Giada De Laurentiis' Upgraded Breadcrumbs Add Umami To Everything

Since Giada De Laurentiis made her Food Network debut with her hit show "Everyday Italian," fans have seen her create some amazing dishes, which she often garnishes right before serving them. From real Parmesan cheese on pasta and fresh herbs on soups to nuts and amaretti cookies on pumpkin ravioli, she knows that a touch of one final ingredient can perfect a dish. There is one particular condiment she loves so much that she refers to it as "fairy dust." De Laurentiis featured her garlicky breadcrumbs on her Instagram page, mentioning that she makes a batch about once a week because she sprinkles them on just about everything she makes.

The Italian chef, author, and TV personality says the breadcrumbs give everything they touch a "perfectly salty, umami kick." To make them, De Laurentiis infuses some olive oil in a pan with several whole garlic cloves. After removing the garlic, she adds red pepper flakes and anchovy filets, which largely dissolve in the hot oil. Next, she adds panko bread crumbs and stirs them until they are golden brown and toasted. Off the heat, she incorporates lemon zest and salt. In the Instagram video, De Laurentiis adds some of the finished breadcrumbs to a Radicchio Caesar salad she's made.

On her website, Giadzy, De Laurentiis recommends adding these garlicky breadcrumbs to soups, pastas, and baked dishes — really, anywhere you might want a tasty, crunchy topping is a great place to use these flavorful panko crumbs. You could certainly use them as a binder in things like meatballs and meatloaf, but these breadcrumbs are so flavorful (and you've taken the effort to toast and flavor them) that it's best to use them in a way where you can still taste the heat of the chili flake, briny bite of the anchovy, zesty lemon, and satisfying garlic. Besides, when it comes to meatballs, it's best to soak breadcrumbs in milk first.

De Laurentiis's use of them on salads is genius because the breadcrumbs offer all of the flavor and crunch of croutons without having to chomp down on large chunks of bread. Plus, if you've pre-dressed the salad, the crumbs stick perfectly to every salad leaf. You can coat chicken cutlets and fish, and generously sprinkle them on potato gratins and macaroni and cheese. Try making a simple spaghetti with garlic and olive oil and tossing the finished dish with the garlicky breadcrumbs for a lovely texture and incredible flavor. They'd be equally delicious on creamy pastas, like fettuccine alfredo.