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Something I could almost always count on growing up was Giada De Laurentiis on the television. Whether her show was background noise as the family convened in the kitchen for dinner or a way to pass time on a slow Saturday afternoon in the den, I've heard her voice so much I could recognize it anywhere.

Giada de Laurentiis

My mom and I have always loved watching her prepare Italian recipes; and we used to dream of traveling to Italy and eating the pasta dishes ourselves. Even today, we keep up with all her latest posts and recipes through social media. I may not watch her on the Food Network anymore, but her food is just as inspiring as it was back in 2010.

Case in point: "Pasta alla Giadzy," a recipe she recently shared on Instagram. It's basically, as she explains it, a "homemade lemon alfredo." It also uses an entire Meyer lemon (skin and all!). It sounded and looked so delicious, I basically dropped what I was doing to make it.

Get the recipe: Pasta alla Giadzy

How to Make Giada's Lemon Cottage Cheese Pasta

Start by toasting slivered almonds in a skillet until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let them cool for a bit on a plate, then transfer them to a food processor with garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add your entire chopped lemon (make sure to wash thoroughly) and pulse well.

Food Network

To the food processor, add cottage cheese, heavy cream, chili flakes, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and salt. (Though Giada's recipe calls for ricotta, I swapped in cottage cheese since it's what I had and highly recommend the substitution.) Blend until combined then add the sauce to a large mixing bowl.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook a whole pound of rigatoni pasta. Save at least a cup of pasta water. Add the drained hot pasta directly to the mixing bowl with the sauce, and grate in a little more Parmesan cheese. Stir until each noodle is coated and glossy. If the sauce is too thick, stir in some reserved pasta water to loosen it up. Top with more grated Parmesan and chopped basil before serving.

My Honest Review of Giada's Lemon Cottage Cheese Pasta

I'm happy to report that Giada's still got it. This pasta is ultra creamy, but also bright and refreshing. Sometimes, a super cheesy pasta can be a little too heavy and honestly not leave me feeling my best after I finish my plate. But with this recipe, the lemon completely cuts through that heaviness.

Parmesan

The roasted slivered almonds added a deep nutty flavor that is only intensified by the Parmesan cheese. I also loved that toasting the almonds in the skillet was the extent of sauce cooking. No need to make a roux (which is typically in many creamy sauces) or simmer at all. As a garlic girl, I did opt for three instead of two cloves. If you want to taste garlic in every bite like I do, I suggest you do the same. And as noted before, cottage cheese is a wonderful substitute for ricotta.

Rigatoni is the perfect pasta shape because it maximizes sauce potential -- it traps the lemony alfredo sauce in its outer ridges and in the center tube. But my favorite part of the dish was the noise the pasta made. You could hear that every noodle was absolutely covered with every forkful. You know the sound? Rewatch Giada stirring the pasta if you don't.

A Tip for Making Giada's Lemon Cottage Cheese Pasta

Get the recipe: Pasta alla Giadzy

a recipe she recently shared on Instagram. It's basically, as she explains it, a

Where this fits

Ingredients matter, but technique matters more: the same butter and flour will produce very different results in different hands.

Key takeaways

  • Kitchn and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article
  • Something I could almost always count on growing up was Giada De Laurentiis on the television
  • My mom and I have always loved watching her prepare Italian recipes; and we used to dream of traveling to Italy and eating the pasta dishes ourselves
  • Start by toasting slivered almonds in a skillet until fragrant, about 5 minutes
  • I'm happy to report that Giada's still got it

What people ask

What should you know about Parmesan?

To the food processor, add cottage cheese, heavy cream, chili flakes, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and salt.

Why does it matter?

Rigatoni is the perfect pasta shape because it maximizes sauce potential -- it traps the lemony alfredo sauce in its outer ridges and in the center tube.

In short

As always in the bakery case, the gap between what gets announced and what actually reaches people is where the real story will be decided.