• Breadcrumbs on June 04, 2011

  Purchased this book at Costco when it first came out based on an article I'd read saying this was THE book that Italians handed down through generations and, it was now being translated into English so we could all partake in these treasured dishes . . . or something like that! That said, this book has underwhelmed. When given the choice of making a dish from this book or another Italian book on my shelf, the other books have won, time and time again. Not sure if its the book's heft, its pictureless format or whether the recipes just don't appeal. I'm keen to see what others think. I probably cook Italian more than any other cuisine and was also disappointed to know that none of my Italian friends or co-workers had ever heard of this book.

• IvyManning on September 03, 2010

  Pretty dated

• Alifar on December 31, 2009

  Italy's best selling cookbook

• crjoburke on December 26, 2009

  Classic and historically authentic recipes.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Chicken with pomegranate (Gallina alla melagrana)

  • debwfrank on October 08, 2010

    great roast chicken method & gravy

• Frittata cake (Torta di frittate)

  • wester on March 25, 2023

    Not wild about this. Basically just a stack of omelettes and vegetables, stuck together with a lot of cheese. Pretty exactly the sum of its components.

• Chicken liver pâté (Pâté ai fegatini)

  • debkellie on November 25, 2018

    So easy, sooo tasty. Less than 15 minutes prep time. Beautiful flavour.

  • debkellie on August 21, 2020

    Made this again.. still good ;-)

• Spaghetti carbonara (Spaghetti alla carbonara)

  • literarymom on January 03, 2018

    This is my go-to carbonara recipe. It's simple - few ingredients, few steps, fast, and delicious! And it's one of the rare dishes my whole family (including picky kids) enjoys. I usually sub bacon or ham for pancetta. And I use all parmesan instead of pecorino. No cream, however, which is more authentic.

  • peaceoutdesign on July 09, 2021

    I just couldn't do whole eggs because I have never heard of Carbonara prepared this way. Instead, I used the yolks and 1/4 cream. I also added fresh peas. It was good but next time I'll try as written to see if it improves.

  • e_ballad on October 28, 2017

    You’d have to be worried if this recipe didn’t work out! Perfect, but that was unlikely to ever be in doubt.

  • Elbea on October 12, 2020

    Foolproof and delicious, but also very indulgent - a real treat dinner!

• Veal scallops with herbs (Scaloppine alle erbe)

  • saladdays on March 23, 2014

    A good recipe for using small escalopes of veal as the simple flavours in the wine sauce do not overwhelm the delicate meat.

  • twoyolks on June 06, 2021

    The herbs go nicely with the veal without over powering it.

• Roast beef with carrots (Arrosto alle carote)

  • Delys77 on February 12, 2013

    This was not a winner. As written the recipe would yield a dry roast if you actually left it in for the full two hours. Also, while tha carrots are very tasty the beef itself is flavourless amd has no sauce to speak of.

• Sea bass baked in a packet (Branzino al cartoccio)

  • Delys77 on June 13, 2012

    Pg 709 Not great to be honest. I suppose it is unfair to score the dish harshly because I think I simply don't like sea bass. I simply found that the herbs and lemon were overpowered bu the fish and the skin was just unpleasant given the steam cooking.

• Savoy cabbage and rice minestrone (Minestrone di verza e riso)

  • Delys77 on March 21, 2013

    Very filling and not a bad flavour but I found the rosemary a little overpowering. I wouldn't likely repeat.

  • PinchOfSalt on November 11, 2014

    Delicious, fill-you-up comforting, inexpensive and easy. I needed to add warm water several times during the cooking process. Some thoughts: Keep a kettle of water going over a very low flame in case you need to add water. Do remove the rosemary stem before serving. Do not try to make this vegetarian by skipping the prosciutto. It really makes the dish sing. (Maybe try a variation with pancetta instead of the prosciutto and the 1 TBS olive oil in the first step, browning the pancetta before adding the other items?) Canned diced tomatoes work fine and are undoubtedly better than any fresh tomato during the winter months (unless you live in a warm climate and can get good local tomatoes).

• Chicken stock (Brodo di pollo)

  • Delys77 on April 02, 2012

    I generally make notes on all the recipes I try but in this case this isn't much of a recipe as it is essentially a barebones variation. I had to add something to up the flavour so I tossed in some bay and parsley during the simmer. The results were fine, just nothing special

• Swiss chard and lentil soup (Minestra di coste e lenticchie)

  • Delys77 on October 15, 2012

    Pg. 273 The recipe calls for soaking the lentils, which I skipped since I was using Puy lentils which cook up quite quickly. I simmered the lentils for an additional 10 minutes or so before adding the rice and they were just right. I also added a bit of balsamic as it seemed the soup was calling for some acidity. Overall pretty good, with a nutritious mix of legumes and veggies, but not spectacular in terms of flavour. Just ok really.

• Roman crescents (Mezzelune alla Romana)

  • Delys77 on July 17, 2012

    Pg 179 Conceptually I like these, practically speaking I didn't. The instructions for the dough have you start with 1 tsp of water for over 2 cups of flour, and then states to add more if necessary. In my case the tsp, not surprisingly, barely made a dent in the flour so I ended up going with about 4 tb. Once the dough came together I happily set about making the filling and then popped the lot in the oven instead of deep frying. The results weren't bad, dough wise, but the flavour of the sage totally overpowered everything for me. I would make it again but would swap out some softer herb, like maybe a tiny touch of thyme.

• Mushroom puffs (Sfogliatine con funghi)

  • Delys77 on August 27, 2012

    Pg. 184 These were so simple yet so tasty. It is a relatively rich little hors d'oeuvre but eaten in small quantities that is fine. I did modify the approach a little bit as the suggested assembly seemed unecessarily fussy. I simply diced the cheese and ham and mixed in with the very well browned mushrooms. Makes a bit too much stuffing for a regular sized piece of puff pastry.

• Filled frittata (Frittata ripiena)

  • Delys77 on August 27, 2012

    Pg. 462 Ham, cheese, mushroom, and eggs! I suppose you can't really go wrong with that combination whether it be breakast, lunch, or dinner. I dind't fold it as suggested, I simply went with the more classic firttata approach of starting ont the stove top and then popping it into the oven, with a little broiling at the end to brown. Delicious, but serves closer to two than 4.

• Asparagus risotto (Risotto con punte di asparagi)

  • Delys77 on May 23, 2012

    This risotto makes a great primi, or even a light vegetarian meal with a side salad. The only modification I made was to add a little white wine after the rice goes in, and also I added the Parmesan to the pan and incorporated it there instead of using it as a garnish. The flavours were nice and the asparagus definitely stands out in a good way. You can also lightly salt with fleur de sel if it is a little underseasoned from just the parm.

• Rice with spinach (Riso con spinaci)

  • Delys77 on July 14, 2012

    Pg 380 Sometimes the simplest things are the best. I was tempted to add shallots or garlic to the sautéed spinach but I decided to simply proceed as the recipe states and it was great. Just some simple seasoned and buttered rice with sautéed spinach all garnished with good sprinkling of Parmesan, very nice!

• Spaghetti with bread crumbs (Spaghetti con la mollica)

  • Bloominanglophile on October 23, 2013

    This is fine for a quick meal.

• Spaghetti with zucchini (Spaghetti con le zucchine)

  • Bloominanglophile on October 23, 2013

    (2008) This was just ok.

• Cream and leek risotto (Risotto panna e porri)

  • hillsboroks on April 17, 2022

    I only had full cream so my risotto turned out especially rich and creamy. The recipe is basic and simple but really shows off the leeks and makes a lovely side dish.

  • amgenove on January 05, 2021

    I used chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. Delicious!

• Spinach in white butter sauce (Spinaci in salsa bianca)

  • hillsboroks on May 18, 2020

    I made this with a mixture of baby spinach and young turnip greens as part of an Italian dinner. The flavors were mild and melded well together. While it was not a "Wow" dish it was nice and a good change of pace that was not hard to pull together.

• Crostata with chocolate, hazelnuts and orange (Crostata di cioccolato, nocciole e arancia) [Lidia Bastianich]

  • hillsboroks on May 26, 2020

    The chocolate was luscious and the hazelnut and orange flavors melded in with the chocolate beautifully. I used the shortcrust recipe suggested but I didn't have any lemons so I used orange zest which I think only enhanced the orange flavor in this tart. The crust was rich and tender and soft enough to slice easily. It wasn't hard to make and I will make it again.

• Lamb meatballs with eggplant (Polpette alle melanzane)

  • vitapano on May 06, 2014

    Nice flavour, although I added sweet marjoram in place of oregano. Did one batch in the oven instead of frying and I think I prefer that. Aubergines weren't completely soft after 30min. in the oven in foil and so next time I'll make sure I chop them a bit smaller as the meatballs weren't holding their shape very well with bigger pieces. I liked the texture and the fact that aubergine was noticeable. Would be nice very hot with some yoghurt dip and pitta I think.

• Rice and peas (Risi e bisi)

  • amoule on March 12, 2014

    The first four ingredients listed here are not for the risotto itself but for the meat stock used in making the risotto.

• Roman spring lamb (Abbacchio alla Romana)

  • amoule on March 04, 2014

    I made the variation of this that has no potatoes and adds anchovies; it was outstanding.

• Spiced cauliflower (Cavolfiore speziato)

  • margiebh on January 18, 2019

    I added fresh red and green peppers in strips. Used one carrot.

• Nettle risotto (Risotto alle ortiche)

  • RogerP on July 31, 2021

    I found the mineral / iron flavour overly pronounced. I had better results making a basic risotto and then folding in nettles and basil at the end.

• Sweet-and-sour pork stew (Spezzatino in agrodolce)

  • Kellyco on April 18, 2013

    Family favourite, also delicious with chicken.

• Zabaglione soufflé (Soufflé con zabaione)

  • peaceoutdesign on October 21, 2021

    This had too much sugar for me so I would reduce it by a tablespoon. The recipe states to remove from the heat once it starts to rise but continue until it has a least doubled in size and all eggs are incorporated to a thick, light, and foamy custard. The technique I prefer is in The Good Cook, Sauces, pg 69 and 167. Even better is the recipe inThe Farm Cooking School.

• Tuscan minestrone (Minestrone alla Toscana)

  • cgal on April 02, 2014

    I added spinach instead of endives and a spoon of tomato paste.

• Baked Savoy cabbage (Cavolo verza al forno)

  • Rutabaga on October 21, 2016

    We ate this as an entrée; I used a full pound of sausage to turn it into a substantial main dish. It's a little like deconstructed cabbage rolls. You could easily make the dish in advance up until pouring over the cream and topping with Parmesan prior to baking.

  • Rutabaga on November 09, 2017

    I made this again with some grated cheddar in place of the mozzarella, which I found made it even tastier. My husband loved it, but all the cream makes it more of an occasional treat versus an everyday dinner.

• Potatoes baked in foil with yogurt (Patate al cartoccio con lo yogurt)

  • Rutabaga on May 18, 2014

    The sauce in this recipe makes for a wonderful (although deceptively fattening, considering that the lemon juice and chives cut the richness of the cream in a way that hides the fact that you really are eating a cream-based sauce) accompaniment to potatoes bakes with a little butter. But beware - if you, like I, do not frequently bake potatoes, you may not anticipate how long the baking will actually take. The recipe calls for 8 potatoes cooked for about 40 minutes at 450F, but does not specify the size or type of potato. I used medium sized Yukon golds, cutting the larger ones in half. After 40 minutes, we broke them open on our plates to discover that they were still hard in the middle. I ended up baking them for a further 20 minutes.

• New potatoes with rosemary (Patatine novelle al rosmarino)

  • Rutabaga on January 30, 2017

    This dish was fine. My potatoes ended up softer than I would have liked, but that was really my own doing. Had I taken them off the heat about five minutes earlier, they would probably have been just right. However, the recipe uses a lot of oil and I couldn't taste the garlic or rosemary in the final product, so I don't think I will make it again.

• Glazed carrots with lemon (Carote glassate al limone)

  • Rutabaga on November 09, 2017

    This is one of my favorite ways to cook carrots. It's much quicker than roasting, and the butter and lemon form a delicious glaze. Do put the lid on the pan after adding the carrots and giving them a stir. This direction isn't included in the recipe, but I think it's necessary to ensure the carrots all cook thoroughly. They should be nicely al dente after about ten minutes.

• Marinated carrots (Carote marinate)

  • Rutabaga on May 04, 2014

    This was the first recipe I made from the Silver Spoon, and my husband and my parents were immediately sold. None of us had never imagined a simple salad of cold marinated carrots, but it is perfect. A good, flavorful olive oil really makes the dish.

• Turkey leg with herbs (Coscia alle erbe aromatiche)

  • Rutabaga on January 30, 2017

    Stuffing the turkey legs with herb butter is a great idea. I used a combination of parsley, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. But this is one of those Silver Spoon recipes that doesn't provide much direction when it comes to the actual cooking. As someone unfamiliar with cooking turkey legs on the stove, I was worried about them being underdone, so I wound up overcooking them, making the meat somewhat dry and tough. I also discovered that it can be very challenging pulling the meat off of turkey drumsticks - there are so many little bones and ligaments! The pan drippings did make for a pretty tasty gravy, however. I added flour, water, and whole milk to create a rich sauce. Since it was so hard to remove all the meat from the bones, I decided to make it easy and just threw the meaty bones into a pot with some water and herbs to make some stock for later use. While I probably wouldn't make this again, it might work well for someone more adept at cooking turkey legs.

• Soused chicken (Petti in carpione)

  • Rutabaga on May 07, 2014

    In a rather unusual twist, this dish is meant to be served cold, after the breaded chicken cutlets have been "soused". The chicken turns out quite flavorful, and because it's made in advance and served cold, it's a great option if you want to bring something a little different to a picnic.

• Eggplant fricassée (Fricassea di melanzane)

  • jbny on February 13, 2022

    One of my favorite comfort foods.

• Rigatoni with meatballs (Rigatoni con polpettine)

  • Applepie24 on June 15, 2015

    Passata, not tinned tomatoes. The recipe says that the sauce and meatballs need to cook for 40 min's, which seems too long but isn't. The result is worth it, and it feeds more people than the quantity of ingredients would suggest.

• Rabbit stew with walnuts (Spezzatino alle noci)

  • shoffmann on April 17, 2017

    This was pretty flat. I used dried herbs instead of fresh since this is what I had on hand, but I don't think that would have made enough of a difference.

• Plum and pear charlotte (Charlotte alle prugne e alle pere)

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on March 03, 2017

    Zelfs met extra gelatine nog te zacht en zakte in. Misschien volgende keer nog langer in de koelkast laten zodat lange vingers verzadigd raken en meer vocht onttrekken? Smaak was heerlijk, misschien wat zoet.

• Carrot risotto (Risotto alle carote)

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on October 30, 2021

    Easy and delicious.

• Maltagliati with pumpkin (Maltagliati con la zucca)

  • e_ballad on August 22, 2021

    This is mashed pumpkin on pasta. Needs stock or cream to get it to sauce consistency.

• Lasagne Bolognese (Lasagne alla Bolognese)

  • lou_weez on February 11, 2018

    My kids have begged for me to make a normal lasagna - not one with anything fancy like pumpkin, boiled egg, spinach, blah, blah, blah - so I decided to make this one and they were thrilled!! It's a great, easy, non-fancy meal that pleased everyone. I did add a heap of baby bocconcini and next time I would add sliced boiled egg, I know they'll complain but I just love it in lasagna.

• Ricotta dumplings in broth (Bombonine di ricotta in brodo)

  • Pilar81790 on November 09, 2016

    In the Silver Spoon book, it uses a homemade broth but since I was in a bit of a hurry I just used the bouillon cubes. The fried ricotta balls tasted great but be sure when you make them that you don't make them too big otherwise they become flat and a little mushy. Easy recipe and good on a cold winter day.

• Spaghetti with capers (Spaghetti ai capperi)

  • kateiscoooking on April 16, 2018

    YUM! Used garlic herb linguine. Great sauce and super easy

• Rigatoni with cream, pesto and tomatoes (Rigatoni panna, pesto e pomodoro)

  • kateiscoooking on April 16, 2018

    Used about 1/2 c pesto instead of the 2T. Also didn't drain the tomatoes. Used spinach rigatoni. Just shy of a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to more pesto!

• Cream of fennel soup with smoked salmon (Crema di finocchi al salmone affumicato)

  • Pamsy on January 18, 2019

    This is a very elegant soup, definitely one to serve to guests. The smoked salmon lifts it to another level. I alter the recipe slightly, 300gr fennel, 250gr potatoes, 200gr onions, 600mls water/light stock and 100mls double or single cream. I seldom have dill so would usually use chives or parsley to garnish.

• Leg of lamb à la Périgourdine (Cosciotto alla Perigordina)

  • Pamsy on November 21, 2020

    Fabulous lamb dish. Meltingly tender and so tasty and easy. Great Sunday dinner roast.

• Roast leg of lamb (Cosciotto arrosto)

  • hilarie on December 26, 2020

    Christmas dinner 2020. Really good! The oven got smoky, though. I might skip brushing with olive oil or use something with a higher smoke point.

• Garbanzo beans with anchovies (Ceci alle acciughe)

  • angrygreycat on July 26, 2018

    Made this tonight and we enjoyed it, but I think next time I might add some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.

• Blueberry risotto (Risotto ai mirtilli)

  • JenjiRM on January 04, 2019

    This recipe is a wonderful surprise. Sweet & savory!

• Roast pork with apples (Arrosto con le mele)

  • ashallen on November 05, 2019

    This came out fine but not fabulous for me, but I'd like to try it again since I made a a substitution and since I think a few tweaks would help. Easy recipe to make. I substituted a mixture of white wine and apple cider for the red wine and my apples were pretty sad and old. I also chopped up a large shallot and added it to the pan with the apples. Some sprigs of thyme might be nice in the sauce, too, in the future. I cooked the pork as specified in the recipe and it was 185-195F in the center by the time it emerged from the oven - that's high for pork. Next time I'd take it out sooner and/or use a bone-in pork loin - I think either/both of those steps would yield a more luscious roast.