It's time for some baking, and we're not just talking about desserts. Here, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis makes tomato-basil bread pudding, sausage and pea manicotti and stracciatella semifreddo.
Recipe: Tomato-basil bread pudding (on this page) Recipe: Sausage and pea manicotti (on this page) Recipe: Stracciatella semifreddo (on this page)For the filling:
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Add the bread cubes and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until slightly soft. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil. Pour the tomato mixture and Parmesan cheese over the bread cubes and combine well.
For the custard:
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together until smooth. Pour the custard over the bread mixture and gently toss to coat. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until slightly puffed and golden. Cool for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-by-2-inch glass baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.
For the fonduta sauce:
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Add the Pecorino Romano cheese and whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, shallots, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the sausage is cooked through and the vegetables have softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon, break the sausage into 1/2-inch pieces. Increase the heat to high. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Add the peas, ricotta cheese and 1 cup of the fonduta sauce. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Spread half of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Using a small spoon, fill the manicotti shells with the sausage filling and arrange in a single layer in the baking dish. Pour the remaining marinara sauce on top of the filled shells. Spoon the remaining fonduta sauce on top and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
For the crust:
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-5-by 3-inch non-stick loaf pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Using 2 pieces of parchment paper, line the pan, allowing the excess to hang over the ends and sides.
In a food processor, blend the biscotti and hazelnuts together until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Using a flexible spatula, press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges of the crust are golden. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
For the filling:
In a medium stainless steel or glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk until the egg mixture is pale, thick and creamy, and registers 160 degrees F when a thermometer is inserted into the mixture, about 10 to 15 minutes. Place the bowl into a larger bowl of iced water to cool completely.
In another medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream until thick. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. Mix 1/4 of the cream into the cooled custard. Using a spatula, gently fold the remaining cream into the custard. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate-hazelnut spread over the custard mixture and gently fold until just incorporated but still chunky. Spoon the mixture onto the prepared crust. Fold the overhanging parchment paper over the custard and freeze for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.
Run a thin-bladed spatula around the semifreddo between the parchment paper and the pan. Unfold the parchment paper and invert the semifreddo onto a platter. Peel off the paper and cut into 1-inch thick slices. Serve on chilled plates.
Cook's Note: To toast the hazelnuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
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