Copyright 2010 by Giada De Laurentiis All rights reserved.

. Published in the United States by Clarkson Po er/ Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. www.crownpublishing.com www.clarksonpo er.com CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data De Laurentiis, Giada. Giada at home / Giada De Laurentiis. 1st ed. 1. Cookery, Italian. I. Title. TX723.D3267 2010 641.5945dc22 2009029147 ISBN 978-0-307-45101-9 Printed in the United States of America Design by Marysarah Quinn 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

butternut squash soup with fontina cheese crostini

TO S ERV I N G S

I like to serve this hearty soup at Thanksgiving. It has a smooth, silky texture and a beautiful color with a slight peppery avor from the sage. Serve it with the cheesy Fontina crostini for an elegant meal.

soup
2 2 1 1 3 3 1 2 tablespoons unsalted bu er, at room temperature tablespoons olive oil medium onion, chopped medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1 2 -inch pieces garlic cloves, minced pounds bu ernut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3 4 -inch pieces (7 to 8 cups)

6 cups (1 1 2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth 1 4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper

crostini
1 2

bague e, sliced diagonally into 1 2 -inch-thick slices Olive oil, for drizzling tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves cup (2 ounces) grated Fontina cheese Salt

2 1

For the soup: In an 8-quart stockpot, melt the butter and heat the oil together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until aromatic. Add the squash and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the crostini: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F.

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i G I A D A AT H O M E

Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the sage. Sprinkle the Fontina on top and season with salt. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden. Turn off the heat under the soup pot. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, pure the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the Fontina crostini.