Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis smiling for cameras at publicity event

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Giada De Laurentiis is a bona fide Food Network star with a TV career spanning over two decades. Along with her hosting duties, De Laurentiis is a prolific cookbook author and recipe developer who derives culinary inspiration from her birthplace of Rome. The longtime celebrity chef has shown us that anyone can make Italian cuisine using simple yet tasty ingredients. We caught up with De Laurentiis to chat about her latest venture with Home Chef, a customizable meal kit delivery service. During our exclusive interview, she recommended an ingredient swap that will greatly improve the texture of sauces. Instead of cream, try using mascarpone cheese. 

"I grew up on mascarpone more than I grew up on heavy cream," De Laurentiis tells us, "so I feel like it gives it a nice velvety texture and really enhances [sauces]." In case you're not familiar with the glory that is mascarpone, this cow's milk cheese is impossibly creamy, just a little sweet, and with the perfect amount of tang. The cheese is often associated with classic tiramisu, but it has plenty of applications in savory cooking as well.

How to use Giada De Laurentiis' secret weapon in your own cooking

Mascarpone cheese in a wooden bowl with spoon

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Our exclusive chat with Giada De Laurentiis wasn't the first time she's shared her love for mascarpone. In an interview with Food Network, Laurentiis called mascarpone her ultimate secret ingredient. She uses the cheese frequently in her own cooking, telling Mashed, "I do it for my lemon pasta." The chef may be referring to her signature lemon spaghetti recipe, which blends two Italian cheeses: mascarpone and Parmigiano-Reggiano. De Laurentiis says the ingredient also makes an appearance in some Home Chef recipes, explaining, "We use it for the creamy chicken scallopini."

When incorporating mascarpone into recipes, start by adding a single spoonful to pasta and sauces. From there, you can assess the consistency and add more if necessary. If you happen to add too much, don't worry. Mix in some of the pasta water to adjust the consistency to your desired level. 

It's clear that mascarpone is an excellent addition to Italian-inspired sauces and desserts, but what about other dishes? The cheese can be incorporated into soups for the silkiest texture possible, or added to a batch of scrambled eggs. Mascarpone can also be used in place of cream cheese as a spread for toast for a slightly sweet and intensely creamy upgrade.