Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking: 30th Anniversary Edition: A Cookbook
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- Create Date：2022-11-10 06:53:16
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Marcella Hazan
- ISBN：0593534328
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Summary
A beautiful new edition of one of the most beloved cookbooks of all time， from "the Queen of Italian Cooking" （Chicago Tribune）。 A timeless collection of classic Italian recipes--from Basil Bruschetta to the only tomato sauce you'll ever need （the secret ingredient: butter）--beautifully illustrated and featuring new forewords by Lidia Bastianich and Victor Hazan
"If this were the only cookbook you owned， neither you nor those you cooked for would ever get bored。" --Nigella Lawson
Marcella Hazan introduced Americans to a whole new world of Italian food。 In this， her magnum opus， she gives us a manual for cooks of every level of expertise--from beginners to accomplished professionals。
In these pages， home cooks will discover:
- Minestrone alla Romagnola
- Tortelli Stuffed with Parsley and Ricotta
- Risotto with Clams
- Squid and Potatoes， Genoa Style
- Chicken Cacciatora
- Ossobuco in Bianco
- Meatballs and Tomatoes
- Artichoke Torta
- Crisp-Fried Zucchini blossoms
- Sunchoke and Spinach Salad
- Chestnuts Boiled in Red Wine， Romagna Style
- Polenta Shortcake with Raisins， Dried Figs， and Pine Nuts
- Zabaglione
- And much more
This is the go-to Italian cookbook for students， newlyweds， and master chefs， alike。 Beautifully illustrated with line drawings throughout， Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking brings together nearly five hundred of the most delicious recipes from the Italian repertoire in one indispensable volume。
As the generations of readers who have turned to it over the years know （and as their spattered and worn copies can attest）， there is no more passionate and inspiring guide to the cuisine of Italy。
"If this were the only cookbook you owned， neither you nor those you cooked for would ever get bored。" --Nigella Lawson
Marcella Hazan introduced Americans to a whole new world of Italian food。 In this， her magnum opus， she gives us a manual for cooks of every level of expertise--from beginners to accomplished professionals。
In these pages， home cooks will discover:
- Minestrone alla Romagnola
- Tortelli Stuffed with Parsley and Ricotta
- Risotto with Clams
- Squid and Potatoes， Genoa Style
- Chicken Cacciatora
- Ossobuco in Bianco
- Meatballs and Tomatoes
- Artichoke Torta
- Crisp-Fried Zucchini blossoms
- Sunchoke and Spinach Salad
- Chestnuts Boiled in Red Wine， Romagna Style
- Polenta Shortcake with Raisins， Dried Figs， and Pine Nuts
- Zabaglione
- And much more
This is the go-to Italian cookbook for students， newlyweds， and master chefs， alike。 Beautifully illustrated with line drawings throughout， Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking brings together nearly five hundred of the most delicious recipes from the Italian repertoire in one indispensable volume。
As the generations of readers who have turned to it over the years know （and as their spattered and worn copies can attest）， there is no more passionate and inspiring guide to the cuisine of Italy。
Reviews
Nina Reads
，
Now this is a woman who writes with conviction。 It is about 700 pages of descriptions， history， geography， and recipes。 It is much more than a cookbook。 This is a woman whose voice and strength could break down an entire regime， the regime in this case being those incompetent in a kitchen。 The way I read this book was more focused on the story telling and information blurbs than on the recipes themselves - which much to the discredit of the publishing and bookstore industry， I took many pictures Now this is a woman who writes with conviction。 It is about 700 pages of descriptions， history， geography， and recipes。 It is much more than a cookbook。 This is a woman whose voice and strength could break down an entire regime， the regime in this case being those incompetent in a kitchen。 The way I read this book was more focused on the story telling and information blurbs than on the recipes themselves - which much to the discredit of the publishing and bookstore industry， I took many pictures of the recipes。 The introduction was very informative， with a focus on the regional and geographical characteristics of Italian cuisine。 Hazan also includes a lengthy section on ingredients used in Italian food and even wine pairings。 I love Italian food and trusted that this book could guide me to becoming an expert。 Reading this book felt like a journey back in time， a very different time for cookbooks。 There are no glossy pictures of the food and the instructions were sometimes accompanied with illustrations， but other than that you are left with only the written directions。 There is simplicity in the ingredients and the recipes， but more importantly there is tradition and purity。 The book is matter of fact - this is what you do， this is what’s correct。 I trusted Marcella and felt she would not lead me astray， especially not in the ways I often flinch at modern， “creative” recipes。 The book is quite practical too。 Hazan explains how to find the best ingredients， noting seasonal information for produce， but also what to look for on a bottle of balsamic vinegar or how to prepare capers if you must buy them in a jar。 There are many notes on what to do if you can only get canned anchovies or how to adapt a recipe to accommodate canned tomatoes。 It really is the bible of Italian cooking。 I feel so much more equipped to grocery shop and to prepare great dishes with the ingredients available to me。 A few years ago I took it upon myself to read Julia Child’s， “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”， which is an iconic cookbook for French cooking。 I would make the argument that Marcella’s book does for Italian cooking exactly what Julia Child did for French cooking。 It is written in quite the same vein。 Marcella has such a strength to the advice she gives， whether it is picking up correct ingredients or the proper order of making preparations。 She also has a sense of humor， she writes about the impossibility of ruining a dish unless one has the intention of sabotage or telling your guests to stop talking， get to the table， and eat their pasta。 Once cooked， pasta should be served and eaten immediately！ Marcella Hazan really delivers on teaching the reader to understand Italian cooking。 I hope to purchase a copy of this for myself one day， but in the meantime I will use my phone pictures to continue making recipes。 This past week， I have already made excellent tomato sauce and the Farmer’s Wife Pear Tart， which was devoured for breakfast。 Easy to follow recipes， simplicity of ingredients， tradition， lovable author - perfetto！ 。。。more
Kerwin
，
I got it for the pasta recipes。 Still using it for everything else。 Essential reference and source。
Kristen
，
Like a taste of home！ This had a bunch of recipes I grew up eating and was super nostalgic。 I wasn’t blown away by any one recipe， but have a few I’ll return to and a couple sections I would want to cook more from。
Dana Mahoney
，
awesome authentic Italian cooking loved this book
Tara Weiss
，
My copy of Marcella Hazan's The Classic Italian Cookbook is well-worn， sauce stained， and much loved。 Passed down to me by my mother， I've use this book so often there's no way I can pass it down to someone else。 The world needed a new copy， with an improved appearance over the encyclopedia-like look of the original。 The recipes hold true， but the forward and improved readers advisory materials make it a worthwhile purchase， even if you haven't used your copy to the point of no return。 I'm buyin My copy of Marcella Hazan's The Classic Italian Cookbook is well-worn， sauce stained， and much loved。 Passed down to me by my mother， I've use this book so often there's no way I can pass it down to someone else。 The world needed a new copy， with an improved appearance over the encyclopedia-like look of the original。 The recipes hold true， but the forward and improved readers advisory materials make it a worthwhile purchase， even if you haven't used your copy to the point of no return。 I'm buying a copy of this for my library and myself。 。。。more
Diana
，
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking [1992] - ★★★★★“There is no such thing as Italian haute cuisine because there are no high or low roads in Italian cooking。 All roads lead to the home， to la cucina di casa – the only one that deserves to be called Italian cooking” [Marcella Hazan， Knopf Publishing， 1992: 5]。This book is by much esteemed culinary teacher and writer Marcella Hazan （1923 – 2013） who distils and explains the fundamentals of Italian cuisine， first talking about its essential compo Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking [1992] - ★★★★★“There is no such thing as Italian haute cuisine because there are no high or low roads in Italian cooking。 All roads lead to the home， to la cucina di casa – the only one that deserves to be called Italian cooking” [Marcella Hazan， Knopf Publishing， 1992: 5]。This book is by much esteemed culinary teacher and writer Marcella Hazan （1923 – 2013） who distils and explains the fundamentals of Italian cuisine， first talking about its essential components， technique， equipment and products （extra virgin oil， tomatoes， parmesan， etc。）， and later focusing on typical Italian menus， from appetizers （eggplants， peppers， bruschetta） to desserts （rice and almond cakes， gelato， croccante and biscuits）。 Italian food and cooking traditions vary depending on a region， and， thus， historically have been shaped by specific climate and natural conditions。 So， food and cooking traditions of Naples will differ from that in Rome or Venice。From Genoese-invented pesto， Tuscan-style zucchini rounds and soups to focaccia， meat-based dishes， pizza and risotto， Hazan explains each dish， its history where appropriate， and provides many recipes。 For example， the reader will learn the intricacies of cooking pasta al dente， how difficult it is to prepare a really good Italian potato salad， and that “for a quarter of a millennium in the Veneto and…in much Lombardy it was polenta （a dish of boiled cornmeal） more than any other food that sustained life” [Marcella Hazan， Knopf Publishing， 1992: 273]。 My favourite chapter was the one that talked about desserts。 Hazan introduces zuccotto， a dome-shaped Italian dessert which has its origins in Florence; monte bianco， “a pyramid of dark chocolate and pureed fresh chestnuts， topped by a snowy peak of whipped cream” [1992: 583]; and sgroppino， an Italian cocktail mix， consisting of lemon ice-cream， cold pureed strawberries and sparkling wine。 。。。more
Leandro Texeira
，
Além das receitas， o humor da Marcella （ou a falta dele） é muito bom！
loafingcactus
，
This was presented to me as THEE book of Italian cooking and does not disappoint。 I would consider it an essential cooking reference。
Kate Herr
，
This is absolutely the best Italian cookbook ever written， and I have many Italian cookbooks…。。 my husband loves Italian food。 I bought this book 30 years ago and still use it at least once a week。 You can prepare a fancy Italian feast or a simple peasant dinner with recipes from this book。 The straight forward directions are easy to read and follow。 The recipe for linguini with white clam sauce is absolutely the best ever。 There is a secret in this recipe that I have never seen in another cookb This is absolutely the best Italian cookbook ever written， and I have many Italian cookbooks…。。 my husband loves Italian food。 I bought this book 30 years ago and still use it at least once a week。 You can prepare a fancy Italian feast or a simple peasant dinner with recipes from this book。 The straight forward directions are easy to read and follow。 The recipe for linguini with white clam sauce is absolutely the best ever。 There is a secret in this recipe that I have never seen in another cookbook and it makes all the difference。 I cannot recommend this book enough！ 。。。more
Capn
，
Consistently an excellent recipe book， with clear and precise instructions （albeit in imperial/US/non-metric measurements）。THE best roast chicken recipe I have ever， ever， ever had。 I have become famous for it - it's always requested， and I always feel so sheepish about it because all the credit goes to Marcella。The frittatae recipes are incredible。 There's a broccoli recipe （maybe two） that children will actually eat （yes， that's tested！）， a lasagne recipe that I will never forsake （and her bec Consistently an excellent recipe book， with clear and precise instructions （albeit in imperial/US/non-metric measurements）。THE best roast chicken recipe I have ever， ever， ever had。 I have become famous for it - it's always requested， and I always feel so sheepish about it because all the credit goes to Marcella。The frittatae recipes are incredible。 There's a broccoli recipe （maybe two） that children will actually eat （yes， that's tested！）， a lasagne recipe that I will never forsake （and her bechemel method revolutionized my cooking）， and。。。 well， I could go on。 There are a few recipes that were just "meh" or okay or a little on the bland side， but true Italian cuisine isn't the salty， garlicky， over-seasoned mess that North American Italian restaurants have been conditioned to serve。 Sometimes it is just bland （like Ribollita， which a Tuscan coworker insisted I try in Firenze。 Meh。 I get that it's comfort food to an ex-pat， but it was just bland to me）。I also own the La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy tome （this is easily the largest book I have - HUGE！）， but it's Marcella's that's got all the crinkled， stained and crusty pages in the end。Buy this for that one roast chicken recipe alone and it'll be worth the investment。 Lots available secondhand。 ;） 。。。more
Jane
，
Some recipes in this book were beyond my skill level。
Dennis Steele
，
I devoured this book in two sittings。 Good info on the history of Italian cooking， the fundamental foods using in many regions of the country， and some info about how to cook specific foods。 Many， many， many recipes， of which I'm only getting started on trying。 I devoured this book in two sittings。 Good info on the history of Italian cooking， the fundamental foods using in many regions of the country， and some info about how to cook specific foods。 Many， many， many recipes， of which I'm only getting started on trying。 。。。more
Melissa
，
I have cooked through several cookbooks at this point but this one wins in terms of consistently incredible recipes。 Cooking from this book is like dining out every night at a gourmet Italian restaurant— it’s absolutely the cookbook to use if you want to impress。This teaches you key principles and techniques of Italian cooking while also giving you classic Italian recipes that you will want to make on repeat。 My top-faves were: tomato bruschetta， minestrone alla romagnola， pasta e fagioli， tomat I have cooked through several cookbooks at this point but this one wins in terms of consistently incredible recipes。 Cooking from this book is like dining out every night at a gourmet Italian restaurant— it’s absolutely the cookbook to use if you want to impress。This teaches you key principles and techniques of Italian cooking while also giving you classic Italian recipes that you will want to make on repeat。 My top-faves were: tomato bruschetta， minestrone alla romagnola， pasta e fagioli， tomato pasta sauce with onion and butter， zucchini pasta sauce with basil and beaten egg， clam pasta sauce with tomatoes， butter and sage pasta sauce， gorgonzola pasta sauce， bell pepper and sausage pasta， cappellacci， cannelloni， parmesan cheese risotto， potato gnocchi， spare-ribs with sage and wine sauce over polenta， pan-roasted chicken with rosemary， garlic， and white wine， artichoke torta， asparagus and prosciutto bundles， eggplant parmesan， potato croquettes， cannellini bean salad， olive bread， focaccette， margherita and marinara pizza， and EVERY deep fried vegetable recipe… this is a huge list of favorites but the depth of flavors in every one of these dishes was amazing， I couldn’t believe that I had made them myself！The only section that didn’t wow me was the desserts chapter。 Maybe I’m just not that into these types of desserts， but I made most of them and didn’t find any that stood out。 Also， a lot of people don’t like Marcella Hazan because she’s so adamant that we have to buy imported-Italian-everything rather than use local products。 I agree that she overdoes the import-everything message， but it’s pretty easy to just ignore it and buy local。 I did so and still had incredible results。Highly recommend checking out the blog Pomodori E Vino， in which 9 cooks cooked through this cookbook in a year and posted their results for every recipe。 Marcella Hazan herself commented on their posts with encouragement， extra tips， and occasional deeply affronted criticism… it’s a very entertaining accompaniment to the cookbook itself！ 。。。more
Isobel
，
Here’s what I want
Gabriel Rousseau
，
The recipe notesBy her husband， I believe，Are bossy but fun
Warren Hall
，
It is not possible for me to complete this book。 It is a work containing recipes， and， either I must read them all as if it were an encylopedia， or only care for the ones I desire to make。 I choose the latter， and， in choosing， I make it that I cannot complete it。 Nevertheless， I have cooked numerous of the recipes in this book （mostly from the pasta section， though the only part of the book I have studiously avoided are the meat sections）。 I love the pasta and pizza recipes。 The tomato sauces a It is not possible for me to complete this book。 It is a work containing recipes， and， either I must read them all as if it were an encylopedia， or only care for the ones I desire to make。 I choose the latter， and， in choosing， I make it that I cannot complete it。 Nevertheless， I have cooked numerous of the recipes in this book （mostly from the pasta section， though the only part of the book I have studiously avoided are the meat sections）。 I love the pasta and pizza recipes。 The tomato sauces are very good， although Hazan's cooking times are not correct for my oven; one must， as always， watch the sauce with sharp eye to determine doneness。 Everyone loves a good marinara pizza and certainly the margherita。 I will not say that this book is always accurate in its history。 Just as one example， the marinara pizza is said to have been eaten by sailors， but the truth is that this is merely hearsay; evidence for this is no forthcoming。 As a final note: the recipes in this book are delicious， but Hazan put the word "essentials" into the title for a reason: it is merely the essentials！ Do no be afraid to add or mess around with them when once you learn how to do things。 。。。more
Bradley Bielenberg
，
By
Patty
，
On the same important shelf as Julia Child， it so simple， so easy， so flavorful。 Proof that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be fantastic。
Maryalene
，
I don't think of myself as really loving Italian food， but this cookbook has me rethinking that。 The introduction had fantastic descriptions of the country's regional differences which cast its cuisine in a whole new light。 The book also had my favorite feature -- suggested menus -- at the back。I borrowed this book from the library and was excited to see recipes that would allow me to use up this year's abundance of zucchini。 I made the zucchini sauce and pasta which involves frying the zucchini I don't think of myself as really loving Italian food， but this cookbook has me rethinking that。 The introduction had fantastic descriptions of the country's regional differences which cast its cuisine in a whole new light。 The book also had my favorite feature -- suggested menus -- at the back。I borrowed this book from the library and was excited to see recipes that would allow me to use up this year's abundance of zucchini。 I made the zucchini sauce and pasta which involves frying the zucchini and was delicious。 I also made the frittata with zucchini and basil which was also good， although not quite as good as the zucchini sauce。My only complaint is the lack of timings。 For instance， in the frittata recipe， it called for cooking onions over low heat until they reduced in size and changed color。 There was no indication of how long this should take， and I would guess my heat was too low because after 30 minutes， my onions had barely darkened。 Having some basic time guidelines would help but that is a minor complaint。 Overall， I liked this cookbook enough that I might buy it。 。。。more
Hope
，
I learned a lot about Italian cooking from this book。 Recommended to vegetarians as well， as there are lots of vegetarian recipes in here and they are some of the best ones in the book。
Mardel Fehrenbach
，
Purchased this a replacement and update to my tattered copy of Hazan's first cookbook。 This includes the first and second cookbooks and fortunately also contains most of the informative and evocative text and descriptions from the first book as well。 I read the entire volume through this past weekend， comparing old to knew before becoming confident that this could replace the original on the active shelf while my old favorite was archived to a safe and protected space。 Purchased this a replacement and update to my tattered copy of Hazan's first cookbook。 This includes the first and second cookbooks and fortunately also contains most of the informative and evocative text and descriptions from the first book as well。 I read the entire volume through this past weekend， comparing old to knew before becoming confident that this could replace the original on the active shelf while my old favorite was archived to a safe and protected space。 。。。more
Sharon Reamer
，
Insulting to the busy home cookI guess this is authentic Italian and probably based on time-tested recipes。 BUT embedded in the descriptions there's a huge amount of arrogance and disdain for home cooks who really don't have time for wringing out lasagna sheets or to cook a Bolognese sauce for over four hours。 I have tried a couple of the recipes and they turned out okay， but I wasn't blown away by them。 And I get angry every time I look up a recipe and have to first read a lecture。 Sorry！ And t Insulting to the busy home cookI guess this is authentic Italian and probably based on time-tested recipes。 BUT embedded in the descriptions there's a huge amount of arrogance and disdain for home cooks who really don't have time for wringing out lasagna sheets or to cook a Bolognese sauce for over four hours。 I have tried a couple of the recipes and they turned out okay， but I wasn't blown away by them。 And I get angry every time I look up a recipe and have to first read a lecture。 Sorry！ And the Kindle version is terrible to navigate。 。。。more
Pat McDermott
，
This is a one-volume version of two cookbooks， with revisions to a number of recipes originally published in Classic Italian Cooking and More Classic Italian Cooking。 I prefer the originals， but my mass-market paperbacks are falling apart and unusable。As always， Marcella Hazan was opinionated and dismissive of inferior ingredients。 She is your very critical Italian aunt， who will teach you wonderful things， but insists that you must do it her way at all times。Her pesto recipe has ideal proportio This is a one-volume version of two cookbooks， with revisions to a number of recipes originally published in Classic Italian Cooking and More Classic Italian Cooking。 I prefer the originals， but my mass-market paperbacks are falling apart and unusable。As always， Marcella Hazan was opinionated and dismissive of inferior ingredients。 She is your very critical Italian aunt， who will teach you wonderful things， but insists that you must do it her way at all times。Her pesto recipe has ideal proportions （4 cups packed basil leaves， 4 cloves of garlic， 1 cup olive oil， 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese， 2 tablespoons pine nuts）。 If you love Italian food， this cookbook is essential。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
"Never cook a sauce in a covered pan， or it will emerge with a bland， steamed， weakly formulated taste。" - Marcella HazanWhat I really like about this book is how very opinionated Marcella Hazan is。 She knows what she likes - not just the final dishes， but the thoughtful time spent to prepare them。[T]he microwave does not produce for me the satisfying textures， the vigorous， well-integrated flavors that I look for in Italian cooking。 This is aside from the fact that the oven's principal advanta "Never cook a sauce in a covered pan， or it will emerge with a bland， steamed， weakly formulated taste。" - Marcella HazanWhat I really like about this book is how very opinionated Marcella Hazan is。 She knows what she likes - not just the final dishes， but the thoughtful time spent to prepare them。 [T]he microwave does not produce for me the satisfying textures， the vigorous， well-integrated flavors that I look for in Italian cooking。 This is aside from the fact that the oven's principal advantage， that of speed， declines precipitously when cooking for more than one。 I believe with my whole heart in the act of cooking， in its smells， in its sounds， in its observable progress on the fire。 The microwave separates the cook from cooking， cutting off the emotional and physical pleasure deeply rooted in the act， and not even with its swiftest and neatest performance can the push-button wizardry of the device compensate for such a loss。 [Preface] The alphabetical "Components" section at the beginning of the book （several pages） is particularly wonderful， with detailed descriptions: tips on when to buy， what to look for， what to use （or not to use） in the case of unavailability， storage tips （her method for restoring dried out cheese sounds great）， and method（s） for using the many and various essential ingredients （as well as Karin Kretschmann's lovely line drawings of many of them） for Italian cooking。 The bread crumbs used in Italian cooking are made from good stale bread with the addition of no flavoring of any kind whatever。 They must be very dry， or they will become gummy， particularly in those dishes where they are tossed with pasta。 [Bread Crumbs Pan Grattato]~ ~ ~ ~ The basic dough for homemade pasta in the Bolognese style consists of eggs and soft-wheat flour。 The only other ingredient used is spinach or Swiss chard， required for making green pasta。 No salt， no olive oil， no water are added。 Salt does nothing for the dough， since it will be present in the sauce; olive oil imparts slickness， flawing its texture; water makes it gummy。 [Homemade pasta] There were a couple of things that gave pause in the section on "Salsa Verde and Other Savory Sauces"。 While Marcella Hazan does make a point of giving the method to make salsa by hand-cutting， she begins by saying to put "all the ingredients into the food processor and blend to a uniform consistency， but do not overprocess"。 The hand-cut method is appears to be just as easy and quick; it also does not require washing so many dishes。 For her Salsa Rossa recipe， she suggests skinning the red peppers with a peeler！ Is this even possible？ If the peppers are going to be cooked anyway， surely it would be simpler to blanch them with boiling water， plunge them into ice water， and pull the skins off。One of the really refreshing - and practical - things is her view on what equipment is necessary to have。The thing most cooks probably need least these days is another shopping list of cooking ware。 Nearly all the kitchens I have seen， mine included， have more tools and pots and gadgets than are strictly needed。 Nevertheless， there are certain pots and tools that， more efficiently than others， meet the fundamental requirements of the Italian way of cooking。 [Equipment] I particularly like that neither a stand mixer or a food processor is included in the essential tools， but that a good quality food mill is。 She suggests splashing out to get the kind with three interchangeable disks， even though "the one you will need most often is the one with the largest holes"。 （We only got a food mill about five years ago and cannot imagine how did we managed without it！）I also like that she cautions against using non-stick sauté pans because the surface will "inhibit the full development of flavor a true sauté is designed to accomplish"。 However， it is quite surprising that she neglects to mention the importance of having at least two good sharp knives （paring and large）。But there is a misstep in the instructions for roasting red peppers， saying: "When done， put them in a plastic bag， twisting it tightly shut。 As soon as they are cool enough to handle comfortably， remove the peppers from the bag and pull off the charred peel with your fingers。" A plastic bag？ Just put a bowl over the peppers！ （We've got to stop the indiscriminate - and needless - use of plastic。）Of course， there are recipes galore， and pointers on how to make them better。 The "Risi e bisi" recipe alone makes reading through the whole book cover to cover worthwhile。 Who knew that peas would taste sweeter if the pods （after shucking the peas） were added to the cooking pot？ Outside of spinach， no other coloring can be recommended as an alternative to basic yellow pasta。 Other substances have no flavor， and therefore have no gastronomic interest。 Or， if they do contribute flavor， such as that of the deplorable black pasta whose dough is tinted with squid ink， its taste is not fresh。 Pasta does not need to be dressed up， except in the colors and aromas of its sauce。 [。。。][A]ll the artificial methods by which fresh pasta is kept soft—sprinkling it with cornmeal， wrapping in plastic， refrigerating it—are not merely unnecessary， they actually undermine the quality of the pasta and ought to be shunned。 When cooked， properly dried fresh pasta delivers all the texture and flavor it had originally。 The limp product marketed as "fresh" pasta does not。 [Pasta] Of course， Italian food is not just pizza and pasta dishes。 There are wonderful looking seafood， chicken， rabbit， pork， lamb recipes galore。 And then there are the vegetable dishes！ In planning an Italian menu， choosing the vegetables is often the most critical decision you will have to make。 It will probably determine what kind of a pasta sauce or risotto you are going to make， which in turn affects plans for the second course， the vegetable contorno， and the all-important salad。 [At Table] There are zillions of them: artichokes， asparagus， beets - with the note "one of the bonuses of buying raw beeets is getting the tops"， cauliflower， etc。 etc。 I particularly like the look of the "Green beans and potato pie"， and "Swiss Chard Stalks Gratinéed with Parmesan Cheese"There are also recipes for pizza and foccacia， as well as bread。 Of course there are: "Among the savory riches of regional Italian cooking， nothing can excite our wonder more than the toothsome diversity of its country breads。"。 The recipes are on the old-fashioned mid 20th century side， calling for what seems now to be an excessive amount of yeast。 The role of bread One of the Italian words for a meal is companatico—that which you eat with bread。 At an Italian table， food and bread are inseparable。 In Italy， you will notice people begin to nibble on bread the moment they sit down to eat， just bread alone， without butter。 No bread is eaten with pasta， but it will be used to wipe the dish clean of any sauce that might be left over。 Morsels of bread punctuate the consumption of the second course， sop up the juices of a stew， or of a vegetable gratin。 The bread is removed from the table only after you have finished the salad， whose most delectable part many claim are the tiny puddles of lightly salted and vinegary olive oil that， at the end， you soak up with bread。 [Composing an Italian Meal Principles and examples] ++++++++++++++++++A note about the rating: 4 stars for "cookbook"， but just 3 stars for "bread cookbook"。 For really good Italian bread recipes， see "The Italian Baker" by Carol Field。 。。。more
Carol Bakker
，
I'll be honest: I didn't read the entire 700 pages。 But as the library due date loomed， I went ahead and bought it。 That's the highest compliment I can give a book。 This is the kind of food my husband adores。 My brother and his wife made Marcella's Bolognese Meat Sauce in 2003 for our son's rehearsal dinner （for 110 people！ - don't you love large families？！！ ♥♥♥） It was a revelation。 I have a dream of designating one night a week Italian Night and cooking a new recipe from this book。 Risotto， Wh I'll be honest: I didn't read the entire 700 pages。 But as the library due date loomed， I went ahead and bought it。 That's the highest compliment I can give a book。 This is the kind of food my husband adores。 My brother and his wife made Marcella's Bolognese Meat Sauce in 2003 for our son's rehearsal dinner （for 110 people！ - don't you love large families？！！ ♥♥♥） It was a revelation。 I have a dream of designating one night a week Italian Night and cooking a new recipe from this book。 Risotto， White Clam Sauce， Cabonara， Pesto and pasta。 I love cooking with Curt。 We could take the book on road trips and flag recipes to make。 #goalsChoice quotes::: Flavor， in Italian dishes， builds up from the bottom。 It is not a cover， it is a base。 In a pasta sauce， a risotto， a soup， a fricassee， a stew， or a dish of vegetables， a foundation of flavor supports， lifts， points up the principal ingredients。:: True balsamic vinegar is used sparingly。 In a salad it never replaces regular vinegar; it is sufficient to add a few drops of it to the basic dressing of olive oil and pure wine vinegar。And my current favorite::: A sauce must be sufficiently savory to season pasta adequately。 Blandness is not a virtue， tastelessness is not a joy。 。。。more
Sue Cole
，
Simple ingredients often found in larder。
Gregory
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I purchased this years ago when Jonathan Gold called it the definitive Italian cookbook。 When the lockdown hit， I had only skimmed the book and cooked a handful of the recipes within。 Eager to expand my repertoire during the pandemic， I decided to actually read it cover to cover， like it were a novel， and I have been cooking one or two dishes from it every week。 I discovered it’s kind of the ideal pandemic cookbook because its recipes can be enjoyed again and again without getting old。 Also， the I purchased this years ago when Jonathan Gold called it the definitive Italian cookbook。 When the lockdown hit， I had only skimmed the book and cooked a handful of the recipes within。 Eager to expand my repertoire during the pandemic， I decided to actually read it cover to cover， like it were a novel， and I have been cooking one or two dishes from it every week。 I discovered it’s kind of the ideal pandemic cookbook because its recipes can be enjoyed again and again without getting old。 Also， the ingredients it calls for are readily available at standard supermarkets， so there are no wild goose chases for obscure spices。When you read 20 pasta sauce recipes in a row， patterns emerge in a way they don’t during when casually skimming a book。 I now understand how a sauce is constructed， and if I were in a pinch， I feel confident that I could use the principles I absorbed， and improvise a sauce on the spot based on what is available。 Moreover， in the 600+ pages， there is not a single photo， only a handful of small illustrations。 This was a welcome departure from the glossy， bright food photography and design that many other cookbooks embrace these days。 The focus was on teaching the cuisine。Marcella Hazan had a reputation for being stern。 She does have strong opinions that come through clearly， but the thing is， she is usually right。 When I follow the recipes as written， they come out balanced and precise。 She also anticipates common mistakes and offers suggestions for cooking variations of dishes — her recipes are clearly the products of experience。 Some of my favorites so far: tomato and anchovy sauce （174）， grilled fish Romagna style （288）， and braised carrots with capers （481）。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Jennifer Hale
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Not the most practical cookbook--I imagine a lot of the niche ingredients were hard to find in 1992 and in many cases still not available near me。 But there are worse ways to spend an afternoon than reading through amazing Italian recipes。
Nicole
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I appreciate the goal of this book: to teach the reader about Italian food and the traditional methods used to make it。 I enjoyed learning the origins and history behind many of the dishes。 I plan to make several of the recipes in it。 I do not appreciate， however， reading how much better everything will taste if I import only the finest quality ingredients from the corresponding region in Italy。 Although I agree with the sentiment， doing that isn’t practical for me or within my budget。 I suppose I appreciate the goal of this book: to teach the reader about Italian food and the traditional methods used to make it。 I enjoyed learning the origins and history behind many of the dishes。 I plan to make several of the recipes in it。 I do not appreciate， however， reading how much better everything will taste if I import only the finest quality ingredients from the corresponding region in Italy。 Although I agree with the sentiment， doing that isn’t practical for me or within my budget。 I suppose I’ll be happy with my subpar， store-brand Italian food。 。。。more
Ariane Seixas
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