This summer, we’re honing our skills in the kitchen. Whether as a budding mixologist or a master baker, we’re always in search of new recipes to tackle, and there’s no better chef to follow than your resident Italian food expert, Giada De Laurentiis. Not only are her refreshing cocktails and decadent dishes gorgeous to look at, but De Laurentiis has a knack for taking complicated dishes and making them approachable and so easy to make. Her summer cocktails, summer dishes, and summer desserts are no exception.
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From corn and squash to strawberries, peaches, and watermelon, summer dishes call for bright, light flavors. One quick search on Giadzy, De Laurentiis’ food blog, turns up more than enough summer-friendly cocktails and dishes. To save you time, though, we cherry-picked the cream of the crop, the best-of-the-best summer dishes you absolutely have to make this month.
So, without further ado…
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Honey Lavender Gin Spritz
Image Credit: Getty Images. Honey, lavender, and gin combine to make this fizzy cocktail that tastes like sitting in a flower garden on a sunny afternoon.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Garibaldi Cocktail
Image Credit: Getty Images. Looking for a simple summer sipper? This two-ingredient Italian cocktail, which pairs orange juice with Campari, coudn’t be easier or more refreshing on those hot days.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Lemon Thyme Prosecco Cocktail
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto It’s always a good time for a lemon thyme Prosecco cocktail, but we think they pair especially well with grilled meat or seafood that’s also been seasoned with lemon and thyme.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Rosé Spritz
Image Credit: Giadzy. What’s more refreshing poolside than a grapefruit and sparkling rosé cocktail? For this cocktail, you’ll need a bitter orange liquor, pink prosecco, seltzer, grapefruit juice, fresh grapefruit, and mint.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Blood Orange Shandy
Image Credit: Giadzy. Break out the Bud Light (or whatever your preferred light beer is) because we’re making shandies with sparkling blood orange and garnished with lemon and mint.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Ginger Kombucha & Gin Refresher
Image Credit: Giadzy. Mix a little gin with your ginger kombucha and top with a slice of lime and sprig of mint, and — voilà! — your very own kombucha refresher.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Watermelon Martini
Image Credit: Giadzy. This summer, we’re all about watermelon cocktails — watermelon margaritas, watermelon spritzers, even watermelon martinis. And the latter is easy to make; simply combine watermelon juice, vodka, and fresh lime juice.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Jalapeno-Watermelon Sipper
Image Credit: Giadzy. Speaking of, for a more refreshing watermelon cocktail, try De Laurentiis’ jalapeno-watermelon sipper — a watermelon agua fresca spiked with jalapeno-infused tequila.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Basil Julep
Image Credit: Lauren Volo/Giadzy. De Laurentiis’ Italian take on the mint julep swaps mint for basil.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Simple Pesto Pasta Salad
Image Credit: Getty Images. Pesto pasta salad is a summertime classic for a reason, and De Laurentiis’ version is amped up with sun-dried tomatoes and creamy little balls of fresh mozzarella.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Artichoke and Fennel Crudo
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. When fresh baby artichokes hit the farmer’s market, you’ll want to make this artichoke and fennel crudo, which De Laurentiis says is “a classic dish that shows up on many menus in Italy.”
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Marinated Salumi Sandwich
Image Credit: Getty Images. At your next summer picnic, skip the soggy peanut butter and jelly and bring one of these Italian marinated salumi (cured meat) sandwiches. It’s made with ciabatta bread, your favorite Italian deli meats, mozarella, and more, and it’s even better when made ahead of time.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Italian Crab Salad
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. We love a cold salad on a hot day. De Laurentiis loads hers with sweet, succulent jumbo lump crab meat, avocado, and more fresh flavors.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Peach, Corn & Burrata Bruschetta
Image Credit: Giadzy. Take all the classic flavors of summer and neatly stack ’em on bruschetta.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Crab Summer Rolls
Image Credit: Giadzy. Give yourself a challenge and make De Laurentiis’ light, summer-friendly crab rolls: rice paper wrappers stuffed with cooked rice sticks, toasted sesame oil, fresh cilantro and basil, crabmeat, bell peppers, and cucumber.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Summer Succotash
Image Credit: Food Network/Giadzy. This bright, light succotash combines your favorite summer veggie, corn, with green beans, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, fresh mint, fresh oregano, and fresh mozzarella.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Strawberry & Cherry Tomato Salad
Image Credit: Giadzy. “In summer, I love the combination of strawberries and tomatoes together – I even have a jam recipe using both!” De Laurentiis writes on Giadzy. “This light salad is a great way to showcase both of them, with a creamy mascarpone dressing, fresh herbs, cucumber and arugula.”
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Slow-Roasted Salmon Puttanesca
Image Credit: Giadzy. Put down the frozen salmon. Tonight, you’re making De Laurentiis’ slow-roasted salmon puttanesca. So, pick up four 5- to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets from the grocer — as well as fennel bulbs, Campari tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and oregano — and let’s get baking.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Roasted Chicken Thighs with Summer Squash
Image Credit: Giadzy. Don’t be intimidated by this gorgeous chicken and summer squash dish. It’s easier to make than it looks.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Spaghettini with Checca Sauce
Image Credit: Giadzy. What’s a De Laurentiis recipes roundup without a classic pasta dish? Spaghettini with checca sauce, a light and flavorful pasta tossed with tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, is one of her summer go-tos.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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