The recipe for success in the culinary world looks different across every sector, from Michelin-starred restaurant chefs to food content creators.
In the case of Dan "Grossy" Pelosi, his vibrant personality paired with deep, genuine passion for spending time in the kitchen to craft meals that feed the soul as much as the stomach has captured the hearts and respect of everyone he meets -- or if they're lucky enough, cooks for.
That's why Pelosi's fans and followers have been hyped for his debut cookbook, "Let's Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart & Home," which brings his familiar warmth to life through cherished Italian American recipes.
Pelosi, a regular contributor to "Good Morning America" Food and longtime recipe developer, celebrated the launch of his first publication in Times Square on Tuesday and shared three recipes below to recreate at home, which will tide you over until ordering or picking up a copy of his new cookbook.
From his time as a toddler perched on the countertop while his mom made dinnertime magic or watching his dad and both sets of grandparents whip up delicious home-cooked meals to his time studying abroad in Rome, where he regularly cooked for his fellow students, Pelosi has always understood the power of connection through food.
His approachable, tasty and popular recipes have helped feed hundreds of thousands of his hungry and adoring fans on social media with everything from homemade chicken parm to his viral "vodka sawce" with ease.
The cookbook includes chapters on staples like eggs, appetizers, pasta and more, but there are also deep dives on other Italian American favorites like dough and marinara.
"Is anything better than a perfect tomato? When tomato season hits, it's all I can do to not eat them 24/7, often on toast, sometimes with mayo, other times with cottage cheese or cream cheese or ricotta. Oh, and definitely with burrata. Perfect may be tough to achieve, but I come from a family that does not believe in bad tomatoes -- everything the garden gave us was at least good, and we used it all. The trick to making even the imperfect ones sing is to marinate them in olive oil, salt, garlic, and lemon juice. Piled on fried toast, oozing with cheese, and maybe even a little balsamic drizzle... it's not just good -- it's great."
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 8 thick slices
4 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the toast
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
4 thick slices crusty bread or Pelosi's Mom's Italian Bread
Kosher salt
Four 2-ounce or two 4-ounce burrata balls
For serving
Red pepper flakes
Finely chopped fresh basil
Balsamic glaze, for serving
Directions
1. Make the tomatoes: Arrange the tomato slices on a large plate or quarter sheet pan. Grate the garlic cloves directly over the top of each slice. Squeeze on the lemon juice, then drizzle with the olive oil. Season generously with flaky salt and black pepper. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
2. Make the toast: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the bread (however many slices will fit comfortably -- work in batches if needed) and cook until nicely toasted, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the toasted slices to a platter and sprinkle the top of each slice with a tiny pinch of kosher salt.
3. Break and evenly divide the burrata directly on top of the toast. Add two tomato slices to each piece.
4. Finish the toast with pepper flakes, basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze before serving.
"On the rare occasion I have leftover pasta after dinner -- very, very rare -- this frittata makes for a special treat the next morning. Bimpy taught me about this delight when I was young. It didn't matter what kind of pasta shape, what sort of sauce, or what time of day it was -- he always made me feel like the world had stopped and it was just the two of us making magic together. Adult Grossy, in his typical way, likes to be sure the pasta gets extra crispy on the bottom of the pan, the eggs are extra fluffy and cheesy, and the frittata is served straight out of the skillet. This recipe is for 1 cup of pasta, but you can adjust the number of eggs up or down to meet whatever you have on hand."
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup cooked pasta, such as spaghetti, fettuccine or bucatini
Directions
1. Turn the broiler on high.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, Parmesan, black pepper, salt and pepper flakes. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
3. In a medium oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Pour in the egg mixture and tilt the skillet to distribute evenly. Cook, undisturbed, until the edges of the eggs are fully cooked and beginning to pull away from the sides of the skillet, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil for about 3 minutes, until the eggs are set and the frittata is slightly puffy. Cut into quarters, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve.
"Tiramisu and affogato are two of my favorite desserts, but this is not a traditional recipe for either. Instead, it's my fantasy mash-up of both, plus some other fun additions. Tiramisu is layers of ladyfingers soaked in coffee and stacked like a trifle with whipped cream. We love her, but I always wish she had more texture. Using unsoaked cookies here adds the crunch I have been craving, and the cream in this tiramisu is made with a touch of sour cream, which gives it a pleasing tang but also stabilizes it beautifully. That means these can be made minutes before serving or prepped ahead and chilled in the fridge for hours. On top of that, a shot of espresso poured over anything (an affogato does it over gelato) adds a huge hit of drama, which I live for. To quote my favorite poets, the Spice Girls, make tonight the night when two become one."
Serves 8
Directions
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Two 12-ounce packages Margherite cookies or four 7-ounce packages ladyfingers
Cocoa powder, for dusting
8 espresso shots
Directions
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk (or a large bowl if using a handheld mixer), combine the cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beginning on low speed and increasing to medium, whisk until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Arrange eight rocks glasses, fancy goblets, wine glasses, or whatever you want to serve in. Break and crumble three cookies into the first glass. Scoop about 1/4 cup of the cream on top of the cookies. Layer three more crumbled cookies, then another 1/4 cup of the cream. Repeat in the other glasses, making two layers each of cookies and cream.
3. Use a fine-mesh sieve to dust a spoonful of cocoa powder over the top of each glass. Cover the trifles with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve, or up to 8 hours.
4. Serve each trifle with a shot of espresso to pour over, affogato style.
Note: With no ice cream to melt, this espresso does not need to be hot and is maybe even better at room temp or cold. I like to buy shots of espresso at a coffee shop and save them to serve later.
Reprinted with permission from "Let's Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart & Home" by Dan Pelosi © 2023. Published by Union Square & Co. Photography © Andrew Bui.
