Giada de Laurentiis' Favorite Childhood Meal Has Just 4 Ingredients—Here's How Her Mom Makes It

You probably have most of the ingredients on hand already!

Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Mother's Day is on the horizon, and Giada de Laurentiis has been sharing all kinds of adorable content to get us in the holiday spirit. We've already learned to make Giada's Nonna's simple, spring-ready lemon muffins, and the chef has even shared what exactly will be on her Mother's Day menu this year, including a festive Aperol punch and a veggie-packed frittata.

Now, Giada's mom, Veronica, is also getting in on the fun. The former actress took to Instagram this weekend for a quick recipe tutorial that proves Giada's talent runs in the family. Veronica shared the family recipe for Pizza Di Spaghetti, a Neapolitan classic that her family often enjoyed on picnics and at the dinner table.

"It was my favorite dish, and now its Jade and Julian's favorite dish," Veronica says in the video, referring to Giada's daughter and nephew. The added bonus, of course, is just how easy this recipe is to make. You only need a handful of ingredients—eggs, spaghetti, olive oil and Parmesan—as well as a mixing bowl and a large skillet.

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You'll want to start by cooking your 8 ounces of spaghetti until al dente, then straining it and setting aside. Then combine two eggs with a little salt and pepper in your mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and any other toppings you'd like to incorporate—Veronica keeps it simple with a generous sprinkling of chopped fresh basil. You may want to whisk everything together at this stage to be sure that your eggs are all well combined. Then add the spaghetti to the bowl and toss it with tongs until the noodles are coated with the egg and cheese mixture.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to a hot skillet—Veronica uses a non-stick sauté pan here, but enameled cast iron would also work pretty well—and add your noodles to the pan, spreading them evenly across the surface. Set the heating element to medium-high heat. As the pizza cooks, press your spatula or tongs down on the noodles to help them make contact with the surface of the pan. After about 5 minutes, use a large plate or the lid of your pan to flip the pizza. Veronica flips the pizza, now browned on the bottom, upside down so that the uncooked side lands on the pan lid. Then tilt the lid back towards the pan so that the pizza slides off the lid and back onto the hot surface for the uncooked side to get nice and crisp. You could also transfer the pizza to a plate to flip and return to the skillet if that seems easier for you.

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When the pizza has cooked for an additional 5 minutes or so, slide it onto a serving plate and top with extra Parmesan cheese and more fresh basil. You could even add some red pepper flakes for a little kick. You could always haul out your pizza cutter to slice the dish up, but Veronica recommends using your kitchen shears to cut the perfect slice.

Giada's take on her mom's recipe includes some extra veggies to make the Pizza di Spaghetti a little more green, but you could also pair it with a side of Cucumber-Ribbons Caesar Salad or a cup of Creamy Garden Tomato & Quinoa Soup for a complete meal for the whole family.

However you dish it up, hopefully this simple meal will remind you of your own childhood favorites—or at least bring you a little home-cooked comfort.