The word pinzimonio means “combination”—a very simple one of olive oil, salt, and pepper. It’s used as a dip for raw vegetables, served as an antipasto in the summer. Try it for the refreshing Italian variation on the tired old plate of crudités with gooky dip.

Ingredients

　　1/2 cup olive oil

　　2 teaspoons salt

　　1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　Assorted cut-up fresh vegetables (such as carrots, celery, fennel bulb, radishes, red bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes)

　　In a small bowl, stir the oil, salt, and pepper to blend. (The oil mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep at room temperature.) Arrange the vegetables on a platter and serve with the dip.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.