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Teresa's Favorite Tagliatelle
'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star Teresa Giudice's maternal flame burns bright - in the kitchen
BY Jane Ridley

Alvarez/News

Move over, mesdames! The French can forget about owning the bragging rights to being thin because of their national cuisine.

In her new cookbook, "Skinny Italian," Teresa Giudice gives controversial "French Women Don't Get Fat" writer Mireille Guiliano a run for her money, claiming that Italian dishes are healthier still.

"People believe Italian is fattening — but they're thinking of the wrong things, like calzone or chicken parmigiana," says Giudice.

"It's no coincidence that so many Italian women are skinny. They eat a fresh diet without preservatives in order to stay healthy. If, as my family has done for generations, you buy locally grown ingredients and you grill and sauté, rather than fry or deep-fry with breadcrumbs, you can cook true Italian dishes which won't make you put on weight."

The "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star compiled the recipe book as a "love letter" to her mom, Antonia Gorga, 59, who was born on Italy's Amalfi Coast and now also lives in New Jersey. It includes many of her adored, handed-down recipes.

"Everything I know, I learned from my mom," says Giudice, 38. "The book is my way of passing on her traditions, not just to my own daughters, but to everyone who loves fresh, nutritious and tasty food."

Giudice is keen to foster positive attitudes toward food in her girls, especially the oldest, Gia, 9, who, like many 'tweens, is becoming more conscious of her looks.

"They have inherited a healthy attitude from me," says their mom. "They love it when I cook for them, which makes me feel great. They'd rather I cooked their favorite peas and ham sautéed with tagliatelle than order takeout."

Giudice also believes that kids whose moms don't cook for them become picky eaters. "Why? Because they're suspicious of anything new. If they're not used to seeing it being made in the kitchen at home, they'll shy away from it."

In the first episode of the second season of "Housewives of New Jersey," which aired Monday, Giudice and her older daughters were seen making no fewer than 160 pots of tomato sauce to store for the year ahead.

"That's really old-school Italian," she reveals. "It's already boiled, so when you need it, all you do is sauté onion and garlic and pour the sauce into the pan. Then you add meat or whatever you want. It's incredibly easy."

Giudice celebrates Mother's Day with a traditional Italian lunch for her mother and the rest of the family.

She serves pasta with red sauce accompanied by braciole — sautéed meat rolled with garlic and parsley — and a huge salad.

"I'll also make pork spareribs and my trademark homemade spicy sausage," she adds. "The family will gather around the table in the kitchen and watch me cook. We'll have a glass of wine or a Bellini.

"It's a lovely social occasion. I'll be loving every minute."

Recipe: Teresa's Favorite Tagliatelle

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 pound tagliatelle or linguine pasta, preferably 8 ounces each plain and spinach

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons butter

5 ounces thick-sliced smoked ham, excess fat trimmed off and cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes

1 cup cooked fresh or thawed frozen peas

1⁄4 tablespoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

"This is my absolute favorite pasta dish," says Giudice. "If you can't find tagliatelle, you can use linguine. I'll admit it's not necessary to use green pasta since you can't really taste the spinach in it anyway, but I like it when it looks all colorful. Feel free to sprinkle a little Parmigiano-Reggiano on top."

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Time the pasta so it is done at about the same time as the sauce.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and melt. Add the ham and peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes or more. Reduce the heat to very low to keep warm.

3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the sauce and the salt and pepper. Toss the pasta, adding enough of the pasta water to make a light sauce. Serve hot.