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Business Insider
10-07-2025
- General
- Business Insider
We made Ina Garten's easy 5-ingredient summer pasta. It was delicious and basically cooked itself.
Ina Garten's summer garden pasta only requires a few basic ingredients. We marinated our tomatoes and basil in olive oil for four hours — the wait was definitely worth it. The noodles only took five minutes to make, and the delicious dish required barely any cleanup. Ina Garten is famous for recipes that are just as easy as they are delicious, from her Greek salad to her blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake. One of Garten's most popular summer recipes is her summer garden pasta. It's also essentially a no-cook recipe, since the only time you'll need to use your stove is to boil the pasta noodles. It's important to note that while Garten's summer garden pasta only has a few simple steps, you can't whip it up right before dinner. To create the sauce, Garten marinates the tomatoes, basil, and olive oil for four hours before serving with the cooked pasta, so it requires some planning ahead. Despite some extra steps, the end result was a delicious and easy dinner that was impressive enough to serve at a summer dinner party. We had two Business Insider reporters put this recipe to the test — here's how it stacked up in terms of flavor and how easy it was to make. Ina Garten's summer garden pasta requires just five main ingredients. To whip up her dish, you'll need: Angel hair or another kind of dried pasta noodles Parmesan cheese Cherry tomatoes Minced garlic Basil leaves For seasoning, you'll also need "good" olive oil — Garten wouldn't have it any other way — plus salt, freshly ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. We tried making the recipe with angel hair pasta, like Garten recommends, and with spaghetti. Both types worked well with the dish, showing how versatile it is and how you can make it using any kind of pasta you might have lurking in your pantry. We started by halving the cherry tomatoes, the stars of this pasta dish. Anneta opted for cherry tomatoes on the vine, while Erin purchased 2 pints of cherry tomatoes from her local Trader Joe's. Both worked for this dish, though the pint of tomatoes was slightly easier to prepare. Garten's recipe calls for 4 pints of cherry tomatoes to serve six. Since we were making a much smaller portion, we cut the recipe in half. We then prepared the other ingredients for the marinated tomatoes. Per Garten's recipe, Anneta minced three cloves of garlic and julienned nine basil leaves. By placing all the basil leaves on top of each other and slicing through them a few times, she was done julienning in a matter of seconds. This is really the extent of the prep you need for the entire dish. You can also make prep even easier by using jarred minced garlic. After all, Garten claims that store-bought is fine in a pinch. We threw the ingredients into a glass mixing bowl. We seasoned everything with half a teaspoon of salt, a few dashes of red pepper flakes, and freshly ground black pepper. To top everything off, we soaked the tomato mixture in olive oil. We used about half the olive oil Garten recommends. It was enough to cover the tomatoes and create a base of "sauce" at the bottom of the bowl. We gave everything a good mix and then covered the bowl with plastic wrap. Garten recommends letting the mixture sit at room temperature for about four hours, so find a good spot in your kitchen and don't put it in the fridge. We loved the ease of this meal — it reminded Erin of slow-cooker meals she's made in the past, since it's somewhat of a set-it-and-forget-it meal, other than making the pasta noodles. Just before the four hours were up, we made the pasta noodles. We added olive oil and salt to the pasta water before boiling it, per Garten's instructions. Anneta made the recipe with angel hair pasta, while Erin opted for spaghetti noodles she already had in her pantry. The cooking times will vary slightly depending on which pasta you use, but Garten recommends cooking your noodles al dente. Since angel hair pasta is so thin, it cooks much faster than other types of pasta, making this recipe even quicker and easier to make. As the pasta cooked, we gave the tomato mixture another quick stir. We were instantly hit with a delicious scent, reminiscent of a plate of bruschetta. With a smell so fresh and crisp, we understood why Garten decided to throw "garden" into the name of her dish — cherry tomatoes and basil might even be two ingredients you grow yourself in your home garden. Once the pasta was done cooking, we threw the noodles into a bowl with the tomato mixture and added the grated cheese. We followed Garten's advice and added freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves before tossing everything together in the same pot we made the pasta in. The Parmesan cheese really made the sauce come together, and allowed it to coat the noodles. The easy pasta dish looked beautiful, and it tasted just as good. Marinating in Garten's mixture for four hours gave the cherry tomatoes a rich and intense flavor, and the olive oil, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese combined to create a rich sauce that coated every noodle. We couldn't stop snacking on the tomatoes as we tossed the pasta together, and Anneta said she'd definitely make these tomatoes again for a cheese plate or Greek salad. Anneta thought the angel hair pasta was the perfect foundation for this dish. After her first bite, she completely understood why Garten recommends it. The airy and fluffy noodles balance out the richness of the tomatoes perfectly, ensuring that the pasta is still light, exactly what you want on a hot summer night. Erin thought the spaghetti noodles also sopped up the delicious sauce and provided a more filling dish — it really depends on your own personal preference. We'll definitely be making Garten's summer garden pasta again, even when the season ends. While we're both huge fans of pasta dishes drenched in heavy meat sauces, we loved how Garten's pasta was simple yet rich — and unbelievably easy to prepare. Between prepping the tomato mixture and cooking the pasta, we only had to clean a few dishes, and the actual cooking time took less than 10 minutes. This recipe was easy enough for a beginner cook to master, but still worthy of serving at a summer party. Combined with the fact that you might have most of these ingredients lying around, we'll definitely be adding this Ina Garten dish to our repertoire of recipes.
Business Insider
07-07-2025
- General
- Business Insider
Ina Garten's Greek panzanella salad will transport you to Greece, no passport required
I tried Ina Garten's Greek panzanella salad. The easy dish features cucumber, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and homemade croutons. Garten's salad is fresh, juicy, crunchy, and oh so perfect for summer. As the child of Greek immigrants, the classic Greek salad was always a staple of the family dinner table. I've taken that dish with me no matter where I've lived in the world, often making it for a quick and healthy lunch or dinner. While there are some rules I'll never break when it comes to the recipe — stop adding lettuce! — I love trying new versions of the classic Greek dish. And when I stumbled on an Ina Garten recipe featuring homemade croutons, I knew I had to try it. Turns out, it's one of the best . Before assembling the salad, I needed to make the homemade croutons. After dicing my bread into cubes, I added ¼ cup of olive oil to a large sauté pan and allowed it to heat up. I knew the pan was ready by using a trick I learned from Martha Stewart. If you sprinkle a few drops of water on top and the oil begins to sizzle, it's hot enough. I added my bread cubes to the pan and seasoned them with salt and pepper. Garten recommends cooking the bread cubes over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, until they're lightly browned. Don't be afraid to add more olive oil if you need! While the croutons were cooking, I began chopping my veggies. After about 10 minutes, my croutons were ready. My croutons had turned a lovely golden brown, and I knew they would look beautiful in the salad. It was time to assemble the Greek panzanella salad! I threw the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into a large bowl and tossed everything together. Then, I whipped up the vinaigrette. I added the red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, and Dijon mustard into a small bowl, sprinkling one teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper on top before I whisked everything together. As I continued to whisk, I slowly added ½ cup of olive oil to make an emulsion. Just like that, my dressing was ready. I poured my vinaigrette over the veggies, then added the feta, olives, and croutons. My salad looked beautiful. I lightly tossed everything together and let the salad sit for 30 minutes so the flavors could develop. Then, it was time to dig in! Garten's Greek panzanella salad is a beautiful dance of fresh flavors and crisp textures. It's crunchy, juicy, and so colorful, making it a perfect dish for summer. The homemade croutons were worth the extra effort, and I recommend adding smoked kalamata olives for an even bigger burst of flavor. I've made this for two different potlucks with friends, and it's always been a huge crowd-pleaser. I can't wait to make it for my parents, who are huge fans of Garten's Greek orzo salad. As a Greek American who just got back from Greece, I can confidently say the Barefoot Contessa knows how to honor our cuisine.
Business Insider
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
I tried making Ina Garten's easy pasta salad. It's so good that I'll be bringing it to every cookout this summer.
I tried Ina Garten 's easy, summery tomato feta pasta salad recipe. The dish came together quickly, and I found it more flavorful than other pasta salads I've tried. I loved the briny taste, and my leftovers held up for several days. As a chef, I've always loved Ina Garten's classic, riffable recipes — they're easy to recreate at home, and they're usually a hit with guests. I've also been looking for a simple side dish to bring to summer cookouts and picnics, so when I found Garten's tomato feta pasta salad, I had to give it a try. Here's what happened when I tested the dish out for myself. Spoiler alert: I'll be adding it to my recipe rotation. The ingredients amp up umami more than other pasta salads I've tried. The recipe calls for short-cut pasta, black olives, feta cheese, and two kinds of tomatoes: fresh and sun-dried. It's key to use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, as they're more tender and flavorful than the dry variety. As for the pasta shape, Garten recommends fusilli, which has a corkscrew-like shape that soaks up extra dressing. After trying out the recipe, though, I'm confident any short-cut shape will work. The olives (Garten recommends Kalamata), tomato, and feta all bring major umami to this summertime dish. The salty, briny mix-ins give the salad a distinctly Mediterranean taste that felt a little unusual, but I preferred it to the typical mayonnaise-dressed pasta salad. The noodles and mix-ins are tossed in a dressing made with more sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil, capers, and garlic. The preparation is quick and easy. As is the case with every good pasta-salad recipe (in my opinion, anyway), it's not overly complicated or time-intensive to prep the ingredients. While I boiled a big pot of salted water for the pasta, I chopped the fresh tomatoes, sliced the olives, and diced the feta and sun-dried tomatoes. Garten calls for diced whole tomatoes, but I used cherry tomatoes and simply sliced them in half for the same effect. The dressing calls for a food processor, but it's possible to make it without one. The best way to make this pasta- salad dressing is with a small food processor. You could also try an immersion blender or pitcher-style blender, but expect to spend some time scraping down the sides. By whizzing more sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and capers in a food processor, I was able to break down the capers and tomatoes to maximize their flavor output. I ended up with a fairly smooth, reddish dressing that was thin enough to coat every nook and cranny of the pasta. If you don't have any blade-loaded countertop appliances, give everything a fine chop and a good stir. The dressing won't be as smooth and creamy as Garten intended, but your pasta will still benefit from the flavor-packed ingredients. I dressed the pasta while it was still hot from the stove. My pasta finished cooking in the time it took to prepare the dressing. Although Garten recommends letting the noodles cool first, my pasta-salad-making experience has taught me that tossing hot noodles in an oily, salty dressing maximizes flavor. Warm pasta readily absorbs flavors better than after it cools. I tossed the cooked pasta, salty mix-ins, and dressing together in a large bowl. I then let the pasta cool to room temperature before finishing the dish with Garten's recommended chopped fresh parsley and a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan. Here, I made sure to add the cheese after the salad cooled so it wouldn't all melt into a gooey mess. Instead, the Parmesan coated the noodles to hint at the creamy, rich dressing many of us associate with pasta salad. This version, however, is big on savory flavors and pops of briny, chewy sun-dried tomatoes along with juicy, sweet fresh ones. I loved that the dish felt lighter than a mayo-drenched salad but just as satisfying. The oil-based dressing holds up well, too. I doubled the recipe, and my household of two enjoyed pasta for several days. I'm glad I found this recipe right before cookout season — I'll be bringing this easy, crowd-pleasing dish to every summer occasion this year.
Business Insider
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
5 easy and delicious Ina Garten dishes you need to make this summer
Garten has delicious dishes for every season, and some of my favorite "Barefoot Contessa" recipes are perfect for summer. They can be enjoyed every month of the year, but I think you'll especially love them during the sunny season. From a cake that makes grown men weep to a pasta that will remind you of Italy, these are Garten's best summer dishes. Garten's breakfast cake is a stunning centerpiece, and it tastes even better than it looks. Every bite is super moist thanks to the ricotta and sour cream, and I love how the sweetness of the blueberries pairs with the zingy and bright lemon zest. I had my mom test it since Garten said it was perfect for Mother's Day, and she was a huge fan."This was superb," my mom declared. "I give it a 10/10."I loved how easy it was to make Garten's cake, and it still tasted incredible the next day. I've since made it for friends at a brunch party, and everyone couldn't get enough of the full recipe for Ina Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake here. And stay tuned for more "Barefoot Contessa" breakfast dishes to come. I loved Garten's watermelon cosmo even more than the original. To make four of Garten's watermelon cosmos at home, you'll need: 4 cups diced red watermelon 6 ounces good vodka (Ina recommends Grey Goose) 3 ounces Cointreau or triple sec 2 ounces freshly-squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes) 4 large mint sprigs, for garnish Before you start, Garten recommends throwing some martini glasses in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill them.I didn't have any martini glasses on hand, so I used wine glasses instead. I also found that 15 minutes in the freezer still did the trick. I always love serving a salad that's full of color, and Garten's Greek orzo salad has plenty. The pop of red from the bell pepper, the fresh green from the arugula, and the bright purple from the onion all worked together to make a beautiful plate. My parents definitely looked impressed as I brought the salad to the dinner table. But would it taste as good as it looked? My parents, who immigrated to the US from Greece, couldn't get enough of Garten's recipe. The orzo soaks up so many delicious Mediterranean flavors that are familiar to any Greek — the salty chunks of feta intertwining with the rich Kalamata olives, the crisp bell pepper and red onion dancing together, that pop of fresh lemon brightening every bite. Even though there were so many different components to the salad, everything was perfectly balanced. The light and refreshing salad is also really easy to make and still tastes great the next day. It's perfect for a barbecue side, or a main dish on a hot summer night (my dad recommends pairing it with some grilled meats or fish). My parents have already whipped up Garten's Greek orzo salad a couple of times since our last taste test, and I'm not surprised. The lovely dish tastes like something we would've eaten while watching the turquoise waves of the Aegean Sea during our summer trips back to Greece. "Ina must've been Greek in one of her previous lives," my mom declared. Garten's summer garden pasta takes full advantage of tomato season. Garten's summer garden pasta is one of her simplest, and yet it has some of the richest flavors of any that I've tried. While the "Barefoot Contessa" star's dish only has five main ingredients — angel hair, Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and basil — it has one very important step. You need to soak the tomatoes, garlic, and basil in olive oil for four hours. Garten's summer garden pasta is one of my favorite "Barefoot Contessa" recipes. I could honestly eat Garten's olive-oil tomatoes as a snack every day. And even though I usually love heavy red-sauce pastas, these tomatoes were able to carry the entire dish on just the strength of their intense and rich flavor. You also can't beat how pantry-friendly this dish is. I almost always have tomatoes and basil in my kitchen, making Garten's summer garden pasta an incredibly easy dinner staple. This is one "Barefoot Contessa" dish I know I'll be returning to time and time again. Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's summer garden pasta here. I was a cooking novice when the pandemic began, and it was Garten's recipes that first helped me get comfortable in the kitchen. I also hadn't tried baking anything for years. So I couldn't believe how fun and easy it was to make Garten's delicious mocha chocolate icebox cake, which she once proclaimed was so good "it makes grown men weep." I've wanted to make more "Barefoot Contessa" desserts ever since, and I knew the next one had to be Garten's most famous chocolate cake recipe. Garten's cake is ridiculously good. The layers have a satisfying, rich, buttery taste, and the cookies and mocha whipped cream go well together. There are also chocolate chips in almost every bite — who doesn't love that?Since no baking is required, Garten's mocha chocolate icebox cake is also perfect for those super-hot days when you don't want to turn on your oven. Plus, the recipe is easy enough to make with the family, but thanks to all those layers, it still looks impressive on the dinner table.I'd recommend this cake for just about anything — a birthday party, special dinner, or just the full recipe for Ina Garten's mocha chocolate icebox cake here.
Business Insider
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
5 easy and delicious Ina Garten dishes you need to make this summer
Ina Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake is the perfect way to start your morning. Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake appears in her cookbook " Go-To Dinners." She's also shared the recipe to celebrate Mother's Day. Along with fresh blueberries and whole-milk ricotta, the cake features lemon zest, pure vanilla extract, and a dusting of powdered sugar on top. It only takes around 45-50 minutes to bake, and it makes for an impressive centerpiece. Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake tastes as bright and cheerful as it looks. I made this recipe for Mother's Day, and it was a hit with my whole family. The cake was light as air and deliciously fluffy and moist thanks to the ricotta and sour cream. The sweet blueberries paired well with the lemon zest, adding big bursts of flavor to each bite. "This was superb," my mom declared. "I give it a 10/10." Whether you're hosting a summer brunch or just want something sweet for the season, Garten's recipe definitely … takes the cake. When it's cocktail o'clock, look no further than Garten's watermelon cosmopolitans. Garten became the queen of cosmos (and Instagram) after she filmed herself whipping up a massive drink at 9 a.m. during the pandemic. "It's always cocktail hour in a crisis!" she wrote in the video's caption. I loved Garten's watermelon cosmo even more than the original. Garten's watermelon cosmos are bright and fun. The fresh watermelon juice is refreshing on a hot summer day, and the vodka and Cointreau perfectly balance its sweetness. "It's everything you want in a summer cocktail," my friend Julia said. "Definitely packs the freshness thanks to the watermelon juice, not to mention the gorgeous color — it almost looked fake, it was so vibrant!" Garten's Greek orzo salad is packed with delightful summer flavors. Garten's Greek orzo salad, which also appears in "Go-To Dinners," was inspired by Round Swamp Farm, a third-generation family farm in East Hampton. "Their prepared food and baked goods are simply outstanding," Garten writes in her cookbook. "This recipe was inspired by one of their salads; it has all the Greek ingredients that I love." Garten's Greek orzo salad features red bell pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives, baby arugula, chickpeas, capers, dill, and some good Greek feta. My parents, who immigrated to the US from Greece, couldn't get enough of Garten's recipe. My dad loves sharing his Greek recipes with Business Insider readers (check out his pastitsio and avgolemono soup), and my parents have tested more than a dozen Greek products from Trader Joe's. They're tough critics and were intrigued to see what Garten's Greek orzo salad had to offer. Her recipe had so many of the Mediterranean flavors we know and love — from the salty feta cheese and rich kalamata olives to the crisp red bell pepper and fresh lemon that tied everything together. "Ina must've been Greek in one of her previous lives," my mom declared. My parents now love whipping up Garten's Greek orzo salad. It's perfect as a summer barbecue side, or for a fresh lunch or dinner when you want something healthy and light. Garten's summer garden pasta takes full advantage of tomato season. Garten shared the recipe for this pasta in August 2020, and it was one of the few bright spots during a very weird pandemic summer. The recipe is super simple and only features five main ingredients: angel hair pasta, Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and basil leaves. But Garten has a special trick that really amps up the flavor by soaking the tomatoes, garlic, and basil together in olive oil for four hours. That extra step is definitely worth it. Garten's summer garden pasta is one of my favorite "Barefoot Contessa" recipes. Garten is able to make magic out of just a few ingredients thanks to her four-hour trick. The flavor of the tomatoes is so beautifully rich — I can still remember my reaction the first time I tasted them. They went perfectly with the airy and fluffy angel hair pasta, which helps balance the tomatoes' richness and keeps every bite nice and light. There's a reason this dish earns such a high spot in my ranking of "Barefoot Contessa" pastas. Garten's mocha chocolate icebox cake is the best sweet treat to beat that summer heat. Garten once said that her mocha chocolate icebox cake is so good it "makes grown men weep." The cake has 10 layers and features Tate's Bake Shop chocolate-chip cookies, Italian mascarpone cheese, Kahlua liqueur, and cocoa powder. The mocha chocolate icebox cake is my favorite "Barefoot Contessa" recipe. Garten's cake is ridiculously good. The layers have a satisfying, rich, buttery taste, and the cookies and mocha whipped cream go well together. There are also chocolate chips in almost every bite — who doesn't love that? Since no baking is required, Garten's mocha chocolate icebox cake is also perfect for those super-hot days when you don't want to turn on your oven. Plus, the recipe is easy enough to make with the family, but thanks to all those layers, it still looks impressive on the dinner table. I'd recommend this cake for just about anything — a birthday party, special dinner, or just because.
