How Giada De Laurentiis Brings Pasta To Breakfast Time

While many Americans grab a quick bowl of cereal or toast to start their day, pasta is seen as a lunch or dinner dish. But famous chef Giada de Laurentiis, an Italian-American TV personality and cookbook author, is shaking up the traditional view of what is breakfast-appropriate. In one of her recipes for Italian Egg and Pasta Scramble on her website, de Laurentiis incorporates a delicate balance of eggs, pasta, and cheese to create a creamy and satisfying dish. As one of the leading Italian chefs in the U.S., de Laurentiis' version of this breakfast has introduced many people to the idea of pasta in the morning.

Giada de Laurentiis has shown many versions of this particular dish, but across the board, when she makes pasta for breakfast, the chef combines simple, high-quality ingredients for a comforting breakfast that's both rich and light. Any noodles will do, but bucatini or orzo seem like de Laurentiis' favorite pastas, along with the uniquely named and shaped nodi marini.  

Though it's not something you'll find at the typical Italian breakfast table, pasta with eggs in the morning is a practical and satisfying meal that can be whipped up in minutes, making it the perfect choice when you need something quick before starting your busy day. The dish often uses leftover pasta from the previous night's dinner — because why waste perfectly good pasta? This makes it budget-conscious as well. The combination of eggs, pasta, and cheese is delicious, and with the addition of bacon or prosciutto, it becomes a protein-packed powerhouse that keeps you full until lunch.

The recipe begins by preparing the pasta and eggs separately. While your pasta is cooking in boiled water, whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper in a bowl. The whisking is one of the secrets to making the best scrambled eggs as they end up light and fluffy, so give them a good mix. Add herbs like basil or parsley and grated Parmesan, pecorino, or smoked mozzarella cheese to the eggs for extra richness.

To take your eggs and pasta to Italian Egg and Pasta Scramble, heat some oil or butter and add extra ingredients of your choice, like asparagus, pancetta, and onion, sautéing until soft. Then add the cooked pasta into the skillet, stirring to coat the noodles. Once everything is evenly heated, pour the whisked eggs into the pan. Stir gently and continuously, making sure the eggs coat the pasta. As the eggs cook, they'll scramble, forming a creamy, slightly custardy coating around the pasta. It's important to stir often until the eggs are set, which should take around 4 minutes.

At this point, you can adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately once everything is cooked and the eggs are soft and scrambled. Giada de Laurentiis' tip for immediately after draining pasta is to add grated cheese, so you can add more grated cheese at this step for extra flavor. The result is a comforting, flavorful breakfast that's quick, easy, and nutritious.