RAPE VERY WELL.

WE'LL GRATE SOME.

AND I LIKE MY CHEESE GRATED AT THE MINUTE, IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG.

GRATE IT BEFOREHAND, JUST BEFOREHAND OR EVEN GRATE IT ON THE PASTA WHEN YOU'RE SERVING IT, I THINK IT'S A NICE GESTURE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WASH THE PASTA IF THEY HAVE DRAINED IT, I DON'T PARTICULARLY LIKE THE IDEA NEITHER DO I THINK IT'S RIGHT.

PASTA WHEN IT COOKS, IT HAS A LITTLE BIT OF THE STARCH COATING TO IT, AND TO THAT COATING OF STARCH IS WHERE THE SAUCE WILL ADHERE.

SO PRECISELY THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT IN THE PASTA.

IN THIS CASE, DRAIN WELL THE PASTA.

ADD IT ALL TO THE SAUCE.

AND AGAIN HERE, YOU CAN PUT SOME SAUCE ON THE SIDE TO TOP THE DISHES WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SERVE IT.

BUT IN THIS CASE, THE SAUCE IS QUITE UNIFORM IN SMALL PIECES AND IT SORT OF SPREADS ALL OVER THE PASTA.

AGAIN, I LIKE TO ADD SOME HEAT, THIS WAY THE PASTA WILL ABSORB, IT'S STILL COOKING A LITTLE BIT, I LEFT IT A LITTLE AL DENTE.

IT WILL ABSORB THE SAUCE INTO IT WHILE IT IS COOKING AND YOU'LL HAVE A MUCH MORE FLAVORFUL PASTA.

WHAT YOU WANT, YOU WANT A MARRIAGE OF THE TWO.

YOU WANT AN ADHESION.

YOU WANT THE FLAVOR TO BE HOMOGENIZED THROUGHOUT THE PASTA AND THE SAUCE.

SO, THEREFORE SOMETIMES, TAKING THE PASTA, PUTTING THEM IN A BOWL AND JUST POURING THE SAUCE OVER IT WILL NOT DO THAT.

SO TAKE THAT EXTRA MINUTE, OR WHATEVER IT TAKES.

IT REALLY MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.

CLOSE THE FLAME, AND THEN ADD THE CHEESE.

AGAIN, A NICE WARM PLATE.

OKAY, WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT HERE.

PASTA, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE A FEELING THAT PASTA SHOULD BE USED ONLY AS APPETIZERS OR AS A BEGINNERS.

WELL, IT'S NOT REALLY SO.

I CAN REMEMBER THAT MAYBE HALF OF MY MEALS WERE MAIN COURSES, PASTA.

AND THEY'RE WONDERFUL.

YES, YOU WANT TO BUILD IT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH PROTEIN SO YOU WANT TO GIVE IT MAYBE A MEAT SAUCE TO THE PASTA, BUT PASTA AS A MAIN COURSE, OR RISOTTO AS A MAIN COURSE, WITH A WONDERFUL BEGINNING AND MAYBE SOME CHEESE AND FRUITS AT THE END COULD BE JUST WONDERFUL!

LIDIA'S KITCHEN S FILLED WITH THE AROMAS OF ALL THIS GREAT FOOD.

A REAL ITALIAN FAMILY MEAL RIGHT HERE IN THE U.S. OF A.

EVERYONE GATHERED AROUND THE DINNER TABLE HAVING A GOOD TIME.

THREE GENERATIONS AND A COUPLE OF FRIENDS.

THIS IS THE WAY TO LIVE AND TO EAT.

THAT'S THE SON OF THE HOUSE, JOSEPH, AND THE GRANDMOTHER, ERMINIA.

AND HERE'S FELICE, LIDIA'S HUSBAND.

IT'S THE TECHNIQUES THAT WE'RE AFTER HERE, GOOD FOOD, KNOWINGLY AND LOVINGLY COOKED.

THIS IS JULIA CHILD FOR COOKING WITH MASTER CHEFS.

BUON APPETITO!