These Are Simply Laura Vitale's Best Recipes
Learn all of Laura's secrets to Italian cooking with her best recipes from Simply Laura for pizza, pasta, desserts and more.
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Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Loin
This impressive make-ahead dish is perfect for a dinner party. Roast the garlic-, rosemary- and parsley-stuffed, pancetta-wrapped pork the night before. The next day, just pop it in the oven about two hours before you plan to eat.
Get the Recipe: Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Loin
Scallops with Pancetta
Laura's quick-seared scallops topped with crisp pancetta, shallots and garlic are fancy, yet the dish takes only 15 minutes to prepare.
Get the Recipe: Scallops with Pancetta
Polenta
Don't settle for plain polenta when you can have Laura's buttery, cheesy version (thanks, parm!).
Get the Recipe: Polenta
Cannoli Bundt Cake
Fluffy ricotta and mini chocolate chips make this cake taste just like a cannoli, but Laura adds some flair with bites of candied lemon and orange, as well as a Marsala glaze.
Get the Recipe: Cannoli Bundt Cake
Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche
Bagels and lox are great and all, but a creamy and cheesy quiche topped with smoked salmon and arugula salad is a great new way to enjoy the classic combination at dinnertime.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche
Broccoli Rabe, Sausage and Pesto Pasta
Most of the prep time in this recipe comes from whipping together a broccoli rabe pesto, but the food processor does all the work for you.
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Rabe, Sausage and Pesto Pasta
Roasted Fig Salad with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Arugula
Sweet roasted figs wrapped in prosciutto make a popular appetizer, but you can stretch the decadent ingredients further in a peppery arugula salad.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Fig Salad with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Arugula
Leftover-Brownie Truffles
If by some miracle you have leftover brownies sitting around, turn them into fancy truffles rolled in chili powder and lime zest, crushed pretzels and toasted coconut.
Get the Recipe: Laura's Leftover Brownie Truffles
Margherita Pizza
Once you master Laura's easy pizza dough, you'll be churning out Naples-style pies in no time. Laura's favorite is the classic margherita, topped simply with fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato sauce.
Get the Recipe: Laura's Margherita Pizza
Marinara Sauce
Eight ingredients and five minutes of prep time make at least a week's worth of sauce that is simply flavored with basil, oregano, garlic and onions.
Get the Recipe: Marinara Sauce
Velvety Tomato Bisque
Use Laura's marinara sauce as the base for this soup alongside roasted vegetables and garlic-sauteed potatoes. To make it lusciously decadent, she blends it all with Parmesan and cream.
Get the Recipe: Velvety Tomato Bisque
Pot Roast with Porcini Mushrooms
Not in the mood for soup? Use the marinara sauce to braise beef with wine, beef stock and aromatics for a fall-apart-tender roast served over creamy polenta.
Get the Recipe: Pot Roast with Porcini Mushrooms
Mini Pizzas
Embrace your inner kid with bite-sized pies, but satisfy your grownup palate with toppings like bacon and onion, olive and feta, and grilled eggplant and mushrooms.
Get the Recipe: Mini Pizzas
Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili
Make Meatless Monday exciting with a hearty sweet potato and black bean chili spiked with beer and a trio of sweet and spicy peppers.
Get the Recipe: Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili
Amaretto Tiramisu for Two
Amaretto liqueur and amaretti cookies are the key ingredients for this easy take on tiramisu, portioned perfectly for two.
Get the Recipe: Amaretto Tiramisu for Two
Eggs in Purgatory
Runny eggs cooked in a spicy tomato sauce are one purgatory you'd probably love to stay in forever.
Get the Recipe: Eggs in Purgatory
Orange and Raspberry Mimosa
Say cheers at brunch with a sweet twist on the standard orange mimosa. Raspberries add flavor and a beautiful pink hue.
Get the Recipe: Orange and Raspberry Mimosa
Seared Steak and Green Beans with Herbed Butter
Take an extra five minutes to whip up a homemade herb compound butter, which melts beautifully atop juicy rib-eye steak and crisp green beans.
Get the Recipe: Seared Steak and Green Beans with Herbed Butter
Roasted Tomato Tart
Change up your pizza routine with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil and fontina cheese melted over flaky, buttery puff pastry.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Tomato Tart
Vegetable Pasta al Forno
The best way to get your veggies is in a baked cheesy pasta dish that takes only 20 minutes to prep.
Get the Recipe: Vegetable Pasta al Forno
Chocolate Hazelnut Zeppole
Instead of eating an entire jar of chocolate-hazelnut spread by the spoonful, pipe it into homemade zeppole — aka Italian doughnuts.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Zeppole
Crispy Ribollita
It may seem strange to make a butternut squash and cannellini bean soup only to add bread to it, chill it and pan-fry it, but once you try Laura's ribollita, you'll understand why it's such a popular Italian dish.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Ribollita
Chickpea Bruschetta
This is like the grown-up version of hummus: mashed chickpeas flavored with sun-dried tomatoes and lemon zest atop thick grilled bread.
Get the Recipe: Chickpea Bruschetta
Grilled Seafood Salad
Impress guests or have an easy treat-yourself solo dinner with simply dressed grilled seafood and greens. All you need is an orange and some olive oil!
Get the Recipe: Grilled Seafood Salad
Laura's Basic Pizza Dough
Laura suggests using finely-milled flour to ensure your pizza dough bakes into an extra-crisp crust.
Get the Recipe: Laura's Basic Pizza Dough
Portobello Melt
You won't miss the meat in Laura's take on a patty melt, thanks to tender grilled portobello mushrooms and plenty of melted Swiss cheese.
Get the Recipe: Portobello Melt
Mandarinello Bundt Cake
Laura's nonna makes her own mandarinello from the tree behind her house — think limoncello but with oranges — but if you don't have a booze-making grandma, you can use any orange liqueur you have on hand.
Get the Recipe: Laura's Mandarinello Bundt Cake
Ultimate Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Sandwiches
Garlic, rosemary and olive oil transform Laura's pizza dough into fluffy focaccia rolls. They're the perfect vessel for broccoli rabe, melted provolone and Italian sausage.
Get the Recipe: Ultimate Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Sandwiches
Gingerbread Tiramisu
Laura puts a holiday twist on one of her favorite Italian desserts, using tea-and-rum-soaked gingersnap cookies instead of ladyfingers as the base of the creamy trifle.
Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Tiramisu
Watch Simply Laura
Watch Simply Laura for more restaurant-quality dishes you can easily make at home.
