Giada's favorite, Italian family dinner recipes

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the ditalini and cook, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and sauté just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the cheese and basil, and toss to coat. Season the pasta to taste with salt. Spoon the past into small serving bowls and serve immediately.

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces and seal the bag. Gently shake the bag to ensure the chicken is coated with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day, turning the bag occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. In a large cast-iron frying pan or other heavy frying pan, add enough oil to come 1/3 inch up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, drain the marinade from the chicken and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Dredge half of the chicken pieces in the flour to coat completely; shake off the excess flour. Add the coated chicken to the hot oil and fry until it is golden brown and just cooked through, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil. Then place the fried chicken on a baking sheet and keep it warm in the oven while frying the remaining chicken. Repeat coating and frying the remaining chicken.

Arrange the fried chicken on a warm platter and serve with the lemon wedges.

Stir together the jam and 4 tablespoons of the Grand Marnier in a small bowl to blend.

Stir together the mascarpone and remaining 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier in a large bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Using a large rubber spatula, stir a fourth of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.

Line the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish or other decorative serving dish with a third of the ladyfingers. Spread a third of the jam mixture over the ladyfingers. Spread a third of the mascarpone mixture over the jam mixture, then cover with a third of the fresh raspberries. Repeat layering with the remaining ladyfingers, jam mixture, mascarpone mixture, and raspberries. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Dust the confectioners’ sugar over the top and serve.   

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough into a ¼-inch-thick round. Using a 2 ¼ - to 2 ½ - inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 30 dough circles.

Arrange the circles on 2 large, heavy baking sheets. Sprinkle the Gorgonzola cheese over the circles. Top with the tomatoes, pressing them gently into the dough.

Bake until the pizzettes are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drizzle the pizzettes with the oil, then sprinkle with the basil, salt, and pepper. Arrange the pizzettes on a platter and serve immediately.