There are some assignments I’m excited about because I get to try a new recipe or trend, and then there are assignments where I get to sit down with celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis and ask her what she really thinks we should be eating. Needless to say, I was very excited about this one.I’ve been a fan of De Laurentiis for decades. I even got to work with her multiple times when she was a guest on the Rachael Ray Show. She’s one of my favorite Italian-American chefs, and I’ve always loved the way she makes Italian food feel both special and approachable. I repeatedly turn to her recipes, I love her style and I especially turn to her when I’m looking for baking and dessert inspiration. As a very enthusiastic non-baker, I appreciate a recipe that looks impressive without requiring me to spend an entire day stressing over whether it’s actually going to work.So when I had the chance to talk with Giada, I wanted to know what she’s actually cooking, and not cooking, during the final hottest days of the year. Because summer cooking has its own set of rules. We’re looking for peak-season produce, minimal prep and, whenever possible, absolutely no reason to turn on the oven for hours.And De Laurentiis is very much on board with that last one.I asked her which recipe she’s practically begging people to stop making during the final weeks of summer, and she immediately named one classic dessert. Even better, she offered up an easy, no-bake alternative that’s packed with fresh seasonal flavor, can be made completely ahead of time and is pretty enough to bring to your next party.And yes, I had to give it a try to see how it was.
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The Summer Dessert Giada De Laurentiis Is Skipping: Baked Cheesecake
Put down the springform pan. Giada is begging us to give cheesecake a break during the last weeks of summer.
Why? It’s not that she doesn’t love cheesecake, it’s what you have to go through to make one when it’s already sweltering outside.
“Your oven needs to be on forever!” the Giadzy founder says. “The less heat, the better in the summer.”
And I have to agree with her. When it’s 90 degrees outside, the last thing I want to do is preheat the oven and leave it running long enough to bake a cheesecake, especially when there are so many summer treats that don’t require turning on the oven at all.
Luckily, Giada has a replacement in mind.
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Courtesy Jeanette Donnarumma
The Chef-Approved Swap: No-Bake Strawberry Lemon Tiramisu
Instead of cheesecake, De Laurentiis recommends making her Strawberry Lemon Tiramisu with Loacker.
“Such a crowd fave!” she says. It’s a summery spin on traditional tiramisu that swaps the heavier coffee-and-cocoa flavor profile for bright lemon and fresh strawberries. And perhaps its biggest selling point during the hottest months of the year: “You don’t need to cook a thing,” De Laurentiis explains.
Even better, it’s actually supposed to be made ahead.
“You actually need to prep it in advance by at least a day, so you can just make it when it’s convenient and relax until you serve it.”
Isn’t that exactly what we want from a summer dessert? No oven, no last-minute scrambling and no disappearing into the kitchen while everyone else is outside having fun.
Related: I Tried Giada’s Easy Tiramisu and It’s an ‘Undeniably Good’ Make-Ahead Dessert
Courtesy Jeanette Donnarumma
Giada’s #1 Pro Tip for This Heat-Free Dessert
There’s one thing De Laurentiis says you shouldn’t forget when making her Strawberry Lemon Tiramisu: Don’t use up all of your ingredients inside the dessert.
“Make sure you save extra cookies to decorate the top with—it makes such a pretty presentation!”
Set aside a few of the cookies, and use them to finish the top just before serving.
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Courtesy Jeanette Donnarumma
I Tried Giada’s Strawberry Lemon Tiramisu—Here’s What I Thought
The first thing I noticed was the texture of the wafer cookies; they added such a nice bite to an otherwise really light and creamy dessert.
I loved that it was so simple to make, and the combination of the fresh strawberries and lemon made the whole thing taste bright, refreshing and perfect for summer.
The biggest surprise for me was just how light it was. My husband especially loved it because it doesn’t have that classic coffee flavor you get with traditional tiramisu, and as someone who isn’t a coffee guy, this version was much more his speed.
Courtesy Jeanette Donnarumma
Considering I didn’t have to turn on my oven once? It came together incredibly quickly and couldn’t have been easier.
Would I make it again? Absolutely. It’s an easy, refreshing no-bake dessert I’d happily make this one again.
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Giada’s Go-To Summer Dinner Is Just as Easy
Dessert wasn’t the only thing I asked De Laurentiis about. I also wanted to know what she actually likes to make for dinner during the summer.
One of her favorites is marinated tomato bucatini, which takes advantage of one of the absolute best parts of summer: really good tomatoes.
“You don’t need to cook anything but the pasta!” she says. “Just a great way to enjoy fresh produce with pasta.”
The idea makes perfect sense. When tomatoes are at their peak, you really don’t need to do much to them. Let them be the star, add pasta and you’ve got the kind of low-effort dinner that feels exactly right for a hot night.
Related: We Asked 4 Chefs Their Favorite Pasta Dish, and We Can’t Wait to Make Them Ourselves
Courtesy Jeanette Donnarumma
Giada’s #1 Trick for Better Summer Cooking
Finally, I asked De Laurentiis what she does to make classic summer dishes taste better, and her answer wasn’t a complicated technique or secret ingredient.
It’s all about good olive oil.
“Use the best olive oil you can find; summer’s freshest bounty deserves the best,” she tells Parade.
And that’s probably the easiest Giada-approved upgrade we can make all season.
When you’re working with peak-season tomatoes, fresh corn, zucchini, herbs and all of that gorgeous summer produce, you don’t necessarily need to do more to it. Start with great ingredients, finish them with really good olive oil and let summer do most of the work.
And maybe leave the cheesecake for fall.
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Courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
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