Giada De Laurentiis says Sicilian pesto is the recipe her friends most often ask her to make, and she says the batch usually disappears fast. The comment came as she discussed Peroni Portals in New York City, where the pop-up campaign is set to travel to major cities across the U.S. this summer.
Sicilian pesto and Pane di Peroni
De Laurentiis said the sauce gets its bold red color from Sicilian tomatoes and almonds, and she keeps it moving through more than one meal. She said, "Every time I make that, people are wowed by it," and added, "I use it on pasta for summer; I use it on grilled chicken, grilled meat, on grilled fish—I basically make a batch of it and use it on everything. I've always got it in the fridge, and people always ask me for the recipe."
That recipe sits inside a broader push with Peroni Nastro Azzurro, which is introducing Peroni Portals in the United States. Guests can grab an ice-cold bottle of Peroni and try her Pane di Peroni focaccia, which she says uses Peroni in the batter. The setup turns a single dish into a menu item that doubles as brand theater, and that is exactly how a chef keeps a signature alive outside her own kitchen.
Food Network roots
De Laurentiis first became a household name through Food Network's Everyday Italian, and this latest appearance keeps her centered on the kind of Italian cooking that built that audience in the first place. She is not selling nostalgia for its own sake; she is selling repeatable food that works on pasta, chicken, meat, and fish, which is why the request for Sicilian pesto keeps coming back.
Truffle oil pushback
She also drew a clear line against truffle oil, saying, "I'm so over [it] and I get pushback on those in my restaurant all the time," and, "It's usually not real truffles. I like fresh truffles." The contrast is blunt: one ingredient gets a permanent place in her fridge, while the other is something she is done defending.
Peroni Portals will keep traveling to major cities across the U.S. during the summer, so the most immediate takeaway is simple. If the pop-up reaches a city near you, the draw is not just a bottle of Peroni; it is a chef-led menu built around a sauce that De Laurentiis clearly thinks deserves the attention.
