As a child, Giada often found herself in the family's kitchen and spent a great deal of time at her grandfather's restaurant, DDL Foodshow.

Her siblings include sister Eloisa, a make-up artist, and brothers Igor and Dino Alexander II, a Hollywood film editor who died of melanoma in 2003.

De Laurentiis studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris,[2][5] with aspirations of becoming a pastry chef.

After returning to the United States, she became a professional chef working in several Los Angeles restaurants, notably the Wolfgang Puck-owned Spago.

On a November 2006 episode of Iron Chef America, De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay competed against, and were defeated by, Rachael Ray and Mario Batali.

In June 2007, she hosted a two-part Food Network special entitled Giada in Paradise, featuring the two locales of Santorini, Greece and Capri, Italy.

De Laurentiis also made several appearances as a guest judge on the third season of The Next Food Network Star, which aired in 2007.

[11] That same year, Giada at Home premiered, showing De Laurentiis in a kitchen preparing meals and parties for family and friends.

In July 2014, De Laurentiis opened her first restaurant, called GIADA, inside The Cromwell in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The restaurant offers seating in the dining room, lounge, or outdoor patio with views of the Bellagio fountains and Caesars Palace.

[14] In 2014, De Laurentiis voiced the character of Gelata in the U.S. version of the Tinker Bell special Pixie Hollow Bake Off.

[17] On February 10, 2023, De Laurentiis signed a multi-year deal to create and produce unscripted programming with Amazon Studios.

In 2013, ceramic lasagna pans under the Giada De Laurentiis brand were recalled after they cracked and at least six people were injured.

[12] On December 29, 2014, De Laurentiis announced on her website that she and Todd had separated the previous July, and had decided to end their marriage.