Carolyna De Laurentiis’ Guide to a Vibrant Italian Summer Menu

Rip & Tan: Walk us through this delicious menu—what was the inspiration? 

Carolyna De Laurentiis: I’ve often joked that tomato sauce runs in my veins. My dad’s family is from Naples, Italy and his family ran a local pastificio (pasta factory). I love recreating dishes that bring me back to my childhood, traveling through the south of Italy with my parents. This meal is easily something I would make for my family as a weeknight dinner, or if I was hosting friends for dinner al fresco: simple, seasonal and a little unexpected. 

Rip & Tan: Do you have any advice for someone attempting their first grazing board?

Carolyna De Laurentiis: My niece runs a beautiful company in LA called Sorella Collective that makes stunning and intricate grazing boards, so I leave the most ambitious graze board making to the pros!

When attempting a grazing board myself, I like to keep it super simple. I find the most beautiful produce available at the farmers market (usually a variety of colors), clean it up, use a mandolin to slice things uniformly when needed (like a radish), and store washed vegetables in the fridge in a cool water bath. I like to serve veggies alongside olive oil and a clean, unexpected dipping sauce. I’m not a ranch girl! I like using Our Pantry’s Sweet Ginger BBQ to pair the fresh ginger with the crunch of the sweet veggies. 

Rip & Tan: What’s the key to a meal that feels special yet simple in execution? 

Carolyna De Laurentiis: Special doesn’t have to mean elaborate. Often I find that simple food made with a few high quality and curated ingredients is the most delicious. If I don’t have time to cook an intricate meal, I’ll shop at my local farmers market and let the most beautiful and in-season produce speak for itself. 

Rip & Tan: Do you have any tried and true tips for elevating weeknight meals?

Carolyna De Laurentiis: With two young kids (3 years old and 9 months) elevating simple weeknight meals I can make time and time again is the key to life! After I shop at the market on Sundays, I like washing and prepping my veggies in advance so I can whip up simple meals during the week in under 30 minutes. I’ll almost always simply saute or roast protein + veggies, and serve them alongside a dipping sauce or an herby breadcrumb.

Rip & Tan: What are the pantry essentials you always have on hand?

Carolyna De Laurentiis: I keep my pantry stocked with essentials like flaky salt, high-quality olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, beans, pasta, and rice. I also make sure to carry clean-label sauces, like the ones I created for Our Pantry, to help me transform simple dishes into balanced and flavorful meals.

Rip & Tan: Whether a dish, gathering, or specific ingredient, what do you look forward to most this season? 

Carolyna De Laurentiis: I’m tomato obsessed. I can’t wait for tomatoes to crop up again at the farmers market. It’s one of the reasons I figured out with my business partner, Chef Silvia Barban, how to preserve summer-ripe, hand-picked yellow Datterini tomatoes from Italy that we use in our Cherry Tomato Sauce and Cherry Tomato Arrabbiata.

Rip & Tan: Can you tell us a bit about your journey with Our Pantry? As the female founder of a female-run company, what’s been the most memorable experience so far?

Carolyna De Laurentiis: When I became a mom I didn’t have the same time to prepare homemade meals from scratch everyday. So I started looking for shortcuts—flavor-boosting sauces that were made with quality ingredients I felt safe feeding my family. The options on the shelf weren’t cutting it, so I partnered with three female chefs to develop Our Pantry’s line of clean, carbon-neutral sauces. 

The most memorable experience to date was launching my business right after my youngest was born. I was 6 weeks postpartum on a cross-country flight for our first production run. Bringing my breast pump in my carry-on suitcase and making the round trip in 36 hours to minimize time away from home—it’s been a whirlwind, but it’s also been so meaningful to share stories like these with other female founders and to hear how common they are.

Rip & Tan: What significance does food—or the act of feeding others—hold for you?

Carolyna De Laurentiis: When both of my parents passed away, cooking became a way to relive memories in the kitchen with my parents. I love making dishes that transport me back to the time I spent in Italy cooking and traveling with them. Recreating those dishes now for my own family gives me an opportunity to teach my kids about their heritage and to pay that love forward.