-Buongiorno.

I'm Lidia Bastianich, and teaching you about Italian food has always been my passion.

Just like that.

You got that right.

It has always been about cooking together and building your confidence in the kitchen.

For me, food is about gathering around the table to enjoy loved ones...

Your family is going to love it.

...share a delicious meal, and make memories.

Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

-Funding provided by... -Every can of Cento tomatoes is born in Italy, where they are grown and ripened in sun-drenched fields and then harvested by local farmers who select them just for us.

Cento... -Grana Padano -- authentic, Italian, rich in tradition, yet contemporary.

-It's the Italian way -- Prosecco DOC Rosé, a toast of Italy.

-Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese from Italy -- handcrafted from 100% sheep's milk.

♪♪ -Olitalia -- from chef to chef.

-When it comes to a surefire win, you can't go wrong with barbecue.

Except in my kitchen, it has an Italian twist.

Back in the 1970s, I came up with my own version of mac and cheese for my kids.

I added asparagus and peas -- even more Italian.

And you can have two plates of these, you can have more.

I want to share this little sip of my childhood with you and a thirst-quenching beer drink, as well.

Salute.

-Salute.

-Everyone loves ribs.

Give this Italian rendition a try.

You bring that to the table, you're sure to get a big hug.

Everything should be finger-licking good.

Let's make barbecue classics the Lidia way.

♪♪ Everybody loves barbecue, and so does Lidia.

But my memories of barbecue first was not this grilling of ribs and -- It was the whole animal.

You know, that's what they did in Italy.

Barbecue is the whole animal on a spit.

Lamb or goat or chicken, for that matter.

And usually outside.

And Grandpa would usually -- The men would usually feed the fire and turn it and baste it and so on.

And then I came to America.

A whole new barbecue and delicious, indeed.

So the idea is to get the crunchy, caramelized outside and a tender meat inside that falls off the bone.

No matter what culture, that doesn't change.

[ Speaking Italian ] Mac and cheese the Italian way.

Everybody loves it.

I'm grating some bread, you know, some old bread that you have around.

You can grate it.

Just to top the casserole so it's nice and crispy.

And I'm going to toast the bread crumbs with some butter.

You want to give it some flavor.

And this, with some cheese, will top the baked macaroni.

Don't over-toast it because it's going to go in the oven.

But I do want to give it some flavor.

So, what makes this mac and cheese different, the Italian way?

The cheese, of course.

So this is a question of making the sauce, cooking the pasta, pulling it all together, and putting it in the oven.

And the whole house, the whole kitchen smells delicious.

Okay, so I think we're ready.

♪♪ So now, to tie all the cheeses together, you make a béchamel.

So what is a béchamel?

A béchamel is a little butter, flour, milk, and, of course, a little bit of bay leaves.

I like the flavor of bay leaves.

So, a big pot because I'm going to put the pasta to cook.

Then I'm going to take it and put it right in here to toss it all.

So you need the space to really flavor it and toss it all.

Let's get the butter down.

Check in on the -- Plenty of boiling water.

Salted.

No oil, nothing in there.

You don't need anything in there except the water, the salt, and the pasta itself.

Let's throw in the flour.

[ Sizzling ] You want the flour just to get some color, some flavor.

Make sure it doesn't burn.

But I like my béchamel with a little bit of toastiness to it, the flavor of toasting it.

I'm going to throw in the pasta.

♪♪ And just give it a mix.

To flavor the béchamel, I love bay leaves.

I love bay leaves anyway.

You know that.

I have my own little stash, my own little bush, because I go to it all the time.

When I cook, I get a few leaves, a few branches.

It's beginning to get toasty.

You see it on the bottom.

Just milk.

Let's put milk in there.

[ Sizzling ] Okay.

And we'll let this sort of cook and densen up a little bit.

I'm going to put a little bit of salt here just to balance the flavors.

And I have vegetables.

What makes this macaroni and cheese Italian way, I put vegetables.

I love vegetables, so I insert them all over the place.

But here, I'm going to put some peas, some asparagus.

And let me get that -- Just, you know, you peel the asparagus stem if they're big.

And...

...I'm going to -- The bottom part you cut.

And throw away that.

And I'm going to cut the asparagus because I'm going to cook this asparagus right with the pasta.

When the pasta is almost halfway done, I'm going to throw the asparagus right in there, so...

So the asparagus are ready.

Now let's get into the cheese.

I have Fontina cheese here, which I already grated.

I'm going to put it right into the béchamel.

I have some Taleggio.

Clean the rind off just like that.

Even if you have a little bit of rind, it's okay.

It gives complexity, it gives flavor.

And this I'm going to just cut into cubes.

You see, it's a very creamy cheese.

And I'm going to put that in.

And slowly.

So you notice I lowered the heat.

I don't want to overcook it.

And, of course, the provola melts beautifully, creamy.

And I'm going to cut this.

This is a great cheese with a lot of flavor, especially if you're baking, even cooking, like, scaloppine or chicken.

And if you want your parmigiana to be a little different, a little provola on top -- really delicious.

♪♪ You got to taste.

I tell you all the time.

Keep on tasting.

Okay, let's get this in here.

The sauce -- deliciously creamy.

The pasta is boiling.

I'm going to throw now the asparagus right in there with the pasta so it cooks together right with the pasta.

And let me pull out the bay leaves.

And, you know, when you use bay leaves, what's important is that you always count how many you put in so you know how many you're going to get out.

Mmm.

This is good.

Mmm!

Let me throw in the peas now just to give it a little boil.

So I'm going to pull out the pasta and the vegetables because I don't want to overcook the vegetables, and I want the pasta to be a little al dente because it all goes into the oven.

Let's put it right...

I opened the fire again so that I can cook and finish this.

Okay.

So I think we are ready.

I preheated the oven at 400 degrees.

And let's pour this good pasta dish.

Mamma mia.

You build some muscles in the kitchen.

♪♪ Mmm, mmm, mmm.

I don't want to waste anything.

Let me collect everything.

Just like that.

Now we're going to do the topping.

Grated cheese.

Let's put the bread.

Like we said, some grated Grana right in here.

♪♪ And you notice that my bread is coarse a little bit.

It's not that super-fine bread crumbs.

I like it like this.

That's why I grated it.

And we're going to spread it all over.

Once it's like this, you don't mix it anymore because you want the bread crumbs to form kind of a toasted lid of cheese and bread on top of this delicious pasta and vegetable.

And it's as easy as this.

And look at all the people that you can feed out of here.

Okay, that's good.

It's ready to go in the oven.

I got some time, and I love hearing from you guys, so let's see what's in my inbox.

Donna.

"I have a bag of Grana and Pecorino Romano cheese ends."

You know, the rinds, you mean?

Yes.

"What can I use them for?"

It's endless.

Put them in a plastic bag and keep them in the refrigerator.

And if you have a lot of them, you can even freeze them.

Throw them in sauces.

You can use them for soups.

They just deliver all that flavor.

The only thing is that, when you're ready to use, scrape the rind.

And you can also eat them because it softens up.

You can cut it in little pieces and eat it thereafter.

Thank you.

Thank you for writing.

Just keep on sending those messages.

Wow.

Bubble, bubble.

Trouble, trouble.

Never mind trouble.

This is a party here.

You see how easy, how nice.

And when you bring something like this to the table... Oh, you should just smell the aroma.

The crust all around it.

I know we all love that.

So let me make a portion here.

You see the vegetables in there, how good, how creamy, how luscious it looks?

Look at this.

Look at this.

You know how to make mac and cheese.

Make it the Lidia way now, with all the vegetables.

And some more crunchiness.

That looks yummy.

And you can have two plates of these, you can have more.

But it's rich, you know?

This is a great beginning.

And how about Lidia?

And a little crunchiness for Lidia, too.

Mmm, mmm.

♪♪ That's for Lidia.

And anybody that comes close to the table, they can spoon themselves out a service.

And now I have to taste it, so... What sacrifice.

I have to taste all my food.

♪♪ Buonissimo.

With the complexity of the cheese, get a little bit of asparagus, the sweetness of the peas, and it is delicious.

Now, basil and pasta, you know, that's always the way to go.

So here it is.

And I will continue to finish my dish now.

♪♪ [ Speaking Italian ] Here we are in my kitchen again.

-We're back.

-Grandson, you love being here, huh?

-I love it.

-Now, we are going to share.

I'm going to give him one of my favorite drinks.

He's going to show me some of his drinks.

And let's see what we can both learn.

Do you know, you guys had your sodas and then you went on to beer and so on?

But when I grew up, I had no sodas.

But us kids had sparkling water and vinegar.

And apple cider vinegar, if you were lucky.

Otherwise, red wine vinegar was another option.

And a little bit of simple sugar.

That's just sugar melted in water.

And that's a good tip, also, when you make iced tea or whatever that you have.

And, of course, we're going to put in some -- I'm going to put some fresh apples in there.

Let me put some of the apples right in there so it looks nice.

And I'm going to pour it for you.

-Let me try.

-It's like champagne.

-It's like champagne?

-Yes!

So good.

-Champagne without the alcohol, though.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-You can pull this out at a party if you don't want to drink.

-I think so.

And let me put some ice for you.

Wait, wait.

Let me give you the complete deal here.

And then you will tell me what you think.

Okay.

Let's go.

Take yours, and I'll take mine.

Salute.

-Salute.

-Mmm!

-Yeah, it's pretty good.

-You can imagine that in the summer when it's hot, how it's thirst-quenching?

-Yeah, it's definitely quenching my thirst right now, for sure.

-Oh, okay.

So now I'm open to your presentation.

-So in America, we call it a shandy, but in Italy, it's a panache.

We got some beer straight from Italy and some lemonade.

We're going to go... -Okay.

-Just a little bit in there.

-All right.

You know, I never had this.

And you say this is Italian?

-You've never had this?

I would like to fix that.

-Equal amounts?

Do you mix it, or you just drink it like that?

-Just drink it like that.

-Okay.

So let's do it.

Salute.

-Salute.

-You know, it's pretty good.

-Yeah, it is pretty good.

-Really good.

But, you know, I thought, since you're here and we're going to be tasting each other's drink, I also made a little provola grilled sandwich.

How's that?

-It sounds delicious.

-And this is so simple.

You know, like grilled cheese, except provola is a delicious Italian cheese.

Go ahead.

Whole wheat bread, crunchy and all.

Delicious.

This is going to go great with this.

-Oh, yeah.

That provola is really melting in my mouth.

Delicious.

-Mmm.

Okay.

Now, what are you going to drink with that?

All right, I'll go for this one, too.

-Yeah.

-Mmm.

It's so good.

You know, as grandmas, you just get a lot of loving.

You can give all the loving you want.

You can give all the spoilings that you want.

I know your kids are going to yell at you, but who cares?

Do you mind that Grandma spoils you?

-Not at all.

-[ Laughs ] Just like that.

♪♪ [ Speaking Italian ] Spicy vinegar ribs and potatoes.

Does that sound good?

But who doesn't love spare ribs?

Ribs as a whole, they're great.

You know, that bone with all the delicious meat around it.

So this is spare ribs.

You know, you can buy them cut, prepared.

But, you know, you can get a butcher knife.

You know, what is a butcher knife?

A butcher knife is a thin knife like that.

Short rather, with a good, sharp point.

So you can go underneath and cut your -- the fat off.

Now, you don't want to cut all the fat off, you know?

You want a little bit because it's going to add flavor.

This skin, usually the butcher will clean that for you.

But, again, there's a whole skin.

And the best way to begin with is at the end.

You go underneath with a butcher knife, just like that.

I'm going to cut the end here, and the rest I'm going to pull.

It gets sort of slippery sometimes.

So get yourself some paper towels, like that, so you can get a good hold on it.

Pull.

And let's pull.

And whatever is hard, you just kind of help yourself with the knife.

Okay, this -- A little bit of fat and skin is fine.

Let me cut the ribs.

Whenever working with meat, you follow your knife.

Your knife will tell you where there's a resistance or a bone.

Well, follow it.

If it goes in one direction, follow that direction.

This is the last piece that's only meat.

We're going to season that.

Good salt just like that.

And let's put them in a roaster.

And it's always good if you have a roaster that you have enough -- enough space so that it gets nice and crispy.

I'm going to put some oil and not too much because there is some fat on the meat itself.

I'm going to crush the garlic cloves, plenty of garlic cloves.

I like my garlic cloves here.

Here we go.

Crushing them so we can get a lot of flavor out of them.

But then I can see them and pick them out, because we're going to add potatoes to it.

Let's do a little stock.

Bay leaves.

This is bay leaves from my garden, nice and fresh.

I also have a nice pot of rosemary.

So the rosemary, you could peel it off like that if you'd like.

Or just throw a little chunk, so stems like that.

I am going to just mix it, sort of have the ribs nice and coated.

And I'll put it in a 425-degree oven for about 40 minutes like that.

I have some time.

So let's see who else wrote in.

David.

"How often do you have your knives sharpened, or do you sharpen them yourself, and with what and how?"

That is part of our profession that is really necessary, to have the skills to keep your knives sharp.

That's the main tool you have in the kitchen.

I have the steel, and I kind of up and down, even two, three times during the working periods, just when I feel it gets a little dull, I do that.

And, of course, at least twice or three times a year I had it professionally sharpened.

But then you have to protect them.

You know, you can't cut on stone, you can't cut on steel.

Soft surfaces, wooden boards.

All of that really keeps your knife sharp.

Enjoy cooking.

The ribs look really good.

Let's add the potatoes.

So a nice -- I like Russet or Idaho, a starchy potato.

And I kind of cut them long, just like the ribs.

You know, sometimes you like things to look the same when you put them on a platter.

I left the skin on.

The ribs are delicious, but so are the potatoes.

Let me salt the potatoes now.

Let's give it a mix.

So you want to make sure that the potatoes get a coating of the oil.

This is good.

Let's put this back in the oven for about 20 minutes, half an hour, until the potatoes are nice and brown.

And then we'll give the finishing touches.

So I have some wine, and I'm going to put some vinegar.

Wine, vinegar -- I like that.

And I have some honey.

Oh, about 3 tablespoons of honey.

Like that.

And I have some cayenne, a teaspoon of cayenne.

And, of course, if you like it really spicy, you can increase that.

And just mix.

And this we'll add -- Once the potatoes are three-quarters of the way there, we'll put this in.

Think of all the flavors that we put in.

It's a rather simple dish, but it has a lot of flavors.

So we'll wait for the potatoes.

And, you know, while I wait, I love hearing from you.

So Sherry e-mailed me.

"I have a question about meatballs.

What's the best way to cook them?

Should I fry them, bake them, or add them raw to the sauce?"

Any of those three will do.

Frying them, yes, adds flavor, and it sort of makes a crust on it.

You can bake them just as they are.

You put them in the oven.

Or, if you're in a hurry sometimes like I am, you just plop them in the sauce.

Make sure that the sauce is boiling so you don't lower the temperature on the sauce.

Enjoy.

Enjoy making meatballs.

And keep on e-mailing me.

Now, those potatoes should be just about ready for this potion here.

♪♪ Okay.

So let's add this potion.

Let's put it back in the oven.

And another 20 minutes, everything should be caramelized, and everything should be cooked.

Everything should be finger-licking good.

Let's see if there's any new e-mails.

This one is from Carol.

"Any suggestions for a delicious Italian dinner for five?

I am competent in the kitchen, but I would like to make it easy to prepare and then clean up."

You're inviting me, huh?

"You're welcome to come, too.

Make it an even six."

Well, thank you for the invitation, Carol.

But that's a good thought.

When you're planning and when you're cooking, you got to keep those things kind of in the plan.

Do I want to cook in front of my guests?

Do I want to have it ready and serve it and enjoy it with my guests?

That's up to you.

In this case, I would say, you know, things like braising.

If you do an osso buco, or if you do stuffed peppers, or if you do chicken cacciatore, that is food that could be ready.

Just warm it up and serve it, so you can join your guests.

The vegetables also should be all -- so you have it all ready.

And you can even do it family style.

Just bring the pans right on the table.

And I think that's part of the fun.

So, thank you for the invite.

I love it when you guys write in to me, you know?

So keep on writing.

I'm here for that.

We're done.

We have to taste it.

That looks good.

I'm going to plate this.

A little plate for me.

Where do I begin?

You know, a nice large platter.

If you're really family -- Oh, this potato looks just like a Lidia potato.

You got it.

There's not much juice that's left on this because it all is stuck to the meat and to the potatoes.

So here it is.

Okay.

I am bringing it to the table.

Look at this.

How fantastic.

And, of course, let's put a little bit of -- Now, what happens, you know, when you use an herb in cooking and then you use the same herb to decorate, it just reinforces the aroma that you put in.

Now, I want to taste because I want to tell you.

So let me taste first the meat, the rib.

You see how they come right off the bone.

Nice and tender.

Mmm.

So good.

And I will invite you, as I always do.

Come and join me.

Tutti a tavola a mangiare.

Let's do it.

Okay.

I'm into it.

♪♪ In America, there's different regional approaches to barbecue.

You know, in Italy, too, yes.

I remember on the spit outside, we do the whole animal.

But you go to Sardinia, they dig a hole, heat up the stones, and put the animal in there and cover it.

And it gets cooked deliciously.

You know, Italy has its own difference.

Very regional, and so is America, especially when it comes to barbecue.

-[ Singing in Italian ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -The food from this series is a celebration of the Italian dishes Lidia cooks for the ones she loves the most, from the traditional recipes of her childhood to the new creations she feeds her family today.

All of these easy-to-prepare recipes can be found in Lidia's latest cookbook, "From Our Family Table to Yours," available for $35.

To purchase this cookbook and any of her additional products... ♪♪ To learn more about Lidia, access to videos, and to get recipes, tips, techniques, and much more, visit us online at lidiasitaly.com.

Follow Lidia on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @lidiabastianich.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Funding provided by... -At Cento Fine Foods, we're dedicated to preserving the culinary heritage of authentic Italian foods by offering over 100 specialty Italian products for the American kitchen.

Cento... -Grana Padano -- authentic, Italian, rich in tradition, yet contemporary.

-And by... ♪♪