Pasta Books

Everyday Pasta

Giada De Laurentiis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 63 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

For New York Times bestselling author Giada De Laurentiis, pasta has always been one of the great pleasures of the table: it’s healthy and delicious; it can be light and delicate or rich and hearty; it’s readily available and easy to prepare--everything you want in a meal. And nothing satisfies a craving for Italian food quite like it! In Everyday Pasta, Giada invites you to share her love of this versatile staple with more than a hundred brand-new recipes for pasta dishes, as well as for complementary sauces, salads, and sides tempting enough to bring the whole family to the dinner table.

Without forgetting about the classics we all love, Giada makes the most of the many varieties of pasta available to create recipes that combine familiar flavors in exciting new ways.

Although most of these dishes are all-in-one meals in themselves, Giada also supplies recipes for her favorite appetizers, side dishes, and salads to round them out.

Whether you’re looking for a simple summer supper that makes the most of seasonal vegetables or seeking comfort in a pasta bowl on a cold winter’s night, Everyday Pasta offers just the thing.

• Tuna, Green Bean, and Orzo Salad
• Crab Salad Napoleans with Fresh Pasta
• Roman-Style Fettuccini with Chicken
• Baked Pastina Casserole
• Tagliatelle with Short Ribs Ragou
• Spaghetti with Eggplant, Butternut Squash, and Shrimp

Easy to prepare and endlessly versatile, pasta makes a wonderful quick supper when time is short but easily becomes an elegant meal when the occasion requires. In Everyday Pasta, Giada shows you how, with a few basic ingredients from the fridge and the pantry, you’re never more than minutes away from a delicious pasta dinner.

101 Things to Do with Ramen Noodles

Toni Patrick

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Gibbs Smith, Publisher Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $3.81

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Lifesaver for a novice in the kitchen on a budget! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Don't look down your nose on kitchen newbies. They have to eat, too -- therefore, they are willing to learn or they will starve! And, with little or nothing in your pocket, the decision to learn is made for you by the Kitchen Gods!

101 Things to Do With Ramen Noodles is an excellent, spiral-bound (WHY aren't all cooking and craft books designed this way???), nicely written and informative guide to lots and lots of stuff to do with those cheap noodles that can be found in every supermarket and discount store. The last time I was in a college book store, they had them there, as well.

If you are looking for something to do with this stuff rather than blend it with boiling water, this is the book for you. Surprise! You DON'T have to use all of that "flavor" packet (salt, salt, salt and more salt) and there are recipes that will turn your Ramen Noodles into a more solid meal! You can also use it to whip up a dessert. (Definitely hold the "flavor" packet for that one!)

More experienced cooks will roll their eyes complaining, "Oh, I could have told you how to do this..." However, it's not for those of us who have been cooking for half a century or more. For the target audience, 101 Things to Do With Ramen Noodles is a wonderful guide to saving a bundle. And, it's sure a step up from going to "that Scottish restaurant."

Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

Expand your ramen repertoire with an amazingly inventive and unique addition to the million-copy-selling "101" series-101 Things to do with Ramen Noodles.

The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles

Cook's Illustrated

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Clarkson Potter Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $11.53

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

How do you boil pasta? How much water and salt do you need? Should you add oil to the water? How well should you drain it? (Turn to page viii for the answers.)

One part cooking course, one part kitchen reference, and one part foolproof recipes, The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles tells the story of flour and water like no other book on the market. Extensively covering the basics of pasta and noodles, this thoroughly researched and taste-tested guide is dedicated to the home cook who needs practical advice on everything from penne to pad thai. The experts at Cook's Illustrated present their knowledge and techniques in a hands-on way so that each and every step of the cooking process can be understood and easily executed. The authors leave room for interpretation and taste, of course, but you will not walk away from this book without knowing which olive oil to buy, why egg pastas tend to complement cream sauces, or how to mince garlic.

The book is arranged in four sections, exploring first dried semolina pasta, then fresh Italian-style pasta, Mediterranean pasta and European dumplings, and finally, Asian noodles. There are thirteen chapters devoted to sauces alone, and recipes are included with the type of pasta with which they work best -- from the simplest to the complex, but all within reach of the home cook. As a bonus, the book includes excellent photographs of the various pasta and noodle shapes, and impeccable illustrations clearly depict each step of key techniques. Special sections are devoted to such specific topics as "Are Electric Pasta Machines Worth the Money?" and "A Guide to Popular Cheeses."

"Cook's has always been the definitive word on any subject it tackles," says The Post and Courier, and The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles will serve as the definitive reference volume for pasta lovers.


From the Hardcover edition.

The Pasta Machine Cookbook (A Nitty Gritty Cookbook) (A Nitty Gritty Cookbook)

Donna Rathmell German

List Price: $8.95 By: Bristol Publishing Enterprises Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

For Pasta Lovers who want to go a step further 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Excellent book to prepare your own pasta at home. The book is adapted to both hand-cranked and electric extruder pasta machines.

Buy this book only if you are willing to do something exotic and elaborated with the pasta. If you love pasta but want to save the trouble, keep the pasta simple and play with the sauce recipes. In this case you may want to try a different book, like "Pasta Sauces" by Charles Bellissimo, or "The Essential Pasta Cookbook".

Absolute must for pasta machine users 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

When this book first showed up I was disappointed, because of its size. I was anticipating a bigger book. But my initial disappointment was quickly turned around once I looked inside.

Without a doubt, this is the most useful book I have for making pasta with a pasta machine. It is packed with information. It focuses more on the pasta making itself rather than the sauces. Recipes for sauces are available everywhere, but finding recipes for different types of pasta is tough.

I also like how it provides different recipes for using a past bike vs. using an extruder.

A must have reference if you are into pasta making.

Editorial Review:

Make incredible pastas at home with hand-cranked or electric extruder pasta machines. Pasta recipes in 112 varieties accompany more than 40 exciting sauces and toppings. A nutritional analysis supplements recipes flavored with a variety of grains, vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices.

The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family

Laura Schenone

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $6.40

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A Newsday Best Cookbook of 2007: can a recipe change your life? A quest for an authentic dish reveals a mythic love story and age-old culinary secrets.

James Beard Award-winning author Laura Schenone undertakes a quest to retrieve her great grandmother's ravioli recipe, reuniting with relatives as she goes. In lyrical prose and delicious recipes, Schenone takes the reader on an unforgettable journey from the grit of New Jersey's industrial wastelands and the fast-paced disposable culture of its suburbs to the dramatically beautiful coast of Liguria—the family's homeland—with its pesto, smoked chestnuts, torte, and, most beloved of all, ravioli, the food of celebration and happiness. Schenone discovers the persistent importance of place, while offering a perceptive voice on immigration and ethnicity in its twilight. Along the way, she gives us the comedies and foibles of family life, a story of love and loss, a deeper understanding of the bonds between parents and children, and the mysteries of pasta, rolled into a perfect circle of gossamer dough. 90 illustrations.

The Great Chicago-Style Pizza Cookbook

Jr., Pasquale Bruno

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $3.94

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The BEST Deep-dish Pizza Book Ever Written 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

If you want to make incredible (and authentic) deep-dish pizza, this book shows you in thorough detail exactly how to do it.

The first half of the book is full of pictures describing the processes of making deep-dish pizza in enough detail that someone who has never cooked a pizza can produce an outstanding pizza on the first try. The second half of the book is recipes from the Chicago pizza restaurants. It's hard to imagine the first half being any more clear, and the second half doesn't bore you to death with stuff you will know cold once you've read the first half and used it to make a couple of pizzas.

It is the perfect balance of educational detail and long-term utility.

I've had this book since 1983, the year it was first published. When I bought it, I loved deep-dish pizza, but hadn't a clue how to make it. I've used it to make more than a hundred different deep-dish pizzas, with never a flop yet. I've just purchased my THIRD copy, because I've used the first two copies until they disintegrated. My most popular is the Spinach-stuffed pizza, although the Greek pizza (with Kalamata olives, anchovies, feta and spinach) is my personal favorite.

One thing you won't find is innovations since 1983, but if you hear about something new, it's a snap to include it. It is the difference between learning a recipe and learning the theory. Get this book, and you'll be able to make the kind of pizza you want.

Editorial Review:

"A fun cookbook for any audience." --Booklist

Classic recipes for deep-dish, stuffed, thin-crust, and vegetarian variations.

Macaroni And Cheese

Marlena Spieler

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $6.64

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

I love this book! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is awesome for cheese and food lovers. I love it! There is a huge variety of recipes in here - I feel like I could cook dinner from it every day and not get bored. There are classic recipes ("Yankee Doodle Dandy") and some things I would never have thought to include in a Mac & Cheese book ("Minestrone al pesto con Formaggio"), but are equally tasty.

She also spends time discussing different types of cheeses and pastas, which I found very enlightening. I also liked the section where she talks about making macaroni & cheese without preplanning. It makes this book great for both types of cooks: 1) those who use cookbooks for inspiration and 2) those who use cookbooks as step-by-step instruction manuals. She allows for (and encourages) experimenting but does not require it.

Another thing I like is that the cookbook has a very narrative quality to it. I spent my first night with this book, just reading it from cover to cover. Her writing is entertaining and lighthearted and gives character to her recipes.

As much as I love this book, I will provide one caveat. This book is best suited to foodies and cheese connoisseurs, as opposed to the average American suburban mom. While these recipes are great for families, you need to have a place you go to get good cheeses. You can't just use the Kraft Cheddar that you bought at Albertson's, and certainly not Velveeta or anything like that. There are some simple recipes, but many are more complicated, and many involve ingredients that you're not going to get at your average neighborhood grocery (Creme Fraiche, exotic cheeses, truffle oil, fennel seeds, etc.) That said, depending on where you live, you probably have a store nearby where you can get these things, and it's worth a small drive to get good cheese.

Editorial Review:

From the kitchen that brought us the I-have-never-seen-anything-yummier Grilled Cheese comes the it-just-got-yummier Macaroni & Cheese. The kid-friendly favorite is now being spotted at the trendiest restaurants around town, and this fantastic cookbook has it all. More than 50 classics range from the tried-and-true Yankee Doodle Dandy Baked Macaroni and Cheese and quick to prepare specialties such as the yodel-worthy Alpine Macaroni with Appenzeller and Cr me Fra che to international specialties like Giuvetchi, a Greek dish of orzo in a cinnamon tomato sauce with lamb and kasseri, myzithra, and feta cheeses. There are even a few dessert versions like Falooda, a traditional Indian treat, this one using ricotta and sweet vermicelli, with cherries and a touch of cardamom. Recipes for side salads and soups help round out a balanced meal. Mac & cheese it'll always please.

On Top of Spaghetti...: ...Macaroni, Linguine, Penne, and Pasta of Every Kind

Johanne Killeen, George Germon

Amazon Price: $17.13 List Price: $25.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: William Morrow Cookbooks Amazon Marketplace: 76 new & used starting at $8.35

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

One of my favorites! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This is such a great book! I'm a huge pasta lover, and I love trying new and interesting recipes. This book has a wide array of options. I've tried a handful already and can't wait to try more. There are lots of recipes with very few, simple ingredients, and yet the results are incredible. You can make a lot of them with things you already have in your pantry. And of course, if you want to you can go buy a few more and try something entirely different. Definitely pick up this book if you want easy and fast ideas for pasta that will taste like you're eating at a restaurant.

Editorial Review:

In On Top of Spaghetti, Johanne Killeen and George Germon, owners of the legendary restaurant Al Forno in Providence, R.I., and authors of Cucina Simpatica, offer up 100 new recipes for everyone's favorite tried–and–true dish –– pasta.

Pasta is the culinary equivalent of the little black dress. It's simple and elegant, you can dress it up or down, and it never goes out of style. In On Top of Spaghetti, Johanne Killeen and George Germon present a collection of 100 pasta recipes, including new and old favorites such as Pasta Shells with Spicy Sausage Red Sauce, Fusilli with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto, and Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Cinnamon, and Mint. In Cucina Simpatica, Johanne and George introduced Americans to grilled pizza. With On Top of Spaghetti they will reintroduce home cooks to the joys of pasta. Classic recipes are elevated to new heights, and innovative new dishes are sure to be returned to again and again.

Risotto (Williams Sonoma Kitchen Library)

Kristine Kidd

List Price: $14.95 By: Time-Life Books Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $0.74

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Beautifully Illustrated, Delicious, Easy Recipes 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 18 people found this review helpful.

Risotto is a wonderful, filling, nutritious meal and can be simple or sophisticated, served at family meals or dinner parties. (It also makes great left-overs!) Whether you're browsing or planning a menu, this book will fulfill your appetite. Each recipe is beautifully illustrated and presented on a separate page with easy-to-follow instructions. Several of the recipes I've tried have become family favorites. Just serve with a fresh baguette, and some can be considered one-dish meals.

Excellent 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I have seen risotto prepared in many different ways, unfortunately there is only one way to properly go about the task. Arborio or Carnaroli rice depending on your choice requires a certain method to extract all of the creaminess from the rice while maintaining a good al dente texture. In this book, the author here has done a wonderful job of illustrating the proper way to produce a quality risotto. Nice photos to give you ideas as risotto leaves much room for experimentation once you have mastered the basics.

Editorial Review:

It's the ideal comfort food--an appealing combination of tender, chewy rice, creamy sauce, cheese, and a whole host of delicious embellishments. This collection of recipes for risotto dishes ranges from Italian classics to contemporary favorites.

Food Made Fast: Pasta (Williams-Sonoma)

Julia Della Croce

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Oxmoor House Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $0.90

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Decadently Cheap 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Pasta of various kinds is one of the things that I always have in the pantry, what to do with it other than add just jarred sauce stumps me though. This book offers quick solutions to just such a dilemma.

Each recipe offers simple outlined step by step instructions, with a beautiful color photograph with each one. After reading the tempting recipes and seeing the pictures, one thinks, "Yes, I can most certainly make that!" Among the 40 different recipes there is a range from traditional favorites like spaghetti alla carbonara to more dressed up fare such as gemelli with brown butter & asparagus. It also offers substituions for ingredients that may not be so readily available. For example, if you don't have broccoli rabe, then simply use broccoli florets. If you don't have Swiss chard, forget about it and use fresh baby spinach instead. The focus of this book is simple, easy fare, with a concentration on using a few fresh ingredients combined to yield the best results.

The with economy in the state that it is in, pasta deserves another look. A few well chosen ingredients and the this proper guide, can have you looking forward to spaghetti Tuesdays.

Editorial Review:

Delicious Recipes for Busy People Designed for the busy home cook, Food Made Fast is the latest collectible series from Williams-Sonoma. Using a straightforward approach to everyday cooking, Food Made Fast is about delicious food, simply prepared, with easy-to-follow recipes and tips. Each book emphasizes keeping a well-stocked pantry, planning ahead, and using fresh ingredients as the keys to cooking delicious meals with a minimum of time and effort. Dedicated to a single subject - from Soup to Pasta to Weeknight - each volume makes it simple to plan, cook, and enjoy great-tasting food throughout the week. The recipes are both simple and inspired, making quick cooking a truly satisfying experience.