I wish I was Italian

On my kitchen counter sits her... Giada De Laurentiis.  Not really her in the flesh (although she could probably fit on my counter, she is tiny) but her newest cookbook "Giada at Home".  P.S. Did I mention that I met her in Chicago and she gave me this cookbook and signed it?!  No I am not kidding and yes, I was star struck.  She is as lovely and charismatic in person as she is on TV, which made me even more jealous of her seemingly endless perfection. I wish I was Italian.  

How totally phenomenal would it be to have a secret family recipe from your old Italian grandmother for the most delicious Marinara to have ever been created?  I really do daydream about these things, I told you I am a foodie and obsessed....don't say I didn't warn you.  Ok, so there she sits all proud and beautiful just screaming from the counter "make a new Italian dish for dinner tonight"!  I have given in to the pressure of all things Italian and have vowed to make a new Italian dish from her book at least every 

other week.  I am a sucker for Italian food and her recipes in this book are very easy to follow and needless to say, worth salivating over!  If you are in the market for a good Italian recipe book, get "Giada at Home" from Giada De Laurentiis.


Ok, so now on to more deliciousness (is that a word?!  I really do have a problem with creating words, so excuse me ahead of time for the new vocabulary).  I love Farfalle Pasta, it is cute, pretty and very versatile.  I make this roasted Garlic and Tomato Farfalle pasta dish about once a week because it is fast, easy, and delicious...even Bentley loves it!  It is my own recipe that I have adapted and I hope you enjoy it.


Roasted Garlic and Tomato Farfalle 
Ingredients
1/2 box of Farfalle Pasta (I use the Barilla Farfalle Plus, because it has added Omega-3 and Protein).
2 cups (or more if you prefer) Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
1 can whole black olives (make sure they are not sliced)
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups Italian Cheeses (Mozzarella and Parmesan)
1/2 cup Fresh Italian Parsley
Fresh Basil Leaves
3 Fresh Garlic Cloves

Directions
In a large pot, boil and salt water and cook pasta per directions on box.
While Pasta is cooking, press and mince three fresh Garlic cloves and saute in about 1 Tbl. of the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.  Add the tomatoes and olives and simmer on low until the tomatoes and olives are tender and soft.  Add the fresh Parsley and several fresh Basil leaves to the Tomato mixture and set aside.  Drain the Pasta, reserving a little pasta water (this makes the sauce more consistent).  Drizzle some Extra-Virgin Olive Oil over the hot pasta to coat and toss and pour the Tomato mixture over the pasta and toss again.  Add the cheese and toss one more time till everything is mixed.  Serve immediately and enjoy!
 **I like to serve mine with fresh, crusty Garlic-bread**

Hungry yet?!