We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Giada De Laurentiis is one culinary celebrity you can trust when it comes to crafting delicious dishes at home. Whether you watch her on-screen tutorials on Food Network or rely on the basic, flavorful recipes in her cookbooks, De Laurentiis gives food advice both experienced and novice home cooks can appreciate. For those who lack confidence in the kitchen, she is a living example of how you don’t have to be a master chef to make tasty meals, especially if you’re living on a college campus.
In an interview posted to the YouTube page of De Laurentiis’ Italian goods company, Giadzy by Giada de Laurentiis, the renowned foodie shares that she made plenty of tasty meals throughout her college career and better yet, without fancy extras. Given the fact that Giada De Laurentiis’ top tip for making the best home-cooked meal is to use fresh, quality ingredients, she grew accustomed to cooking meals during her college years with simple foods you can easily find at conventional supermarkets.
Next to a minor obsession with instant ramen, De Laurentiis prepared many dishes centered around boiled pasta. Since cooked noodles are both economical and easy to prepare, the chef wasn’t a big consumer of fast food. She’d gladly skip McDonald’s for a plate of spaghetti with olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Whether you’re a college student eager to replicate her eating habits or new to cooking, start by loading your kitchen cupboard with Giada De Laurentiis’ favorite pantry staples like dried herbs, canned tomatoes, and boxes of quality pasta.
College-friendly meals are easy to make with basic, quality ingredients
When your pantry and refrigerator are full of fresh, accessible foods, preparing simple recipes becomes a whole lot easier. Next to Giada De Laurentiis’ favorites like canned tomatoes, beans, dried pasta, and rice, make sure to have other flavorful, shelf-stable extras on-hand to boost the appeal of simple dishes. Quick meals like instant ramen will taste restaurant-worthy with one simple swap like chicken or vegetable broth. Ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, tangy olives, and Calabrian peppers can also impart loads of flavor to a wide assortment of dishes.
Beyond shelf-stable ingredients, make sure to purchase fresh produce each week to better maximize the quality of your meals. To adopt similar eating habits to De Laurentiis, remind yourself that cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. Consider preparing some of the celebrity chef’s more popular yet versatile recipes like chicken and arugula pita pockets, antipasto calzones, and cranberry nut granola.
To better streamline preparation, besides using a range of simple ingredients, ensure you have appliances and cooking utensils that can easily be stored in small spaces. Copy the ingenious way college kids are cooking five-star dorm room meals and purchase a few multi-functional appliances such as the Crock-Pot MultiMeal Multicooker and the OurPlace Wonder Oven, which acts as both an air fryer and toaster oven in one. With the right cookware and a range of colorful ingredients at your disposal, you can easily follow in the footsteps of De Laurentiis and make more tasty meals during your college years.
