Giada De Laurentiis' Two-Ingredient Breakfast Will Make You Feel Like You're in Italy

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.

Italian food can have a reputation for being pretty fussy. Think pots of bolognese simmering for hours, cheese-stuffed hand-made pastas, towering loaves of panettone, and espresso-soaked, cream-topped dishes of layered tiramisu. But not all Italian food has to be so complicated, and in fact, when you’re using quality ingredients, sometimes you really only need a couple of items to make a standout dish. Case in point? Giada’s Italy author Giada De Laurentiis’ two-ingredient Italian breakfast, which she recently enjoyed while staying on the Amalfi Coast.

A post shared by Giadzy (@thegiadzy)

Talk about a simple breakfast — De Laurentiis’ started her morning with a buttery croissant, split at the top and drizzled with warm, luscious chocolate hazelnut spread. Hazelnuts (actually, lots of nuts, like pistachios, chestnuts, and almonds) are prized in Italy, and Nutella was even invented there in the Piedmont region, where tree nuts flourish. And though we love Nutella as much as the next person, the key to really making this two-ingredient breakfast shine is upgrading your chocolate hazelnut spread.

Pariani.

De Laurentiis sells Pariani Hazelnut & Cocoa Spread in her Giadzy shop, and there are a few things that make it stand out. For one, it’s made with IGP-certified Piedmontese hazelnuts, and for two, it boasts a 50% hazelnut content. In comparison, Nutella is made with just 13% hazelnuts, and its first two ingredients are sugar and palm oil.

Agrimontana.

What if you’re not a fan of chocolate hazelnut spread? Try Italian chestnut spread instead. This nutty, sweet spread is made from candied Piedmontese chestnuts and Madagascar vanilla. Drizzled over a warm croissant, this Agrimontana Marrons Glaces Cream from the Giadzy shop will make you excited to wake up early for breakfast.

Nutella.

Just as a simple dish like pasta aglio e olio or cacio e pepe can truly showcase specialty Italian ingredients, so to does De Laurentiis’ Amalfi Coast breakfast let us live like an Italian without dirtying every dish in the house.

In search of more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has plenty: