Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

  • Basic homemade meat broth

    from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

    • Categories: Soups; Main course; Italian
    • Ingredients: carrots; celery; red peppers; potatoes; tomatoes; beef
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Notes about this book

  • Ganga108 on October 03, 2024

    COOKING DRIED BEANS, P13 in my book, is missing from the index as a How To recipe. A handy tip about salt, which I hadn't realised before. (I have heard the usual reasons for delaying adding salt (or not), but not this reason.)

  • Ganga108 on May 26, 2022

    Pinzimonio - Olive oil, salt and black pepper dip for raw vegetables. This recipe on P553 is missing from the index. A gorgeous way of beginning a meal, with raw vegetables dipped into a combo of salt, pepper and olive oil. Veg can include carrots, capsicums, finocchio (fennel), artichokes, celery, cucumbers, radishes and spring onions (scallions). Delish!

  • Beebopalulu on December 03, 2019

    Lives up to its title. Recipes are clear, reliable and delicious, covering most of the expected Italian recipes with a nice selection of surprises too.

  • dclong on August 02, 2015

    This was my first cookbook, gifted by my mom. I started out learning to cook focused on Italian food. This is a great cookbook and opened my eyes that Italian cooking is more than pasta and tomato sauces.

  • rees.linda on January 15, 2015

    This edition includes both her classics in one volume. My edition is 1995, though I have the second edition as a separate book, too.

  • nicolepellegrini on November 28, 2012

    Pretty much my "go to" book for Italian recipes...I always check this volume first before going to any of my other books.

  • kmattingly on November 21, 2012

    Love this book. I have cooked a dozen or so recipes from this book and would rate everyone of them 10/10

  • Breadcrumbs on December 28, 2011

    Note: This book takes 2 of Marcella's best and combines them: Classic Italian Cookbook and More Classic Italian Cooking . When looking at recipes be sure to check out reviews in those books too.

  • Sir_jiffy on August 06, 2010

    Eggplant Parmesan, Meatballs and Minestrone soup are, among others, real gems

  • ceecooks on January 14, 2010

    Best recipe for Carbonara

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Tomato sauce with onion and butter

    • Cheri on October 29, 2012

      I like to make this, but use an immersion blender once the tomatoes have softened to make a smooth sauce. All time favorite and freezes very well. This is my favorite way to use up lots of fresh Roma tomatoes when they are in season.

    • westminstr on September 25, 2013

      This is my go to tomato sauce for any occasion and purpose. It is delicious, and it is very easy, and I always have the ingredients on hand.

    • Breadcrumbs on April 19, 2014

      TOMATO SAUCE WITH ONION AND BUTTER – p. 152 This sauce gets a lot of love from Ms Hazan’s fans and I have to admit, I’d never made it before. That said, I had some freshly made gnudi and this sauce came to mind so I thought I’d give it a try. Unfortunately I can’t count mr bc and I among those who rave about this. We both found it very bland when it was finished simmering. So much so I decided to puree the onion right into it. That served to thicken the sauce a bit more but really just heightened the onion flavour. It may have been the colour of the sauce that threw me off…it looked like canned cream of tomato soup and it seemed to taste similar too. It was ok but we won’t be rushing to make it again. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/325700#8889009

    • okcook on August 21, 2022

      I happen to have made this two days ago. I used my boat motor to smooth it out a bit. I have included the onion as well as using just the tomato. I think I prefer the onion out. So simple but so good. Just make it.

    • Snadra on November 03, 2011

      This is such a simple sauce to make, and perfect for nights when you're on autopilot as it really doesn't need any attention. It goes really well with egg pappardelle, but I've also used it frequently on ricotta gnocchi and as a sauce for ersatz oven-baked eggplant parmesan. Fresh parsley really lofts it when it's for plain pasta, and a sprig of thyme added while cooking is also lovely if you have it around (just take it out when you remove the onion). I've used garlic in place of the onion in a pinch as well.

    • katecooksthebooks on July 19, 2011

      If you have not made this yet do so immediately. It is the simplest and most tasty basic tomato sauce you will ever eat. It's also fantastic for those nights when you are at a loss for what to make, you will almost always have these ingredients on hand.

    • dclong on August 02, 2015

      I think you need to use the best ingredients you can get for this simple sauce.

    • chawkins on July 16, 2023

      This is so good and so easy, love the buttery taste. I usually use garden tomatoes or canned home grown tomatoes that I run through the food mill to remove the seeds and/or skins.

    • kmattingly on November 21, 2012

      A fabulous, easy sauce. As my husband said it's the perfect sauce for gnocchi.

    • sturlington on March 25, 2013

      My husband loves this sauce. It's best on filled pasta.

    • KarinaFrancis on March 30, 2014

      I made this recipe because of all the great reviews and it live up to them all. I can't believe something so simple is so very good. It wasn't a great match for the spinach and ricotta gnocchi I think it needs a plainer background to really shine

    • stockholm28 on January 29, 2014

      Simple but good

    • Rinshin on December 02, 2016

      I like using Cento brand of whole tomatoes when fresh tomatoes are not in season from my yard. I use my hands to mash the canned tomatoes before cooking. Normally just use regular yellow onion and it works just fine. I like to see some texture to the final sauce. To me this sauce is pure Italian as it gets and such a satisfying sauce simply served over spaghetti. The taste and aroma of butter really comes through. I find it very important to cook the sauce long enough for butter to begin to separate. Very noticeable sheen to the sauce from butter too when it's at the right consistency and taste. Sometimes I use browned butter on hand and it gives this sauce nuttiness that I enjoy. Excellent taste.

    • Rinshin on September 21, 2021

      I make this whenever we have garden tomatoes now and found that it goes extremely well with seafood topping due to its mild luscious butter taste. My favorite topping is homemade smoked salmon like this photo. I love this sauce.

    • joeljkp on August 29, 2023

      This was the first recipe I tried in Hazan's book, and it turned out great. It'll be a go-to in our house.

    • joeljkp on August 29, 2023

      Are the proportions right? They must be, but are 2 lb fresh tomatoes really replaced with 2 cups canned tomatoes? 2 cups canned is one 15oz can, so about 1 lb. UPDATE: Per the NY Times version of this recipe, a 28oz can of whole plum tomatoes can be used for the 2 cups, which is also approaching 2 lb. The best explanation I could find is from a reader comment, which noted that a 28 oz can contains about 2 cups of chopped tomatoes and another cup of juice.

    • nikkihughes78 on November 18, 2013

      I sometimes leave the onion in and blend it... its REALLY GOOD!

    • mharriman on January 12, 2018

      Love the clear tomato taste of this sauce. My twist on this beloved recipe is to cut up whole, peeled Cento San Marzano tomatoes (28 ounce can) right in the can, pour into a big heavy soup pot, and add a (16 ounces ) can of diced tomatoes with the butter and cut, peeled onion. I follow directions and simmer on low heat 40 - 45 minutes and periodically press the tomatoes against the sides of the pan with a wooden spoon. After 40 minutes the sauce is thick and has some wonderful small chunks. I toss what’s left of the onion halves. My husband likes meatballs with his tomato sauce and spaghetti, so I add already cooked meatballs at the end. I rarely buy tomato sauce any more because this sauce is so natural tasting , and it’s freezable.

    • Rutabaga on November 23, 2017

      I don't know if I'd call this sauce amazing, but it does have great flavor for something so seemingly simple. I used canned tomatoes, but didn't have my favorite brand (Cento) on hand, so I'll have to try it again when I do. It's basic and versatile, and worth making again because you get a lot of flavor for little effort.

    • Braco777 on July 15, 2016

      I did it today two ways: using beefsteak tomatoes once and Roma tomatoes the other time. Roma was better, more tasty and more chunky. Both times I left the onion and used the immersion blender. Next I'll try olive oil and garlic.

    • athayer on July 03, 2021

      A much loved recipe. A masterpiece in simplicity and flavor

    • Soosie on September 29, 2016

      I, too, am of the opinion that this sauce is better with the onions blended in.

    • SpatulaCity on December 12, 2023

      Easy and tasty! The three main ingredients really meld into something wonderful. Used the 28oz Cento canned tomatoes.

    • averythingcooks on August 20, 2022

      Yes, I am bit late to the party but I finally made this sauce using Premio tomatoes (a round, 4 oz cluster tomato with a high flesh to seeds ratio) fresh from the garden. As written, it really deserves the raves it gets, but I then chose to run the immersion blender through it to incorporate the soft onion (rather than removing it) and I simply could not help adding fresh basil at the end as my deck planters are overflowing right now. I can see making this again soon, next time with Roma tomatoes as they are now ripening at a rapid clip.

    • Livia on July 15, 2024

      Student recipe. Unclear what the fuss is about

    • PanNan on January 12, 2021

      This is by far my favorite tomato sauce recipe. I started growing San Marzano tomatoes to use when making it. It's so simple and tastes great. Adding the meatballs from the Meatballs and Tomatoes recipe on page 399 and serving it over spaghetti is fantastic!

    • Totallywired on November 18, 2018

      Justifiable classic. Simple, elegant, delicious, effortless.

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      The standard sauce in my house.

    • Shewi128 on September 05, 2023

      Super simple yet delicious. I used a 28 oz can of whole tomatoes that I chopped, but I think I would've liked to add an additional 14 oz can as well. I also used an immersion blender after removing the onion to smooth the sauce a little. Highly recommend this sauce! All it takes is time (and I used cheap canned tomatoes--not even the good stuff)!

    • lindseyshannon34 on August 25, 2022

      This is so easy and delicious! I will absolutely make it again.

    • Jardimc on April 22, 2024

      Heaven is possible in four ingredients.

    • allisonsemele on September 27, 2021

      I finally made this, after chickening out because of the lack of garlic and olive oil for years. I found this sauce to be quite tasty, extremely easy, and comfortingly familiar. This sauce tastes a lot like sauces I had in Italian restaurants growing up in New York. I used half garden tomatoes, half canned. Another commenter mentioned that this sauce goes well with seafood, so I served this with some scallops and shrimp over spaghetti, and it worked well.

  • Bolognese meat sauce

    • Cheri on November 01, 2012

      This sauce freezes very well. Makes alot, so nice to have some sauce in the freezer for a quick weeknight meal.

    • hshubin on December 24, 2011

      I read this recipe at a friend's house before buying the book, wrote it down and made it for years. Now I have the book and can see all the details. (P 203)

    • vinochic on November 10, 2011

      Easy and delicious!

    • TrishaCP on October 31, 2012

      I always forget how good this is until I have another occasion to make it. I also always forget that while it tastes good day one, it is spectacular by day two.

    • aeader on December 27, 2020

      The best. A good weekend project, especially if you double the recipe and freeze. Keep tasting, I usually find it needs a little more salt. I use a full pound of meat and up the veggies a bit for proportion.

    • hirsheys on October 05, 2021

      Cooked as written - only changes I made were to use my food processor to chop the veggies super fine (as recommended by many reviewers), and used crushed tomatoes. Took forever to simmer, but came out delicious in the end. It tastes very much like the Bolognese sauces that I had in Italy.

    • dclong on August 02, 2015

      Great recipe, and you should try it out. I've started an extra large batch out on the stove and transferred to a crock pot for the multi hour simmer, which is the key to this recipe. I also think the nutmeg brings it all together.

    • stockholm28 on January 29, 2014

      This is not complicated, but takes at least 4 hours from start to finish. I made the pork variation. Double the recipe. Addendum 2018: I now make this every fall and quadruple the recipe. I freeze the sauce in single servings. When making such a large batch, it takes at least 6 hours to make the recipe from start to finish.

    • lhkelsey on November 24, 2013

      This is the best bolognese. We make double the recipe and freeze. Perfection!

    • JLDuck on April 03, 2015

      Make sure that the vegetables are chopped very small.

    • alex9179 on May 26, 2016

      I use the original measurements for the onion, celery, carrot (2T each) but make a 4x recipe for freezer stock. A wide cooking vessel, like a large sauté, helps speed reducing the liquid at each step but it is still a day long endeavor. Re-heat slowly at a low temperature to prevent the texture of the meat from hardening. Fresh pasta is a must, for us, with this sauce.

    • Smokeydoke on January 06, 2018

      I make a version of this all the time. It's delicious as is, but over the years I've added some changes. Here are my personal notes: chop up veggies very small, shred the carrots then cut them. Saute veggies, then put aside, then add with the wine. Some "love" doesn't hurt. This recipe needs a lot of salt. A lot. Optional: add 1T of tomato paste and 2t of garlic at the end. This recipe takes forever and tastes better the next day. Always make at least a double batch. It's great for the meat filling in lasagna.

    • averythingcooks on October 31, 2023

      This was a perfect recipe for a relaxed day at home and it is really good. I used her suggestion of 8 oz beef + 4 oz pork and home canned crushed tomatoes. I upped the onion & celery a bit to make up for less carrot (personal preference) and I ran the carrot & celery through the food processor. I also added some minced garlic & a bit of tomato paste. We loved this over homemade pasta but I think getting 6 servings would have been a stretch. I'll make this again...often.

    • Totallywired on November 27, 2018

      Have been making this for 10 years and have never had a need to veer off the recipe much. I do add some fish sauce to up the savouriness. Scales wonderfully and keeps forever.

    • jhallen on January 05, 2021

      This is easy and very good. Simmering is no big deal.

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      Good, but I'm not sure if the time/result ratio is worth it for me.

    • taste24 on January 06, 2021

      Delicious and simple - excellent instructions. Make sure to add bunches of fresh grated parmesan at the end..

    • markhayes on March 25, 2022

      Great recipe. Made it 30 times or more. Seeking other recipes to change things up a bit. Alice waters version is next on my Bolognese list. One great addition is sauteed mushrooms. As the sauce is cooking, I saute mushrooms till lightly browned. Flattening them as I cook them (per a great food and wine suggestion). You can serve them atop the bolognese or stir them in.

  • Shredded carrot salad

    • westminstr on August 23, 2016

      I was shocked by how good this was! It was excellent and very quick and easy.

    • mharriman on May 09, 2020

      This is a different tasting carrot salad - one we found refreshing. Very simple to make, the EVOO and lemon juice bring the carrots alive. I took Lepa’s note advice and added a tablespoon of slivered almonds which created a nice crunch to the carrots.

    • Lepa on January 07, 2018

      This is very good. I added salted sunflower seeds for crunch (I had this in another carrot salad and loved it) and the salad was refreshing, easy and good.

    • averythingcooks on October 13, 2023

      As promised, this is a simple & light tasting little salad. I appreciate the use of lemon juice (in place of the common orange juice) but I wished I had matchsticked my carrots instead of shredding to get the texture we prefer. Other commenters suggest adding seeds/nuts for crunch but I opted to dice up celery to get the same effect.

  • Finocchio salad

    • westminstr on October 15, 2014

      very simple and refreshing, best made using a mandoline which i didn't have. i probably prefer a few more bells and whistles but there's no denying the ease of this preparation.

  • Sunchoke and spinach salad

    • westminstr on January 20, 2016

      When I ran into local over-wintered spinach and lovely clean Jerusalem artichokes at the farmers market on Sunday, I decided to make this salad. This is an old favorite, but one I haven't made in a few years for some reason. It's very simple. Spinach leaves and thinly sliced Jerusalem artichokes are dressed with olive oil, s&p, and a small dash of vinegar. These are quiet flavors, but the texture of this salad is fascinating and addictive with the soft spinach and crispy sunchokes. There's a nice nuttiness going on too. Not a flashy salad at all, but very enjoyable.

  • Orange and cucumber salad

    • westminstr on May 13, 2016

      Very refreshing salad. Three oranges sounds like a lot but the proportions as written are perfect. I only had two oranges (large ones though) and wished I had a bit more.

    • fprincess on January 10, 2013

      I used ingredients from my CSA: Cara Cara oranges, cucumber, watermelon radishes, mint, olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Crunchy and refreshing

    • Zosia on September 04, 2018

      Refreshing and delicious.

  • Braised finocchio with olive oil

    • westminstr on January 05, 2015

      This is another one I used to love but hadn't made in years. I don't know what happened this time (maybe I made the full quantity of the recipe instead of just one fennel bulb?) but there was far too much water for it to reduce in the time needed to cook the fennel. I should have taken the fennel out and reduced the sauce then added it back in, but didn't, and my fennel really turned to mush. I never had a problem with this recipe previously so I'm not sure what to say here.

    • Shelmar on September 05, 2019

      Substituted fennel, very good, but cut oil in half.

  • Sautéed broccoli with butter and Parmesan cheese

    • westminstr on January 20, 2016

      We really loved this simple prep for broccoli. Even O ate some. Don't skimp on the butter and cheese!

  • Pork sausages with smothered onions and tomatoes

    • westminstr on September 25, 2013

      Marcella's version of sausage and peppers, and what a delicious version it is! I followed the directions (including skinning the peppers), using two peeled and diced fresh tomatoes and really delicious, very plain pork sausage bought at my local greenmarket. I was a little disappointed at the appearance of the sausage in this dish -- it is not browned and so has a grayish color. But I was blown away by the flavor. The sauce was so silky, sweet and succulent, yet just bursting with fresh flavor. Peeling the peppers (I didn't try to get every spot of skin) is worth the effort in order to achieve that silky texture. I think the recommendation to use a mild sausage is spot on as well. It provides a perfect foil for the very simple sauce, and fennel, chilies, etc. would be distracting. This is a perfect dish for this time of year, when tomatoes, peppers and onions are sweet and juicy. Really wonderful dish.

  • Sautéed green beans with Parmesan cheese

    • westminstr on April 17, 2017

      Really easy, everybody praised and devoured these beans. I agree with the comment that it might be worth experimenting with adding the parm after beans are removed from the pan.

    • Delys77 on October 31, 2013

      Pg. 472 Sometimes the simplest things are the best. I went with a half recipe and it fed 3 people. The flavours are lovely and the dish comes together very quickly. I used haricot vert which took about 3-4 minutes.

    • emiliang on January 20, 2014

      Liked this a lot. Next time I'll try to shred the parmesan right onto the plated beans, though, rather than into the saute pan. Much of it was left behind, stuck to the bottom of the pan.

    • Lepa on July 29, 2020

      This is simple but delicious.

    • SpatulaCity on November 07, 2023

      Simple, fine. Added a splash of lemon juice for some contrasting acid

  • Pork sausages with red cabbage

    • westminstr on April 07, 2014

      We liked this a lot. Something magical happens to the cabbage in that final 20 minutes braising with the sausages. It just becomes so silky smooth, sweet and of course bathed in wonderful porky juices. I used a very pure, sweet Italian sausage and agree that a plain sausage works best in this recipe.

    • beetlebug on January 06, 2010

      This was a winner dish. Essentially, you saute chopped red cabbage with olive oil and garlic. You stir it down and cook it at medium heat for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, you brown the sausages and then place the sausages in the shrunken cabbage and cook (lid on) for another 20 minutes. The resulting cabbage was just so silky and smooth. So, here a few minimal changes that I made and some observations:1) I used 4 chicken sausages instead of pork. 2 were herb and the other 2 were spicy. Marcella calls for mild pork sausages and I agree with mild flavored sausages. The spicy ones just clashed with the beautiful cabbage taste.2) Before browning the sausages, Marcella says to prick holes in the casings and the sausages will brown in their own fat. Well, I didn't think that chicken sausages would have that much fat so I browned them in olive oil. I didn't prick them. Also, I poured the resulting juices from the pan into the cabbage. I used the requisite 1.5 lbs of cabbage but it wasn't enou

    • wester on April 11, 2018

      This was tasty, easy to make, and a nice change from the usual red cabbage recipes. The family liked it too.

    • sfcarole on August 19, 2012

      I LOVE helpful notes like this one by beetlebug. I had one-half of a large head of red cabbage left over from Daniel Boulud's short ribs sliders and crimson coleslaw recipe (highly recommended, see here:http://www.elledecor.com/culture/daniel-boulud-short-rib-sliders-recipe), so I followed the modifications above and also added a thinly sliced shallot along with the garlic, olive oil and cabbage. A great, easy, late summer dish.

    • Prim on September 27, 2013

      This is very good. I added some balsamic vinegar to the cabbage.

    • stockholm28 on January 15, 2021

      The red cabbage is surprisingly good given the only ingredients are olive oil, garlic, red cabbage, salt, and pepper. I probably had the heat a bit too high as some of my cabbage got crispy, but I liked it this way. It takes an hour, but you only need to stir it occasionally.

    • mamacrumbcake on October 14, 2017

      I'm going to have to agree with everyone here: this is a delicious dish. I was surprised at the good reviews because sausage and cabbage did not seem like the makings of a tasty meal. Cabbage can be stinky and unpleasant. But the way it is sautéed here, with a generous amount of garlic, made for something quite delicious. Frankly, I could not get enough of it. This is a very rustic dish and easy to prepare, but not photogenic. The prep time is a few minutes, but it will need a little over an hour to cook--mostly unattended. The cabbage cooks down a lot. You may be wishing you cooked more of it. This dish went very well with mashed potatoes.

    • hashi on October 18, 2022

      A great way to use a head of cabbage if you’ve got an extra one hanging around. Used French garlic sausages and found they complemented the cabbage quite nicely.

    • SpatulaCity on November 07, 2023

      A perfect dish for a chilly fall evening. Used sweet Italian sausages and added a splash of lemon juice at the end.

    • Melyinoz on July 28, 2020

      I am another fan of this recipe. It is very simple to prepare, with few ingredients, but somehow it melds into a delicious dish of food that is more than the sum of its parts. It does take a little time to cook, but you only need to stir occasionally. I served it with mashed potatoes mixed with silverbeet (Swiss chard) and garlic. One to repeat.

    • Kag2020 on May 22, 2023

      Delicious, exactly as written … OK, maybe not exactly … I browned the sausage on the lowest shelf of a 450° oven with a sprinkling of extra-virgin olive oil, turning frequently for about 20 minutes, then added them to the cabbage. Much neater than pan frying. So glad other people reviewed this and I just happened to have had a red cabbage in the fridge. Served with mashed potatoes.

  • Braised pork chops with sage and tomatoes, Modena style

    • westminstr on November 01, 2012

      Dead simple, yet the flavor is amazing. It's hard to imagine a better way of cooking pork chops. I always use extra sage.

    • nicolepellegrini on October 03, 2013

      As much as I generally love Marcella's recipes, this one is not so much of a hit with me. I find the flavors pretty bland and the slow cooking, I feel, needs more liquid. When I've tried making this (twice now) my chops come out dry and tough, and I'm using very high quality pork from my own family's farm.

    • JLDuck on March 04, 2019

      After reading all of the notes I changed the cooking style. Cooked chops and sage separately and combined for 5 minutes at the end. Not the recipe as such but it was succulent and very tasty.

    • Totallywired on September 25, 2018

      I have made this a dozen times. You need to add some fat to compensate for the relative leanness of modern pork. Choose heritage pork, or shoulder chops and cook to temperature or, if you are making with loin chops, either reduce cooking time to compensate or increase it so that the pork goes beyond dry and starts to break down, plus mount the sauce with butter to compensate for leaner pork.

    • Totallywired on January 05, 2019

      Adding: makes the richest, porkiest tomato sauce. As magical/simple as Hazan’s tomato, butter and onion. Toss leftovers with eggy pasta.

    • jenburkholder on September 06, 2021

      I love this dish, though I change it a bit. Made it last night with country style ribs (size of a pork chop but from the tougher blade end and far better for braising). They were thick, so I cut each in half to make 4 thinner chops, 2 with the bone on and 2 boneless. Used more tomato, probably close to 2 cups since I had two massive tomatoes from the garden that needed using. Added a bit more sage to adjust. Braised about an hour, at which time the sauce was lovely and reduced, succulent meat and tasted amazing. I cook a lot of cuisines with many flavors/spices, and making something so simple - sage, tomatoes, salt and pepper - reminds me just how good simple can be.

  • Stewed pork with porcini mushrooms and juniper

    • westminstr on November 20, 2013

      Not a hit, though some user error was involved as well as the wrong cut of meat. Didn't love the juniper and marjoram flavor profile though, so I won't repeat.

    • nicolepellegrini on December 18, 2016

      I thought this was excellent! A nice, slight change of pace from the typical Italian pork stew I've made before. Meat was very moist and fork-tender after 90 minutes cooking, with plenty of sauce that was delicious over mashed potatoes and with crusty bread. The only change I made was to use a mixture of dried porcini mushrooms and some fresh sliced baby bella instead of just porcini.

  • Squid with tomatoes and peas, Tuscan style

    • westminstr on January 05, 2015

      I used to love this recipe and hadn't made it for years. Made again for Christmas Eve w frozen squid from the CSF. I followed the recipe exactly. It was good, but I would prefer to up the seasonings (onion/garlic) just a bit and also add some spicy red pepper flakes. I think I used to do that when making this dish. Tom said it was *too* tender but I didn't agree.

    • Zosia on December 01, 2013

      The flavour was good and the squid, tender, but I followed the recommendation to finely chop the squid to serve the sauce with pasta and wished afterwards that I had left it in its chunky state (I like to identify the seafood I'm eating).

  • Baked bluefish fillets with potatoes, garlic, and olive oil, Genoese style

    • westminstr on June 18, 2015

      Made this again recently with fresh bluefish from my CSF. Great recipe! 3/6/2018 - made again w blackfish and wanted to add these cooking notes. Used the 2mm blade for the potatoes but 4mm would have been better. Cook the potatoes for longer than she says so that they really have time to crisp up. Fish only needs 10 min or so to cook. Used a half sheet pan for 1.5 pounds potatoes which worked well. Cast iron skillet could be another option especially w fewer/thicker potatoes.

    • Thredbende on August 12, 2011

      This is a standby recipe. I make it with catfish year round. I recommend using a scale to get the proportions right. This is fragrant, inexpensive, quick to cook and reheats well.

    • thecharlah on January 15, 2015

      I made this with orange roughy and was very pleased with the results. Simple and delicious.

    • deboChicago on March 31, 2020

      This is so delicious. We have been making this recipe for (gulp) more than 20 years. We usually do it with halibut. Lovely dish for company but equally good and pretty simple to reduce proportions and make it for two, which we did last night.

  • Grilled swordfish steaks, Sicilian Salmoriglio style

    • westminstr on June 12, 2014

      Wow, we LOVED this sauce. I used dried oregano so added a bit of parsley from the garden for fresh green color. Used it over grilled bluefish fillets, delicious.

    • fprincess on May 29, 2013

      There is nothing much to this recipe but the result is great. You dissolve some salt in lemon juice, then emulsify with olive oil and add oregano (I used dried) . It's reminds me very much of the French "sauce vierge". The swordfish is grilled for 1 minute or 2 on each side, then it is poked with a fork and the sauce is drizzled on top. I love the flavor and when you have great fish, it's good to have something that highlights it. Photo here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/97209-marcella-hazan/?p=1895664

    • Pamsy on September 28, 2024

      My swordfish was about twice as thick as Marcella recommended so took quite a bit longer to cook. Although I like salt, I was concerned about the amount so halved it and still felt it was too much! Served with boiled new potatoes and tenderstem broccoli. A nice, simple, easy recipe which will be repeated.

    • NancyRose on September 17, 2023

      Can cook under grill, on the grill or in hot pan on stove. 2 min per side. Sauce of lemon juice, salt, oregano (fresh or dried) and olive oil. Pierce fish with fork after cooking and drizzle on. Delicious

  • Frittata with asparagus

    • westminstr on June 22, 2016

      Made w one bunch of greenmarket asparagus, 6 eggs and about a cup of parm. Loved! (The kids refused to eat it though.)

    • SheilaS on October 27, 2018

      I made ~ half a recipe in a 6 1/2 inch cast iron skillet and added some sautéed onions to the mix. Simple, but with good ingredients, it's lovely.

    • pistachiopeas on April 11, 2017

      First time making one of Marcella's frittatas. Wonderful. We both loved it. Leftovers were great.

    • clcorbi on June 20, 2017

      Very nice, made a great dinner with some crusty garlic bread. This is a good candidate for using your high-quality Parmesan cheese, because the cheese flavor really comes through in every bite.

  • Tomato sauce with heavy cream

    • westminstr on January 10, 2014

      This was a nice sauce. It would have been better zapped with an immersion blender for a completely smooth texture (I intended to do this but forgot). I reduced the butter slightly but used the full amount of cream.

    • Delys77 on November 13, 2013

      This was delicious and so simple. It does have a fair amount of fat in it, from the 1/3 cup of butter and the 1/2 cup of cream. I think you could go a touch lighter on the cream though and it would still be very good. Plus there is no meat in the sauce so the calories ares till pretty light. I went with about 21 oz of pasta (papardelle) and it was just about right for 5 good sized servings

  • Tomato sauce with pancetta and chili pepper

    • westminstr on January 29, 2014

      Yum.

    • kmattingly on November 21, 2012

      Simple sauce, very tasty.

    • lkgrover on November 15, 2023

      Good pasta sauce; I used Aleppo chile flakes and fettucine pasta.

    • clcorbi on July 11, 2017

      Very tasty indeed. I think my onion was a bit large--might decrease to half an onion, or one small onion, next time. Or else just let it cook down longer and get a bit caramelized. Anyway, this was easy, delicious, and very fast.

  • Tomato sauce with porcini mushrooms

    • westminstr on December 17, 2013

      the sauce looked REALLY watery at first. But lo and behold, by the time the sauce was done all the water had reduced and the resulting sauce was a thick and delicious as any I have made. Because the sauce incorporates both dried porcini and the reduced soaking liquid, there is A LOT of porcini flavor.

    • TrishaCP on December 15, 2018

      This is not a quick dish, but it is incredibly flavorful and satisfying. It does take quite a while to reduce the porcini liquid.

    • nicolepellegrini on December 01, 2018

      A very rich and decadent sauce. I wanted to try it to go for something hearty and take advantage of the lovely dried porcinis I stocked up on while in Italy. With the pancetta and butter it's really just an explosion of decadent goodness.

    • thekitchenchronicles on June 23, 2015

      This sauce is absolutely delicious - a new favorite of mine. A surprisingly meaty and rich flavor from the mushrooms, probably because of the inclusion of the soaking water. It's a must-make. Reviewed on my blog: http://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2015/06/22/tomato-sauce-with-porcini-mushrooms/

    • AMFriedman on March 13, 2018

      The first time I made it; it was very watery so I had to reduce it for longer. A fix may be to only use half or 1/3 of the liquid from the mushrooms' soak. Either way; this sauce is a great expression of the flavor of dried porcini.

    • amgenove on February 13, 2023

      Takes a while, but 100% worth it. Rich, delicious sauce!

  • Lentil soup

    • westminstr on January 21, 2014

      Excellent, though a bit richer than my normal lentil soup. Made 1.5 times the recipe; next time I'd double it.

    • adrienneyoung on August 22, 2016

      A wonderful soup. Can be brightened with a bit of vinegar (balsamic? sherry?). Also good with a bit of red wine in it, with a parmesan rind, with a bit of pancetta. Any or all of the above. Though it IS all gilding the lily. Absolutely none of these changes are necessary: it really is a wonderful soup just as it is.

    • mharriman on December 18, 2019

      Like others who left notes, we enjoyed this soup. I forgot to buy the pancetta, so I used bacon. I really liked the long simmered tomatoes as a base for the soup. I agree that three tablespoons of butter and one of oil makes this a richer lentil soup than other lentil recipes out there. My soup needed a cup plus of water to keep its soup-like consistency towards the end of the simmering time. I served mine with a crusty Italian bread, mixed green salad, and Toscana wine. A good late fall/ winter soup because it’s substantial and filling on a cold night.

    • clcorbi on February 22, 2017

      Delicious! We did make quite a few changes: bacon in place of pancetta (crisped in the soup pan so that the fat could be used for sautéeing the veggies), all beef broth rather than a mix of beef broth and water, and we had no celery so we used double the carrot and added a sprinkle of celery seeds. All that said, the outcome was delicious! This soup is indeed very rich (although in my case, I suspect a lot of that has to do with the extra fat from the bacon). With a slice of crusty bread rubbed with garlic, it made a lovely dinner.

  • Sicilian sardine sauce

    • westminstr on December 17, 2013

      I made a full version of the recipe with the following changes: used 1/4 instead of 1/2 cup olive oil, did not pre-blanch my fennel greens, pre-soak my raisins, or slowly melt my anchovies over the simmering pasta water. I used the full recipe for just over a half pound of pasta (what we had) -- I think 3/4 pound would be about right. I thought this was excellent. I already have a fennel frond and sardine sauce in regular rotation at our house, and I was surprised at how very different this sauce was, with the pinenuts, raisins and saffron instead of tomatoes, as in my regular sauce. We really enjoyed this sauce and of course it's great to have more ways to use up those fennel fronds! My regular fennel frond/sardine sauce is much easier though, so this one will not be displacing it. Still, I'm glad I tried this version.

  • Butter and sage sauce

    • westminstr on March 28, 2016

      Served on fresh spinach fettucine and everyone liked it but I wanted more sage! I used about 16 small spring leaves, next time will double that at least. I needed to add a little salt as well since my butter was unsalted.

    • emiliang on October 08, 2014

      The sauce is super easy to prepare and delicious with pumpkin ravioli and some Parmesan.

    • stockholm28 on October 17, 2015

      Delicious with pumpkin ravioli. Takes about 5 minutes to prepare.

    • stef on October 05, 2016

      This was very good as a side dish served with chicken

    • tekobo on January 02, 2020

      Simple and delicious with fresh tagliatelle. And parmesan. And white truffle.

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      Easy and delicious. Even better with browned butter.

  • Pesto by food processor

    • westminstr on July 21, 2014

      I was dubious about the addition of butter, but in the end the pesto was good.

    • milgwimper on July 02, 2014

      This was an excellent pesto.

    • fprincess on September 12, 2012

      Solid pesto recipe. The pesto seems to keep very well in the fridge (the leftovers were still good after close to 2 weeks). I have no idea why I don't make this more often. It is so good and takes very little time to prepare. Photo here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/97209-marcella-hazan/page__st__30__p__1890649#entry1890649

    • FJT on October 18, 2023

      Really liked the addition of butter. Just a bit different from the pesto I normally make.

    • dclong on August 02, 2015

      This is my go to pesto recipe. I think the butter puts it over the top. The book binding is coming apart at this page.

    • sturlington on March 25, 2013

      I have made many times. Very reliable recipe. p176

    • KarinaFrancis on March 12, 2024

      I didn’t think I needed a recipe for pesto, but it turns out that I did. Perfect in its simplicity, and the butter makes it extra delicious

    • minerva on July 10, 2013

      Perfect pesto recipe. I love it with pasta and just-tender green beans.

    • Rachaelsb on July 11, 2019

      I have been a devotee to Ina's pesto...but this has opened my eyes-and my taste buds!! A recent trip to Italy had me craving the pure simplicity of basil pesto-this is it!!

    • mharriman on April 18, 2020

      I agree that the softened butter added at the end takes this pesto to the next level. I didn’t have pine nuts on hand so used chopped walnuts with great results. This went well with freshly made cheese ravioli I picked up from a local restaurant’s new (for pandemic) grocery market.

    • Lepa on July 15, 2019

      This is a delicious pesto.

    • pattyatbryce on July 28, 2023

      I make this a few times a summer and even freeze some for a winter treat. Personally, I like a few extra pine nuts, but basically make as written otherwise. Serve with pasta, a side salad, and pan roasted salmon for an easy and delicious dinner.

  • Roman garlic and oil sauce

    • westminstr on January 03, 2017

      This was so much better and more flavorful than I expected. Really quite wonderful! I served it with grated pecorino romano which was just perfect with this sauce.

    • Bloominanglophile on July 10, 2013

      This is the first time I have ever salted the water used for boiling pasta--really made a difference. Regardless, the dish still needed a bit of salt at the end, or maybe my olive oil wasn't quite as flavorful as it could have been. Definitely don't make this dish with tasteless olive oil. It's a simple dish, but takes some care to get it just right!

  • Raw Roman garlic and oil sauce with fresh tomatoes and basil

    • westminstr on October 16, 2018

      I enjoyed this but it was definitely on the subtler side. I prefer the regular version of this sauce (where the garlic is minced and warmed in the oil). Always fun to try a new Marcella recipe though!

    • RosieB on October 23, 2017

      Note to make this with our fresh tomatoes and basil

    • lgardner on October 23, 2017

      This is the best raw tomato, garlic and basil recipe I have ever used. I learned from this recipe that thin pasta should be used because of the delicate nature of the other ingredients. It made a huge difference in the end result. Shortcuts I used: Pureed the raw garlic in a garlic press. Used small Campari tomatoes and did not peel them.

    • MRGC.collection on August 04, 2024

      Page 171.

  • Cauliflower sauce with garlic, oil, and chile pepper

    • westminstr on November 20, 2013

      This needed punching up with extra anchovy, capers and breadcrumbs. With these modifications, we liked the sauce.

    • mcvl on January 22, 2016

      Lordy, I could eat this every day for a month. The only thing I change is that I sauté the cauliflower without simmering it first.

    • nicolepellegrini on September 19, 2019

      I like my cauliflower to have some bite, so I steamed it for 10 minutes instead of boiling for 25-30. My sweetie was skeptical but ended up loving and raving about this pasta. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but perhaps not my favorite recipe for cauliflower and pasta.

  • Broccoli and anchovy sauce

    • westminstr on November 20, 2013

      This was delicious, much more successful than the very similar cauliflower sauce. I used 8 anchovy fillets and all parmigiano. We used the full amount of sauce with about 2/3 pound of pasta, and this was perfect for us. A keeper! Made again in Jan. 2014 with the same alterations, and we loved it again! Right now this is my favorite version of pasta w broccoli. I just love how easy and tasty it is.

    • Lepa on November 15, 2017

      This was good. I also decreased the pasta to 2/3 of a pound and found the ratio to be perfect. I think this could use some garlic so I will add some next time.

    • clcorbi on January 04, 2017

      We loved this! At Westminstress' suggestion, we decreased the pasta to somewhere around 2/3 pound, and found the ration of broccoli to pasta to be just right. We both enjoyed how the anchovies thoroughly integrated with the sauce, thanks to their being crushed up so thoroughly. The only change I would make next time would be to add a few dashes of red pepper flakes, as I think a little heat would go nicely here. Delicious!

    • allisonsemele on December 09, 2021

      Like other reviewers I decreased the pasta—not on purpose, but because I misread the recipe! So I used a half pound of pasta for the full amount of sauce and thought the ratio was fine. I used frozen broccoli and thought this was a pretty good pantry meal. I will make it again, especially since it was so quick and easy.

  • Risotto with porcini mushrooms

    • westminstr on January 05, 2015

      I had turkey broth and porcini leftover from thanksgiving so decided to put them to use in this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly except that I subbed shallots for onion. I was a bit concerned because the recipe calls for 2 cups of rice but only 2 tbsp of onion and no wine. At the end of the day it did have a full, rich porcini flavor. But I have another recipe that also calls for wine and pancetta, and less rice, and I think it is superior to this one. My kids didn't like this at all.

    • JLDuck on November 24, 2014

      Variation add finely sliced prosciutto with the onions. Also add peas near the end of the cooking time.

  • Asparagus sauce with ham and cream

    • westminstr on June 12, 2014

      I usually prefer a gutsier pasta sauce, so this one was a bit on the mild and creamy side for us. Still, it did a perfectly fine job of using up the asparagus and leftover cream I had kicking around in the fridge and freezer.

    • aeader on May 17, 2020

      This was good but we didn't love it. The cream made it feel heavy and the ratio of asparagus to pasta was too low - I'd use double the asparagus. Don't think we will repeat.

    • merowland on April 12, 2013

      Possibly my favourite of all her sauces.

    • clcorbi on June 08, 2017

      I made this a few weeks ago and could have sworn I'd reviewed it. Oh well! We adored this sauce. I subbed prosciutto for the ham and allowed it to crisp up a bit in the pan, which was really nice. Sliced my asparagus into super thin pieces on an angle, which seemed better than just cutting them into long sticks. They mingled nicely with the ziti that way. I also added in a fair amount of black pepper, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a splash of pasta water, which resulted in a gorgeous, silky sauce. This was just delicious.

  • Mushroom, ham, and cream sauce

    • Breadcrumbs on November 11, 2013

      p. 195 - I don’t have a lot of experience cooking from Marcella’s books but I do recall her recipes to be especially prescriptive so I selected this one, in part, because it wasn’t overly verbose therefore it didn’t demand much of my time in advance. I should also note that I didn’t make my own fettuccine and used a fresh from the Italian market version instead. I did appreciate Ms Hazan’s specificity around cooking the mushrooms and was quite pleased to get precisely the results she described in the exact amount of time she suggested. The recipe calls for cremini or button mushrooms and I opted for the former. It also suggests onions or shallots and I opted for shallots. The finished dish was far greater than the sum of its parts and the ham/mushroom combo was delightful in the light, creamy sauce. I’d definitely make this again. A great way to make use of leftover ham. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/325700#8444611

  • Sautéed snapper with mushrooms

    • Breadcrumbs on April 22, 2011

      p. 296 -The dish combines two recipes from the book; this one for the fish and the Mushroom component is the Sauteed Mushrooms with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Parsley – Method 1 from p. 509 in the Vegetables section.In the end this produced a flavourful, hearty dish. We especially enjoyed the subtle flavour that the anchovy imparts and felt it somehow brought out the earthiness of the mushrooms. I garnished this w fresh chives to reinforce the onion flavours in the dish. We really enjoyed this and I’d make it again. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/325702#6486633

  • Veal scaloppine with lemon

    • Breadcrumbs on May 17, 2011

      p. 362 - First use of this very simple recipe. My lemons were particularly bitter so I used a little less juice than called for in the recipe. Quick & delicious, the crispy, caramelized crust on the edges of the veal was the highlight. Served alongside fresh ricotta stuffed ravioli w green peas, asparagus and chives.

    • nicolepellegrini on May 23, 2018

      Another tried but true standard from this cookbook. Pretty much foolproof, just check your seasoning.

    • Zosia on June 14, 2015

      Simple but very tasty. Instructions/timing worked perfectly, resulting in tender cutlets.

  • Sautéed mushrooms with olive oil, garlic, and parsley method 1

    • Breadcrumbs on April 22, 2011

      p. 509 -The footnote to this recipe indicates that this dish can be prepared then cooled to room temperature and served as antipasto. In this case, I was preparing it as a component of another recipe in the book; the Sauteed Snapper w Mushrooms. Nothing earth shattering here, just mushrooms w garlic and parsley flavours in oil. I think the quality of the olive oil you use would be critical if you were serving this on its own as it is a key flavour component. If I wanted a simple mushroom dish for an antipasti spread, I’d consider this recipe. Combined w the fish, it was great. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/325703#6486533

    • nicolepellegrini on October 15, 2019

      Simple yet delicious. In fact I thought these were even better when I tasted them cold the next day, so they really would be great as part of an antipasto party spread or even on a sandwich.

    • joeljkp on August 29, 2023

      Simple but tasty mushroom preparation. I used mixed mushrooms from the farmers' market and they were divine.

  • Gratinéed cauliflower with butter and Parmesan cheese

    • wester on July 21, 2013

      Cauliflower cheese brought back to the essence. Nice.

    • fprincess on August 02, 2012

      I had a head of cauliflower in my CSA a few weeks ago so I decided to make a gratin (usually I just roast it in the oven with some herbes de Provence and olive oil). Since the weather is warm, instead of a heavy cream-based gratin, this recipe caught my eye. The cauliflower was boiled until tender, then roasted in the oven with salt, butter, and plenty of grated parmesan. It was pretty good by nothing special. I used the leftovers to make soup the next day. Photo here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php/topic/56661-cauliflower-recipes/page__p__1883337#entry1883337

  • Tomato-less braised veal shanks (Ossobuco in bianco)

    • wester on January 27, 2011

      Brilliant in its simplicity. Only 4 ingredients, hardly any work (except for waiting and checking there's still enough liquid), and it tastes totally lovely. Officially this has to be done with veal shank, but I'm pretty sure most other types of braising meat will be fine: beef, lamb, even horse.

    • Zosia on May 05, 2016

      Incredible how a bit of lemon zest and some fresh parsley can lighten and brighten a relatively rich dish. One of the family favourites.

  • Pan-roasted mackerel with rosemary and garlic

    • wester on June 04, 2011

      As usual with this book: very basic but very good. The rosemary and garlic combined well with the sturdy flavor of the mackerel. However, I did find it difficult to brown the mackerel on a less than high flame, it stuck to the pan a bit.

  • Frittata with tomato, onion, and basil

    • wester on October 21, 2013

      Very nice, but not brilliant. Cooking the onions took a very long time - maybe I should have wilted them for longer.

    • sfcarole on October 17, 2013

      A perfect 'meatless monday' and pantry dinner rolled into one. This frittata's deliciousness goes way beyond the sum of it's parts. A tribute to Marcella's genius.

    • TrishaCP on July 17, 2021

      The prep does take a bit of time, but this was such a great frittata. I ended up using cherry tomatoes since they needed using up and I thought they were a good option here.

    • Delys77 on April 17, 2014

      Pg. 281 Very tasty meatless meal with a salad and some nice bread. She has you salt the onions, which take about 35 minutes, and then the tomatoes, plus there is parm so don't be too heavy handed with the salting. That said, the onions are rich and luscious and the tomatoes meld into the dish beautifully. I cooked in a buttered pie plate for about 10 minutes on convection at 350 and about 5 minute without convection and it was perfectly done.

    • mharriman on July 02, 2018

      An excellent dish. It took much longer to prep and cook than I anticipated but was worth the time spent! Peeling and chopping onions in thin slices and peeling, deseeding, chopping fresh plum tomatoes took a good 20-30 minutes. The wilting and browning of the onions on low heat took 30 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of cooking the tomatoes with onions, followed by cooling the mixture before mixing in the eggs, basil, and Parmesan. I chose 15 minutes of baking the mixed ingredients in my sauté/ fry pan at 350 degrees in the oven. The result was a very nice frittata in texture and taste. Served with a Rosemary olive bread and green salad. This was a nice, light dish on a very hot summer night. New note in my cookbook: plan 90 minutes from start (chopping, peeling) to finish. I think I could plunge the fresh tomatoes on boiling water for 30 seconds next time to ease the peeling time and process.

  • Shredded savoy cabbage

    • wester on February 06, 2018

      Basic and good. When I started it I thought the garlic flavor wasn't going to be clear, but it developed nicely. The bread is just a few crusts which are discarded afterwards, so while it shouldn't be fed to the allergic (to wheat or to gluten), it is fine for the low-carbers.

  • Garlic-scented tomato salad

    • wester on May 19, 2014

      Very simple, very good. Would probably work as well with parsley instead of basil.

    • abrownb1 on June 25, 2024

      A recipe for garlic lovers! I haven't made it with peeled whole tomatoes, but it was delicious with halved grape tomatoes. We used the garlic soaking trick for a quick vinaigrette for a green salad and it was equally awesome! A nice addition to the salad arsenal.

    • SpatulaCity on December 13, 2023

      For the garlic lovers - check yourself! A delightfully easy and garlicky side. I did not go through the hassle of peeling my tomatoes though I chopped them and let them drain for a few minutes. I also thought that the garlic should go to more use besides just “scenting” the vinegar for 20 min and so left a few bits in. Wow that packed a punch. By the time lunch rolled around the garlic flavor and aromas were STRONG. We bread for dipping as recommended, which reminded me of that perfect pan con tomate you get in Spain. Served alongside burrata and prosciutto for a perfectly tasty lunch

  • Beans and tuna salad

    • wester on October 01, 2010

      Simple and good. I am not completely sure the soaking of the onion is necessary, next time I'll try without.

    • SheilaS on August 01, 2022

      Easy and delicious!

    • clcorbi on February 13, 2017

      I didn't soak the onion, making this salad even faster to throw together for our lunches this week. Simple and tasty!

  • Warm cauliflower salad

    • wester on December 17, 2011

      A good simple salad to be served anytime you could serve a green salad. Good in winter.

    • Zosia on February 25, 2016

      This recipe serves as a reminder that a cooked vegetable simply dressed with good olive oil and red wine vinegar makes an excellent salad.

  • Boiled zucchini salad

    • wester on October 01, 2010

      Simple and good. Don't skimp on the pepper, it makes a difference here. The garlic was hardly noticeable.

  • Pink shrimp sauce with cream

    • wester on July 20, 2012

      Thank you mcvl, for suggesting this. It is simple and very tasty, and a nice change of pasta sauce. Next time I will add the cream in the blender instead of later, as I suppose that will give a smoother result.

    • SheilaS on October 27, 2018

      This is one of those quick, easy pasta sauces that come together while the pasta water boils but tastes way fancier. I threw some sugar snap peas into the pasta water during the last couple of minutes because I always like vegetables in my pasta. The contrasts between the sweet, tender whole shrimp, savory, garlicky shrimp sauce, chewy pasta and sweet/crisp sugar snap peas were great eating in my book. If I was making this for guests (and I most certainly would), I'd add some extra shrimp to be served whole as the recipe says to purée 2/3 of them for the sauce, which didn't leave that many left whole.

    • mcvl on July 15, 2012

      I've been making this recipe since it was first published in one or the other of Marcella's first two books -- I now use the combined and enlarged Essentials and have given away the smaller volumes. When I was young and poor, I made it with only half the shrimp it calls for and fed six people with a quarter pound of shrimp. Now that I'm old and rich, I make it with double the shrimp and process only half of them, saving the other half for garnish. Either way, and everything in between, it's one of the best things I've ever eaten and by far the recipe guests most request.

    • mcvl on October 02, 2018

      And here I'm making it again. I have found that the shrimp taste richer and mightier if I fry them in their shells. Of course it's still a pain to shell the darn things, but I think it's actually easier to shell cooked shrimp than raw. Divine, as usual.

    • TrishaCP on June 27, 2021

      You really can’t go wrong with this recipe.

    • hirsheys on September 23, 2020

      This was fine, but not as amazing as I wanted it to be given the ingredients.

    • chawkins on April 14, 2023

      Very nice and quite easy.

    • mharriman on January 18, 2019

      I used more shrimp than called for (3/4 pound rather than 1/2) because I wanted more protein in my pasta meal. Turned out well.

    • Lepa on April 29, 2021

      This was really quick and easy. I used fresh pasta noodles and think that was a really good choice here. I like the idea below to double the shrimp and may do that next time.

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      Rich and decadent - maybe almost too rich?

  • Rice and smothered cabbage soup

    • vickster on December 29, 2018

      Very simple and delicious, with few ingredients. But does require planning to prepare the cabbage.

    • Melyinoz on July 28, 2020

      I’ve made this soup a few times now. It is simple and very comforting. The addition of rice makes this a hearty and satisfying soup.

    • MariaSwe on January 30, 2022

      So much better than it sounds. I used equal amounts of savoy, green and red cabbage, because that's what I had at home. When I tasted the smothered cabbage I was a bit disappointed but I shouldn't have been because the finished dish was wonderful. Really simple and lots of hands off time, but takes about 2,5 hours.

  • Chicken fricassee with red cabbage

    • vickster on October 03, 2018

      Such a simple dish, with few ingredients, but rich and delicious. (But it does take a while to cook). The cabbage dissolves into a clinging sauce, as described in recipe intro. I did make substitutions with what I had on hand: Cornish game hen, green cabbage and white wine. Also added a few lemon verbena sprigs. I will be making this again.

    • bching on April 01, 2019

      Only okay. The cabbage did not cook down into a sauce as the recipe promised, and the dish needed an acidic zing. The real dealbreaker for me is the amount of prep work, cooking time, and clean up required for mediocre results.

  • Smothered cabbage, Venetian style

    • vickster on December 29, 2018

      Very tasty cabbage to use in the Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup, but it would also be good on its own as a side dish. Takes a while to cook.

    • Delys77 on December 11, 2023

      Cooked for 2 hours and the results were lovely as part of the the cabbage and rice soup recipe, but I would say you need to add a bit of butter and parmesan to the cabbage if you are serving it on its own.

  • Pot roast of beef braised in red wine

    • cthdawn on January 24, 2010

      made on 1/24 used homemade beef broth; meat fell apart' reduced sauce

    • nicolepellegrini on October 04, 2015

      It's hard to go wrong with this classic simple pot roast. Use a good quality red wine and do check the meat for doneness after about 2 hours, depending on the size of the roast.

    • kmattingly on October 30, 2012

      Very simple but absolutely delicious

    • UteJohanna on December 29, 2020

      lovely shredded with homemade tagliatelle

    • Zosia on March 12, 2015

      My go-to recipe for pot roast. - simple and very flavourful. The recipe works even when I'm too lazy to turn and baste the roast as often as directed.

    • Pauliock on January 26, 2014

      Page 393. Full of flavor and a new favorite!

    • heatherlee on January 07, 2022

      I cooked a 3 lb roast at 275F (recipe called for a 4 lb roast cooked at 350 F). I ended up taking the roast out of the oven about 15 minutes early. The meat was very tender and flavorful. Served with the "mashed potatoes with milk and parmesan cheese, Bolognese style" (page 518). I would definitely make this again, however I'm not certain this will be my go-to pot roast recipe as I don't always have time to braise the roast every 30 minutes during the cooking time.

  • Thin lamb chops fried in Parmesan butter

    • JoanN on November 12, 2013

      Really tasty, but almost too rich.

  • Chicken liver sauce

    • SheilaS on May 06, 2022

      Stellar recipe - comes together very quickly and super flavor from the small amounts of ground beef and pancetta added to the livers. Perfect on fresh pappardelle as the recipe suggests but my favorite Italian restaurant serves it on penne so a dried pasta works fine too.

  • Chicken fricassee with porcini mushrooms, white wine, and tomatoes

    • kari500 on March 21, 2020

      Simple with big flavors. Served over polenta.

    • amraub on October 31, 2012

      Very good. Made using only leg pieces and crushed tomatoes instead of coarsely chopped.

    • Zosia on February 25, 2016

      The rich mushroom-tomato sauce was the star of this simple braised chicken dish. This will definitely be repeated.

    • tekobo on March 03, 2019

      This is a very simple and very tasty recipe. I used fresh mushrooms, adding a few with soy sauce at the stage where it said to add the soaked mushrooms, and frying and adding the rest at the end. Tasted great with pasta

    • mpo on December 26, 2021

      I think I’d use fresh mushrooms next time, the dried mushrooms had a weird texture to them. And I added a little more tomato, a 1/4 cup is not enough for this whole recipe!

  • Pesto by mortar

    • milgwimper on July 02, 2014

      This was a lot of work but still amazing. I made the pesto recipe years ago, and now have a food processor.

    • Rutabaga on November 23, 2014

      Making pesto in the mortar is fun, if a bit more laborious. I wouldn't say it's difficult, although my basil didn't break down into as fine a paste as you get with a blender. The smell of fresh pesto being pounded is incredible, even though my basil was sadly near wilting, with a lot of large, tougher leaves. When made with fresh, small leaves, it would be amazing. The addition of butter was not something with which I was familiar, but it gave the pesto a sweet creaminess that coated the pasta nicely.

  • Baked stuffed mushroom cups

    • okcook on September 06, 2014

      These are a bit of work to prepare but worth the effort. The filling is relatively low fat...a little pancetta, anchovy, porcini mushrooms, garlic, milk, egg, parsley, basil and bread crumbs. But the flavour is intensely 'mushroomie'. I made three each to go with rack of lamb, grilled zucchini and steamed new potatoes. I could only eat one but my husband gobbled all is down. I usually make a stuffed mushroom with a bechamel sauce based filling but these are better I think.

    • nicolepellegrini on May 04, 2018

      Really delicious! I made these using large portobello mushroom caps and served them as a dinner entree. I did add a little grated cheese at the end of the baking time to make a bit more luscious and rich. Would definitely make again for a nice change of pace from a meat-heavy dinner.

  • Crespelle

    • DaveW on September 13, 2010

      A crespelle is the Italian Crepe which is used to make Manicotti (if it is a filled pasta shell rather than a crepe, it is properly called Cannelloni).

  • Grilled fish, Romagna style

    • fprincess on May 04, 2012

      Simple and tasty; a good weeknight recipe. The fish (I used a large snook fillet) was seasoned and marinated for a while in olive oil and thinly sliced fresh rosemary, and coated with breadcrumbs (I used panko). Then I cooked it on the grill, adding a few bay leaves to the charcoal for the aroma, which was subtle but noticeable. I served the fish with green asparagus. Picture here: http://egullet.org/p1875958

    • TrishaCP on July 20, 2014

      This method of grilling fish is amazing. The lemon and olive oil marinade made the fish taste really fresh, and the bay adds an intriguing aroma. Note- definitely use the freshest fish you can find for this recipe- there is nothing to hide behind here.

  • Fricasseed chicken with rosemary and lemon juice

    • fprincess on May 08, 2012

      I made this recipe last night with a pastured chicken. The most challenging part of the recipe for me was to cut the chicken into 8 pieces. This was a first for me, but I did relatively ok. After that step, the recipe is very straightforward - brown the chicken in oil and butter, add garlic, fresh rosemary s+p, deglaze with white wine (I used leftover Californian champagne that had gone flat), cover and simmer for about an hour total. The breasts are removed and added at the end so they don't overcook. At the end, the lemon zest and juice are added. I served the chicken with white rice to soak up the juices, and sugar snap peas. Picture here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php/topic/97209-marcella-hazan/page__st__30__p__1876604#entry1876604

    • Zosia on October 02, 2016

      A nice alternative to roast chicken with rosemary and lemon. The chicken was moist and the sauce was very flavourful; I served it with lots of good bread so none of that went to waste.

  • Poached shrimp with olive oil and lemon juice

    • fprincess on June 04, 2013

      I used Arbequina olive oil and a Meyer lemon. The shrimp were rather large so I sliced them in half as instructed in the recipe. Love this dish. Great for a cocktail/dinner party as it can be prepared in advance. It's delicious on a little piece of bread. Photo here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/97209-marcella-hazan/?p=1921020

    • TrishaCP on April 21, 2020

      Sublime is the perfect way to describe this recipe. I had large shrimp so sliced them in half but the presentation would be improved with the recommended smaller shrimp. I didn’t have celery on hand so used celery seed in the poaching liquid instead.

    • Zosia on February 03, 2016

      As simple and sublime as the author says.

  • Tomato sauce with olive oil and chopped vegetables

    • fprincess on February 05, 2013

      It was nice to have some texture in the sauce. I liked the taste too; it was a little sweet from the carrots and quite rich thanks to the liberal amount of olive oil. Photo here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/97209-marcella-hazan/page__st__30__p__1908117#entry1908117

    • rmardel on June 19, 2021

      This is the same recipe that is titled Tomato Sauce II in the original Classic Italian Cookbook. It has been a family staple for years. It is fresh and delicate. If carrots are very young and sweet one should reduce the sugar or it will overpower the sauce.

    • joeljkp on May 31, 2024

      Good vegetable sauce, easy without the sauteing. Resulted in a silky tomato sauce with cooked but firm chopped vegetables throughout. 2 tsp salt seemed right.

  • Eggplant sauce with tomato and red chili pepper

    • fprincess on April 29, 2018

      The eggplant adds substance and meatiness. This is simple yet wonderful! Pretty fast too if you add it to tomato sauce you’ve made previously (I make it in large batches and freeze it).

    • nicolepellegrini on September 12, 2019

      Not my favorite pasta from Marcella...I thought it was a bit oily and heavy for my taste.

    • kmattingly on October 30, 2012

      So nice especially with the fried eggplant.

    • Zosia on December 01, 2013

      I don't normally like to fry eggplant because of the amount of oil it absorbs, but I did for this dish and didn't regret it. With one of Marcella's fabulous tomato sauces as its base, this dish couldn't help but be delicious.

  • Fried zucchini sauce with garlic and basil

    • fprincess on October 01, 2012

      Not usually a huge fan of zucchini, but I decided to make the fried zucchini sauce with garlic and basil last night with zucchini and marrow squash (which is similar to zucchini) from my CSA. The zucchini was cut into allumettes, salted and degorged. Then it was wiped dry, floured and fried in garlic-flavored oil until golden brown. The pasta (I used fresh spinach bucatini) was finished in butter with the fried zucchini, fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese. I liked the texture of the dish and the zucchini was very good. A squeeze of lemon juice would not have been out of place to bring out the flavors. Photo here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/97209-marcella-hazan/page__st__30__p__1892710#entry1892710

    • dclong on August 02, 2015

      I've made this recipe a few times and i have found you really need to serve and eat it immediately, as the delicate crispness of the fried zucchini is fleeting. It's a light refreshing pasta dish. I think this dish would be great with fresh pasta instead of boxed, but I haven't done that yet. I have sprinkled the dish with a good, diced and fresh tomato, and like that.

    • mharriman on July 01, 2018

      I enjoyed being able to use very fresh farmer’s market zucchini. This took some prep time (20 minutes to soak zucchini, two hours to rest the cut up and salted zucchini over a colander) but in the end it turned out delicious. This recipe is definitely not a diet meal as the zucchini is fried in vegetable oil and then tossed with melted butter in fresh linguine, but it’s a nice calorie splurge meal. Served with a romaine tossed garden salad.

  • Braised celery stalks with onion, pancetta, and tomatoes

    • lorloff on October 04, 2014

      Absolutely delicious the panchetta and the tomatoes blended incredibly well into a sauce i will make this whenever celery is in the farmers market and when I have celery around the house. My husband and I loved it. I added fresh chives and fresh thyme at the end.

  • Risotto with celery

    • mcvl on December 01, 2020

      No point in making this (or any other risotto, really) unless you have some truly excellent broth on hand. I had a pot on the back of the stove that I had used for poaching a giant hunk of beef plus various other meats and vegetables over the previous ten or twelve days. Lightened with a little white wine and water, it made this a dish to remember, and repeat.

    • TrishaCP on April 26, 2016

      I primarily made this to use up some celery that was languishing, and I thought this was ok but not great. With so many other risotto recipes, this probably won't be a repeat.

  • Chickpea soup with pasta

    • mcvl on February 23, 2018

      Delicious -- a classic.

    • Lepa on August 30, 2017

      This soup was incredibly simple but so delicious! I made it with dried chickpeas and put a parmesan rind in the water while cooking them. I used this water, with a bit of bullion, instead of broth. It is astonishing that a handful of ingredients and so little effort resulted in such a complex, dreamy soup!

    • Ganga108 on June 06, 2022

      A stunning soup, perfect for our Wintery weather. Everyone reaches to refill their bowl. Pasta with chickpeas is such a classic Italian combination in soups and pasta dishes. Hazan manages to maximise flavours with a handful of simple ingredients. I particularly love the blending of 1/3 of the soup (including chickpeas) before the pasta is cooked. It adds depth to the broth. I used what was in my cupboard - orecchiette - and it worked very well.

  • Bean and red cabbage soup

    • mcvl on June 16, 2023

      Good solid soup. I wish I had held the cabbage back and cooked it less -- it was a bit swampy; my fault.

    • sturlington on January 26, 2013

      Lot of pork in this recipe. I omitted some steps and it came out close to my standard sausage soup recipe. Made 1/2013

  • Baked green lasagne with meat sauce, Bolognese style

    • Snadra on May 28, 2011

      Keep the white sauce quite thin, and use very thin layers of sauce. I found it better when I did not mix the sauces.

    • Phil.Adams on April 26, 2023

      Usa questo come base per una lasagna (non verde) fatta con le sfoglie di lasagne Giovanni Rana acquistate qui in Italia, è deliziosa!

  • Eggplant Parmesan

    • jodies on January 28, 2018

      Stellar version of this dish.

    • nicolepellegrini on October 05, 2013

      This is the only way I will prepare Eggplant Parmesan. Pure perfection.

    • Delys77 on November 05, 2013

      Pg. 494 Overall the result for us was good but not great. The prep of the eggplant (peeling, salting, frying) was quite complex and yielded a product that was quite oily and therefore very heavy. I also think there is too much mozzarella and not enough parm. I do however think that the restrained use of tomato does allow the eggplant to shine through, but the overall dish was simply to heavy for our tastes.

    • Rinshin on July 07, 2018

      First time peeling eggplant for making eggplant parmesan. Made half the recipe but used the full amount of tomatoes since we like tomato rich taste. To come up with the 1 1/2 lb eggplant portion, I also had to use Japanese black and thin skinned narrow eggplant along with the standard eggplant. I agree with Delsy, I think mozz part can be reduced and parmesan increased. I had no problems with the greasiness or heaviness from the eggplant slices made this way and loved the smooth taste coming from skinned eggplant slices. Marcella calls for 20 mins at 400F (to check and get rid of any water coming from eggplant - mine had no water problem) and additional 15 min. I checked at 20 min and decided to pull it out because it was done and nicely browned and soft throughout. I love this method with some modification and this recipe will finally replace my fav recipe I've been using for 40 years from another source. Photo added.

    • Rachaelsb on March 10, 2024

      Classic. Seconds for everyone.

    • Zosia on September 04, 2018

      Flavour was outstanding but I did find it a little too oily for my taste.

    • pappaslauren on June 28, 2018

      The best eggplant parmesan that I've had. I used more tomato than the recipe called for, since we served this with pasta and I wanted a little extra sauce. This will be my go-to recipe for this dish.

    • purrviciouz on August 28, 2018

      I loved the simplicity of this dish and the summer flavors shone through. I will definitely make this again. It made great leftovers.

  • Braised pork chops with tomatoes, cream, and porcini mushrooms

    • TrishaCP on April 12, 2016

      As Delys77 says, the sauce is great- just enough cream for balancing the acid from the wine and tomatoes and good umami from the mushrooms. The chops are the problem-I reduced cooking time for mine to 20 minutes with fairly thick chops and they were still a bit dry. I think the advice to try brining first is spot on.

    • Delys77 on November 07, 2013

      Pg. 421 The sauce is delicious, with a great mushroom hit from the reduced soaking liquid as well as the fresh and dried mushrooms. Plus the wine, tomato, and cream are very well balanced in the final sauce. The only challenge keeping this from being a great dish is that the chops were very dry after 45 minutes braising. I may try brining them first next time. I used 3/4 - 1 inch thick rib chops.

    • LauraMB on August 16, 2023

      This dish is delicious and quite rich.

  • Meatballs and tomatoes

    • TrishaCP on January 11, 2023

      I didn’t feel like you needed to gild the lily by adding the butter and onion. I do feel like garlic would have been nice. Also, my meatballs were more flavorful as leftovers.I did like the lightness of the meatballs.

    • Rachaelsb on October 09, 2022

      Really yummy! I had thought about using the amazing Sauce with Butter and Onion as well (see PanNan below!) but got lazy and decided to go with just the tomatoes. Glad I did. Different texture with unusual softness to meatballs that blend so well with tomato.

    • PanNan on January 27, 2021

      I made the meatballs using less oil to brown them. I also made the Sauce with Onion and Butter recipe on page 152 and added that to the meatballs instead of the tomatoes. It was absolutely delicious and loved by the whole family.

    • ellwell on December 18, 2022

      I wish I had followed the other reviewers and added the butter and onion instead of just using the tomatoes. I guess I had high hopes for this since it was from Marcella Hazan, but the meatballs, while light, were bland. I found myself wishing I had at least added some garlic to them. There are much better meatballs out there if you are trying to serve over spaghetti.

  • Baked fillet of sole with tomato, oregano, and hot pepper

    • TrishaCP on November 29, 2015

      Very easy and very delicious. I subbed flounder for the sole- it was a bit thicker so I needed to cook it about twice as long. The classic flavors of oregano, tomatoes, and chiles (I subbed red pepper flakes) were of course beautiful together, and went well with the side of polenta and a simple salad.

  • Frittata with zucchini and basil

    • TrishaCP on September 16, 2012

      Delicious, simple and perfect.

    • Delys77 on October 30, 2013

      Pg. 280 Takes a bit of time as she has use caramelize the onions and brown the zucchini but the result is very well balanced, flavoursome, and keeps well. Do season at every stage as she suggests. I ended up baking in the oven in glass pie plate and it worked well but it took about 22 minutes and not the 15 she suggested. Plus I cranked the oven to 400 at the end as we were getting hungry.

    • Zosia on January 31, 2016

      It's worth the time and effort to caramelize the onions and zucchini as directed. Given a few cooking options, I chose to bake it in the pan in which I had cooked the vegetables. It needed some extra time before it was done to my liking. Delicious hot or at room temperature.

    • Lepa on August 29, 2018

      We loved this frittata. I agree with other posters that taking the time to caramelize the onions and zucchini really makes this dish. I also found that a sprinkle of salt on top, when serving the frittata, really highlighted the flavors well.

    • clcorbi on August 13, 2018

      Delicious. A perfect, summery frittata.

    • purrviciouz on August 28, 2018

      Fantastic, simple and delicious. I added an egg and increased the cooking time since it wasn't set.

    • Cristiane on August 08, 2019

      Fresh basil is excellent in this recipe: it’s surprising, refreshing and adds a deep, subtle flavour. I made it on the stovetop and it worked well. I found that it needs no more than one minute under the broil.

  • Sautéed fillets of breast of chicken with lemon and parsley, Siena style

    • TrishaCP on January 23, 2016

      This is a really lovely chicken breast dish, but I would add that the specified cooking time wasn't nearly enough for me-it was more like 15 minutes total. (I would use chicken tenders in the future if I wanted to keep the cooking time extremely quick.) Rutabaga is exactly right in calling the flavors "classic" and I also like that this doesn't require too many ingredients.

    • bernalgirl on October 13, 2022

      This is a nice technique for cooking chicken breasts, although it sounded bland so I seasoned the chicken with a citrus pepper blend and smoked paprika. The pan sauce was lovely with orzo and a romaine-dill-scallion-feta salad for a more Greek-inspired meal.

    • Rutabaga on November 16, 2014

      Simple and classic, this is an optimal weeknight chicken breast recipe, the only other essential ingredients being butter and lemon. While I think Hazan's instructions to cook the chicken for one minute on each side is too brief - I cooked mine for around ten minutes total - the dish still comes together in well under a half hour, the meat was tender, and the sauce was surprisingly rich in flavor from the pan drippings. This is also an ideal dish to serve alongside a more complicated one, as you can focus most of your attention on the more elaborate dish.

    • JLDuck on October 20, 2018

      Unbelievably simple and delicious. Found that filleting the breasts is not necessary but cooking time needs to be adjusted accordingly.

  • Tuna sauce with tomatoes and garlic

    • TrishaCP on August 12, 2018

      Thanks to the notes, I also only used six ounces of tuna and that really worked for us. For tomatoes, I used a 14 oz can of fire-roasted tomatoes. As others have said, this is a great pantry meal and pretty flexible in terms of exact ingredients, but you do need the good quality tuna (I also used Ortiz).

    • lkgrover on January 24, 2018

      This is a good recipe for using up store-cupboard ingredients (and for those days when you don't want to go grocery shopping). I agree with Clcorbi about using the 6 oz canned tuna; 12 oz canned tuna would have been overwhelming.

    • kitchen_chick on August 06, 2018

      A third vote for using just 6oz of tuna - or increase the tomatoes. We used beautiful Ortiz tuna from Spain, and modified the recipe with a tablespoon-ish of small capers and a good squeeze of lemon juice (and left out some of the salt because of the capers). Ordinary tuna found in most American grocery stores cannot compare to the flavor of high quality tuna, and between the fab tuna and our modifications we found this quite delicious. I'm looking forward to taking leftovers to work for lunch.

    • clcorbi on July 20, 2017

      Not my favorite sauce I've tried from this book, but still tasty and very easy to prepare. I decided to use only 6oz of tuna (because that's what I had), but keep the other ingredient quantities the same. The tomatoes reduced down quite a bit during their 25 min simmer, and I found the half-quantity of tuna to actually be the perfect amount. The full 12oz would have resulted in more tuna than tomato, which seems odd to me. At any rate, I probably won't repeat this, but it is very weeknight friendly.

    • Pamsy on September 08, 2022

      I didn't expect much from this dish as there were very few ingredients, mainly tinned tomatoes and tuna. However it was more than the sum of its parts and will be repeated. Very handy store cupboard recipe.

  • Cranberry beans, sage, and rosemary sauce

    • TrishaCP on February 13, 2016

      This is warm, comforting, and utterly delicious. A perfect choice if you want a "stick to your ribs" pasta dish. Visually, this is not at all appealing, so not the best choice for a dinner party. I used cencioni pasta since I had it on hand, and that was ok, but the suggested pappardelle or rigatoni would be better as they are thinner.

    • clcorbi on March 02, 2018

      This is such a good comfort-food dish. I made it with freshly-cooked navy beans since that's what I had; otherwise followed the recipe as written. So decadent and flavorful, and extremely fast to boot.

  • Red and yellow bell pepper sauce with sausages

    • TrishaCP on September 17, 2016

      I really liked this sauce. By skinning the peppers, they become really silky and appealing. I think you "can" add stronger seasonings like red pepper flakes and such if you like, but I went with a mild sweet Italian sausage that was fairly plain, and it WAS delicious and not too sweet.

    • Delys77 on November 20, 2013

      Pg. 197 This was very tasty and quite simple to make, much as I am finding with many of Marcella's recipes. That said, I disagree on one point with Marcella. She suggests using a non spicy sausage without fennel. I ended up using a locally made Italian Sausage that was both spicy and had fennel in it and I think it was not only great, but in my opinion the dish needed it. 3 large peppers is a lot of peppers for 1 dish, once they have cooked down along with the tomato they make for a very sweet sauce, one that needs the balance from a more aggressively spiced and seasoned sausage. Also I went with just a lb of papardelle as that is all I had and I found it just right.

    • aeader on July 02, 2017

      Amazing with the fresh pappardelle. Relatively quick to prepare. This also makes a great pizza (can prepare the sauce in advance and then use prepared pizza dough - cooking the pizza on the grill gives it a nice smoky flavor). Peeling the peppers seems a little fussy but it does make a difference.

    • dclong on August 02, 2015

      This is one of my favorite pasta recipes. I disregard her opinion that you must use sausages without strong seasonings. The pat of butter at the end of cooking puts it over the top.

    • totoro on April 09, 2015

      Lovely. Works with dried pasta shapes for a quick evening meal, but it is worth making the fresh pasta if you have time. I use plain chipolatas from a good supermarket and felt that the sauce was perfectly balanced. You do, however, need plenty of salt and parmesan to balance the sweetness of the peppers.

    • mamacrumbcake on July 22, 2017

      Wow! What a flavorful sauce, made from simple ingredients! The peppers caramelize and become intensely flavored. As others have mentioned, season generously with salt to enhance the flavor and balance the sweetness of the peppers.

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      Leaving the skins on the peppers is simpler and helps add a slight bitter note that contrasts well with the sweetness of the peppers.

  • Zucchini sauce with basil and beaten egg yolk

    • TrishaCP on August 18, 2016

      I am always looking for good ways to use zucchini, and this was really good. I made this as is, but used olive oil to fry the zucchini (and a non-stick pan, so less oil). The sauce was carbonara-like, but not as heavy. It didn't "need" it, but I would probably add some garlic to the mix next time too.

    • lisachile on July 27, 2014

      This was delicious. I added some extra zucchini and prosciutto. Next time I think I'd add even more zucchini.

    • Delys77 on June 21, 2022

      I made this for a light meatless meal last night and we were very pleased. I only had Grana Padano so went with 3/4 of a cup of that and I also did the zucchini in the air fryer to save on oil a bit. Overall very tasty and Trisha is correct that the egg really gives that lovely carbonara feel. Very tasty, easy, and meat free so always a plus. The only negative comment was from my son who said he found the zucchini a bit bitter but that is likely because a few of them over browned in the air fryer. Next time I might just saute with some garlic.

    • pattyatbryce on August 17, 2022

      Excellent, light, and easy dish

  • Tomato and anchovy sauce

    • TrishaCP on August 08, 2015

      This was a savior on a night when we got home late and provisions were low- though the sauce does take some time to cook down. I could definitely taste the anchovies, so you can't sneak this by anchovy haters (like you could if just using one or two fillets), but for the fans this is umami-packed goodness.

  • Pasta and pesto with potatoes and green beans

    • TrishaCP on July 25, 2017

      Another wonderful pasta dish from this book. The potatoes, beans, and pesto made the whole dish taste very fresh. I saved the water from cooking the potatoes to also boil the beans, which I cut in small pieces and shocked to keep them green. I used fresh boiling water for the pasta. I used 3/4 lb of cavatappi instead of 1 1/2 lb of long pasta, and I liked the ratio of pesto to ingredients in my version.

    • nicolepellegrini on July 16, 2020

      Made this with trofie pasta and some prepared pesto I brought home from Genoa earlier this year. A simple dish but very classic for the region.

    • mharriman on February 05, 2021

      Spaghetti paired with potatoes seemed counterintuitive to me but those two, paired with green beans and pesto sauce, were surprisingly good. I have to watch my starchy carb intake but this makes for a delicious once in a while treat. Husband really liked this. I used a good quality store bought jar of pesto sauce, so my review reflects the combination of ingredients and cooking instructions.

    • Lepa on June 03, 2020

      I made this with homemade fettuccini and it was delicious.

    • meginyeg on October 15, 2021

      This was good. Potato and pasta was less odd than I anticipated. Nice simple and filling

    • robdurante on February 03, 2024

      Page 177

    • deboChicago on August 16, 2019

      I made this with prepared pesto and it was still delicious. I partly used Food52's advice and cooked the pasta and green beans in the same pot; I just wasn't certain enough of the potato cooking time so I wanted to get them done first. I overcooked the potatoes anyhow. But it was still really good. The starchiness of the potatoes with the starchiness of the pasta and all that (pesto) oil, with just a scattering of green beans to cut it...so good. My husband thought the combination of pasta and potatoes was odd. "That's what they do in Genoa," I told him. He was not impressed. Regardless, I'm a fan.

  • Risotto with saffron, Milanese style

    • TrishaCP on April 21, 2020

      This is a delicious risotto. The quality of the stock is really important here since you don’t want anything to overpower the saffron. I used a diluted homemade beef stock.

    • SpatulaCity on April 14, 2024

      Thought this was wonderfully delicious. Wasn’t paying attention and used homemade chicken stock instead of beef stock. But it was still great

    • Totallywired on January 02, 2019

      Standard ingredients and method, makes a great risotto.

    • catmummery on April 21, 2024

      absolutely delicious risotto. had with osso buco. YUM.

  • Rice and bean soup

    • TrishaCP on November 23, 2018

      This soup is magical. Just a few tablespoons each of onion, celery, and carrots, and generally simple ingredients, but such a depth of flavor! Definitely one to repeat- both this one and the straight up pasta e fagioli.

    • sosayi on November 27, 2018

      Such a wonderful, warming soup. I agree with TrishaCP that the depth of flavor is really great. I made a few changes, but I don't think substantively changed the dish: turkey stock in place of beef, no carrots on hand, canned tomatoes instead of fresh, and I added plain parmesan risotto in place of the arborio rice (and just cooked it for less time after adding). I would definitely make it again!

  • Lentil soup with pasta, bacon, and garlic

    • TrishaCP on January 10, 2015

      A really hearty and filling meal- almost too substantial to consider a soup- more like a pasta dish. I used slightly less bacon than called for and doubled the vegetables. I used beluga lentils because that is what I had on hand and they worked well because they are a firmer lentil. Would definitely make again.

    • Lepa on December 04, 2021

      I made this because I had all the ingredients on hand and didn't want to leave the house on a cold and foggy night. Wow, it was a marvelous soup!

  • White bean soup with garlic and parsley

    • TrishaCP on March 20, 2017

      This soup is amazing. With so few ingredients, I was really expecting to feel that I would miss onions or carrots or something, but I didn't at all. I used Rancho Gordo's Marcella beans and they really shined in this application, which is really about the beans. I doubled the garlic to about two teaspoons and also doubled the broth since I was making it in advance and knew it would thicken overnight. Take the time to cook the garlic very slowly like Marcella says, because it permeates the oil and then the whole pot of soup so beautifully.

    • MVitek on June 03, 2011

      Our go-to pantry meal. We make a variation with more broth and garlic.

    • wcassity on October 14, 2019

      Really nice. ~1 hour after overnight soak. Used Rancho Gordo Marcella beans. Served with toasted focaccia.

    • Rutabaga on March 29, 2017

      This is lovely, but really a stew, not a soup. I used flageolet beans which I had cooked earlier in the day and still had a little bite to them, and also added a few extra cloves of garlic. The end result is a dish similar to Heidi Swanson's "fagioli al fiasco" and other white bean dishes I have made, although the method here was different. We ate our with cheese toast on the side.

    • stef on March 29, 2017

      A delicious soup. I added some leek and sweet potato

    • heatherlee on September 05, 2022

      I didn't have dried cannellini beans in the pantry, so I used canned ones instead. Cooked the garlic slowly as directed. I added more broth for a more soup-like consistency. Simply and quick to prepare!

    • Greydenn on December 25, 2022

      It's pretty boring and has lots of olive oil. I probably will not make it again.

    • Greydenn on December 25, 2022

      It's pretty boring and has lots of olive oil. I probably will not make it again.

    • Ganga108 on October 03, 2024

      I love simple dishes of a star ingredient in a broth. This dish is in that category. As I am vegetarian, I made the broth with veg broth plus a few of my spices and herbs to give it an earthy flavour. The beans were pre-cooked some time ago and were in the freezer. Thus a simple dish to come together. Perfect for the Instant Pot - 3 mins to infuse the flavours then NR. I added more stock so that it really was beans in stock, rather than a thick bean soup, and left out the toasts (thick bean soup with toasts would be great in Winter though.) UPDATE: OMG it is SO delicious. Yum.

  • Roasted red and yellow pepper sauce with garlic and basil

    • TrishaCP on July 29, 2014

      Nice summer sauce option when peppers are plentiful. Peeling the peppers and then sautéing them really did give them a roasted pepper quality, and they were meaty and sweet. The garlic infused oil perfectly flavored the peppers. I used only 1/2 of the pasta (I used whole wheat fusilli) the recipe called for since I wanted more vegetables, and I did the final toss with olive oil instead of butter.

    • Rutabaga on February 07, 2017

      The sautéed peppers and oil nicely flavor the pasta here, and the basil livens it up. I found three peppers to be a little stingy for a pound of pasta however, so would recommend using four. Also, peeling the peppers added a lot more work to what is otherwise a very quick to prepare rich. It could just be that my peeler doesn't work well with peppers. All in all, this would make a nice side dish at a large meal, or you could add sausages to make it more substantial on its own.

  • Peas, peppers, and prosciutto sauce with cream

    • TrishaCP on November 04, 2015

      We did really enjoy this dish. The peppers are meant to be roasted, which I didn't see until I had already chopped them up, so I just cooked them until they were very soft and that seemed to do the trick. If you pre-roasted or use jarred roasted red peppers, this will come together quickly.

    • wcassity on December 17, 2013

      Amazing. Creamy, colorful, lots of sweetness from the peppers and peas. Basically macaroni and cheese.

    • KissTheCook on January 23, 2023

      P. 164. Basic premise of cream sauce to perfection. I would use jarred peppers, substitute or leave out next time as pepper-roasting is too time-consuming. You can't go wrong with this sauce. Marcella is a stickler about using right pasta with right sauce and rightfully so. I used "fresh" egg pasta (from boutique shop) which to quote the master herself "...the absorbent, porous texture of homemade egg pasta... longs... for butter and cream." Having said that, I would not hesitate to put this sauce with any pasta I had in-house.

    • Rutabaga on January 13, 2015

      What a wonderful pasta dish to turn to when you need to make something fast! I used thinly sliced prosciutto, stacked together and chopped, since that's the most common way to buy it. I also mistakenly chopped some garlic (I glanced at the recipe on the next page), then decided to add it at the beginning with the prosciutto; I can't say that was a bad choice. This is practically a meal unto itself, as it contains all the food groups. A simple salad would be the best accompaniment.

    • Shewi128 on May 23, 2022

      Use High quality ingredients, and this will be amazing. I substituted jarred roasted red peppers. I also used half and half instead of cream. This was delicious!

  • Spinach sauce with ricotta and ham

    • TrishaCP on May 24, 2012

      Good way to use up the tougher spinach from the CSA. Listen to Marcella about the seasoning to keep the dish from blandness.

    • bernalgirl on April 15, 2021

      Found this searching my cookbooks for what to make for dinner with ham and ricotta. Bonus! I had some fresh spinach but not quite enough so I added two sautéed leeks and some green garlic. It changed the recipe and I don’t regret it a bit, this was delicious!

    • Delys77 on October 25, 2013

      Pg. 162 (IIRC) We really liked this. At first I thought it was going to be far too much butter, but in the end 1/4 lb was about 6 tb of butter, which isn't so bad if you are feeding 5 people. I definitely found that the ricotta and butter combo made for a lovely texture, and the amount of spinach was just right for about 20 oz of pasta. My only modification would be to add a dash of paper, and possibly go with about 5 oz or ham. As is I used about 3.5 and it was still not quite enough for our tastes. Remember to season aggressively.

    • mharriman on August 29, 2017

      Nice comfort food and easy to put together for a weeknight dinner. I worked to cut all the ingredients in half because it was just my husband and me. I had a 12 ounce package of frozen spinach and used all of it (recipe calls for 2 10 ounce packages) and then put in a couple additional tablespoons of mozzarella to balance out the spinach which worked well. I loved the girelle pasta shape I had on hand.

    • Skamper on January 12, 2022

      We both liked this. I made a half batch with probably a bit more ham than called for to use up leftovers. used fresh spinach. good weeknight dinner.

    • jhallen on February 05, 2021

      This is certainly an easy recipe, took really a few minutes for the sauce. Will definitely make again.

  • Peas, bacon, and ricotta sauce

    • TrishaCP on May 17, 2015

      Really enjoyable and fairly quick for a weeknight (main timing issue is cooking the bacon). I didn't find this bland at all- it is delicately flavored as one would expect with peas and ricotta, but the bacon (which I left in quite big pieces) would jump in for a smoky and salty punch of flavor. And the amount of ricotta is just right, so it adds creaminess but doesn't get too heavy.

    • nicolepellegrini on June 16, 2020

      Comforting and pleasant - especially when fresh peas are in season and available and it's nice to enjoy them without too many other competing elements in a dish.

    • twoyolks on January 02, 2013

      I found this to be on the bland side. There was something missing from this.

    • kmattingly on November 21, 2012

      The ricotta adds something special to this sauce. It's a great combination of flavours and textures.

    • katenolan on December 26, 2020

      Simple and tasty meal. Quartered but added extra peas and ricotta because that's what I normally do. Added a bit of pasta water and a pinch of crushed red pepper at the end. I did think a bit of lemon zest would go a long way, but otherwise, we enjoyed this meal.

    • Lepa on May 04, 2022

      This is very quick and simple. My whole family loved it!

    • clcorbi on June 08, 2017

      I didn't enjoy this sauce as much as the asparagus, ham and cream sauce from the same book, but it still made for a very tasty and fast weeknight meal. I doctored the sauce up with plenty of black pepper and red pepper flakes, which helped. I also used more like 1/2lb of pasta, and found that we enjoyed the amount of sauce--I think with a full pound this would definitely have been too dry. I wouldn't rush to make it again, but the result was decent enough.

    • Skamper on November 14, 2020

      This was an easy and delicious dinner using things I almost always have on hand. I made a half recipe, but probably used a bit more ricotta than called for; I didn't measure. My ricotta was on the firm side so I added a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water, and would maybe add a bit more next time. I also added two cloves of minced garlic to the bacon and peas right at the end.

  • Tomato sauce with garlic and basil

    • TrishaCP on October 15, 2013

      Simple, delicious, and perfect.

    • twoyolks on July 06, 2017

      This is a really nice, simple, and easy marinara sauce. It's a bit more rustic and less rich than the "Tomato sauce with onion & butter" recipe. I added pecorino cheese to the pasta which was nice.

    • dclong on August 02, 2015

      I've probably cooked this sauce over 100 times. Simple, quick, and tasty. Quality tomatoes definitely shine through in this recipe.

    • e_ballad on April 26, 2017

      I'm going to be controversial & elect this to be my favoured tomato pasta sauce, even over her acclaimed "Tomato sauce with onion & butter" recipe. Why anyone buys pasta sauce is beyond me when a beauty like this is on the table within 20 mins.

    • averythingcooks on January 17, 2022

      I made this (based on 5 very positive comments) to use as pizza sauce.....and oh yes - it is simple and really delicious. But here is the "trick"....I actually used Roma tomatoes from my freezer (frozen whole) that I thawed, drained a bit, oven roasted & then ran through the food mill AND frozen basil (chopped & frozen in olive oil cubes). And it was still delicious! I used a slightly larger quantity of tomatoes (1.5 lbs for 1/2 recipe), added a squirt of tomato paste and I did cook it down longer to thicken. A great use of my freezer stash and I would for sure do this again (and of course try it with everything fresh another time).

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      This is what we make in the summer when we have fresh tomatoes

  • Mushroom sauce with ham and tomato

    • TrishaCP on July 26, 2013

      An umami bomb of a sauce- this is really about the mushrooms with the tomato and ham as accent flavors. I found nothing too strong and the flavors nicely balanced. I used only 1/2 lb of mushrooms instead of 3/4 lb as called for since it was all I had on hand- this was ok since I had the full amount of dried porcini and only about 3/4 of the pasta anyway. This is not a quick one- by the time I soaked the mushrooms, evaporated their liquid, and then cooked the full sauce, it was about 1 1/2 hours of cooking time.

    • nicolepellegrini on May 20, 2021

      Yum! Another win from Marcella, and a great sauce for any mushroom lover.

    • FJT on May 27, 2021

      This was a hit for us too. I had to make a few substitutions (thyme for parsley, passata for tinned tomatoes and bacon lardons for ham) because I didn't want to run to the store again. Loved the depth of flavour; a must make for all mushroom lovers!

    • Zosia on May 15, 2017

      This is exactly what it says it is: a mushroom sauce with ham and tomato in supporting roles only. It was delicious and a great way to use up the last slices of a baked ham.

    • quaquacat on November 28, 2017

      My daughter used the same term as TrishaCP: very umami. My husband, tasked with babysitting the pot, however, was miffed at the long time it took to simmer down—a good two hours rather than the 25 minutes in the recipe. But truly savory and delicious.

  • Eggplant and ricotta sauce, Sicilian style

    • TrishaCP on October 10, 2014

      Made this a few weeks ago and it was really enjoyable but not quick to make. I roasted the eggplant in the oven (425 for about 30 minutes) to soften it rather than frying per the recipe. The sauce was quite substantial and this would make a good vegetarian main dish.

    • mzgourmand on July 13, 2020

      Superb recipe. Like previous reviewer I roasted in oven instead of fried eggplant: tossed cubes with olive oil, s + p & roasted at 400 for 40 minutes.

  • Tomato sauce with sauteed vegetables and olive oil

    • TrishaCP on July 04, 2013

      Good weeknight option when you are low on provisions. I thought it was interesting that the carrots and celery were still quite firm in the sauce- I may cook them a bit more next time, but I loved that the tomatoes were still bright and vibrant, and I also love the richness the olive oil added.

    • nicolepellegrini on October 25, 2018

      This is a nice light and sweet tomato sauce. I usually find it benefits from the addition of a little concentrated tomato taste to deepen the flavor, and also be sure to mince the vegetables very fine (or consider pureeing the entire sauce once finished.)

    • sturlington on March 26, 2013

      This is a great basic tomato sauce, very good with pureed tomatoes from the garden, and quick enough for a weeknight. Because of the sauteed vegetables, though, it seems a little heartier than most quick tomato sauces.

    • rmardel on June 19, 2021

      Nice tomato sauce, and my basic when I want something with a little more concentrated depth of flavor than the quicker tomato sauces. This is tomato sauce 1 in the original 1980 Classic Italian Cookbook.

    • pistachiopeas on April 15, 2015

      This is good! It's a nice alternative to the onion and butter sauce, which is what I usually do. If you want less firm vegetables, saute for longer.

    • averythingcooks on September 05, 2022

      I made this with fresh tomatoes and I agree with (and appreciate!) many of the previous comments... a little tomato paste deepened the flavour and my preference is to cut the vegetables very small and cook them until very soft. I also ran the immersion blender through quickly at the end. This is destined for the freezer with a label that says "use as the base for a meat sauce / fresh herbs needed".

    • MariaSwe on February 08, 2023

      I made this with tinned tomatoes and we liked it a lot. Next time I will add some tomato paste, per earlier comments (that I didn't read). Served with spaghetti and parmesan cheese.

  • Drunk roast pork

    • nicolepellegrini on March 16, 2015

      This recipe was rich - maybe even a little too rich for me, but then again I was using a rolled pork roast that had a fair amount of fat on it. My partner liked it, though. If I make it again I'm going to serve it with something lighter and refreshing on the side like a salad; I made some roast vegetables instead and it was just too heavy for me in combination.

  • Veal scaloppine with Marsala

    • nicolepellegrini on January 20, 2018

      A classic recipe good for any weeknight meal - simple, reliable, and always a crowd-pleaser.

  • Pan-roasted breast of veal

    • nicolepellegrini on November 28, 2012

      A great and simple recipe to transform an inexpensive cut of meat into something that is really elegant tasting.

  • Sautéed breaded veal chops, Sicilian style with garlic and rosemary

    • nicolepellegrini on September 22, 2019

      One of my all time favorites. If the veal chops are still pretty thick, I find it best to finish them in the oven for a few minutes. That makes sure they're not raw on the bone yet keeps the breadcrumbs from burning.

  • Sautéed veal chops with sage and white wine

    • nicolepellegrini on April 21, 2021

      Exceptionally simple but all you need to do with really good veal.

  • Veal stew with tomatoes and peas

    • nicolepellegrini on May 24, 2019

      First crop of local fresh peas came in this weekend and I couldn't wait to cook with them! This is a very simple recipe with very few ingredients, so of course it needs the best possible ones to shine. I was concerned that the only moisture for the long slow cook would be the juice from the tomatoes, so I added a good half cup or so of dry white wine and I'm glad I did - even so there was a little sticking toward the end. It was quite satisfying, though perhaps not as tasty as a similar Beef stew with peas and rosemary I've made from Cucina Napoletana before.

  • Veal stew with mushrooms

    • nicolepellegrini on March 04, 2017

      Excellent! Classic stew preparation that is not too much work to put together yet has a wonderful flavor. Very good served with mashed potatoes. The hubby gives this one two thumbs up and he's not always the biggest veal fan.

  • Veal scaloppine with mozzarella

    • nicolepellegrini on July 08, 2019

      Can't get much simpler than this. In fact I was skeptical seeing how simple it was, but the flavor was spot-on and it was great for a summer weeknight when I didn't want to fuss.

  • Veal scaloppine with tomato, oregano, and capers

    • nicolepellegrini on December 19, 2018

      Delicious, easy, and a different take on veal scallopine than I'm used to preparing. I'd almost call this "Pizza Veal" because of the flavor evoked by the tomato-oregano combination, and I mean that in a good way.

  • Oven-roasted chicken with garlic and rosemary

    • nicolepellegrini on June 11, 2019

      Another excellent roast chicken recipe from Marcella. Maybe not as transcendent as her Roast Chicken with Lemon but still a fine recipe with classic flavors. The garlic was quite subtle, which I appreciated, and the rosemary just right. I did have a larger bird so I cooked it longer than listed in the book and upped the amount of rosemary and garlic accordingly.

    • Zosia on September 04, 2018

      A classic flavour combination made for a delicious dish. I changed the method slightly as I was using chicken pieces rather than a whole chicken. I applied a paste of garlic and rosemary under the skin and on top of each piece and roasted lemon slices alongside them. I was still able to make a pan sauce from the drippings, which was a good accompaniment.

  • Porgies pan-roasted with marjoram and lemon

    • nicolepellegrini on January 11, 2011

      Love this one! Has long been a staple of my kitchen. Very easy, very good.

  • Sautéed swordfish steaks with capers and vinegar, Stimpirata style

    • nicolepellegrini on January 09, 2019

      Made this with halibut steaks as the recipe says it can be used for various types of fish steaks. Quite liked it. The sauteed celery adds a nice sweetness that balances out the sour flavors of the capers and vinegar.

  • Sweet and sour tuna steaks, Trapani style

    • nicolepellegrini on May 30, 2020

      Very, very good, especially if you like that sweet and sour flavor combination. A nice fast cook that is almost foolproof provided you don't completely overcook the tuna (the onions and vinegar sauce add a lot of moisture.)

  • Shrimp with tomatoes and chili pepper

    • nicolepellegrini on January 07, 2019

      About as simple as you can get, and a great meal for a weeknight when you don't want to fuss and just use up some basic pantry ingredients. Lots of flavor though for something so easy.

  • Fried tidbits of swordfish

    • nicolepellegrini on February 14, 2019

      I've made this a few times and have decided I like it best if I alter the recipe slightly. Instead of patting off all the marinade, I add the eggs to the marinade and then just roll in the flour before frying as is. That seals in more of the parsley and lemon flavor and keeps the swordfish a bit more moist and tender.

  • Roast chicken with lemons

    • nicolepellegrini on March 11, 2019

      Marcella comes through again. This was the best roast chicken I've ever made. I did use a much larger bird (a 6.5 pound roaster) so upped the cooking time accordingly (including beginning for more like 40 minutes instead of 30 for the "upside down" portion). I was afraid at first I'd over-cooked the bird as the outside looked dry, but as soon as I cut into it, it was just bursting with moisture and flavor. The skin was addictively crunchy and tasty, too. So simple and, if you follow the directions properly, just so, so good.

    • Melanie on April 05, 2014

      I thought this was great. I only had one lemon which I sliced before inserting - the result was a delicious lemony moist bird. I cooked the chicken on top of sliced carrots and some par boiled potatoes which I rubbed in oil and salt (these came out super crisp). I added baby asparagus in for the last 5 minutes.

    • Delys77 on November 14, 2013

      Pg. 327 This was very simple and tasty, but not great. Could only fit one medium lemon in the chicken and cook time was close to 90 minutes. Also think a bit of olive oil on the skin would help it brown. Overall an easy roast chicken that yields good results given the minimal effort, but I think there are better roast chicken recipes out there.

    • mzgourmand on May 25, 2017

      I make this chicken dish repeatedly and it is reliably delicious and easy - I have taught various babysitters to make it as well, and once they get the timing down the dish is always fabulous. Some tricks: roll the lemon to soften it first and then use a fork to poke holes on all sides of it, before inserting into the bird. Make sure that you follow recipe instructions to start off with the breast down so that the bird self-bastes. Make sure that you flip the bird over after the first 30 minutes and increase the heat at the end to get that delicious crisp roast skin. Also, let your nose & eyes be your guide in terms of doneness, rather than strictly adhere to Marcella's timing guidelines: I've made this chicken in many different ovens & the timing always varies. Finally, don't buy too big a bird! This is key - better to make two smaller birds than one huge one!

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      Delicious chicken, but not one that you can make gravy from as it is too lemony

  • Boiled swiss chard salad

    • nicolepellegrini on September 08, 2021

      As much as I like swiss chard, it needs a little something more than as prepared in this recipe to bring out more than just its bitterness.

  • Asparagus salad

    • nicolepellegrini on May 04, 2018

      A nice, simple single vegetable salad. The end product will be as good as the red wine vinegar and olive oil you use.

  • Potatoes with onions, tomatoes, and sweet peppers

    • nicolepellegrini on August 05, 2019

      Amazing amount of flavor, especially considering there are no herbs included, nor spices other than salt and pepper. Had the first night with her roast chicken; the next day the leftovers were great with eggs and toast for Sunday brunch. I prepared with small red-skinned potatoes and left the skin on.

    • meginyeg on July 22, 2023

      This was good and easy to get together. Everyone enjoyed it. We will make it again.

    • GiselleMarie on September 23, 2018

      This is easy and delicious! Like many of Marcella’s recipes, she brings out the very best in everyday ingredients.

    • LindaTenS on September 22, 2017

      Great as a leftover too

  • Variation of ragu with pork

    • nicolepellegrini on February 18, 2019

      I wanted to try this as a variation on the usual meat ragu sauce that I make—which is actually quite similar, but I was intrigued by adding the milk so early on, instead of milk or cream near the end as I'm used to. I liked this, as it did seem to incorporate into the sauce better and make it simply richer instead of too creamy. I used ground venison instead of ground beef, as is my usual preference, and added some reconstituted porcini mushrooms with the other vegetables (and then used the soaking liquid instead of water to keep the sauce from getting too dry.) I also added a couple tablespoons of tomato paste. I think it came out excellent, though if I had one thing I'd add next time it would be some herbal component—a bay leaf, maybe some rosemary...just something to give it that final touch.

  • Scallop sauce with olive oil, garlic, and hot pepper

    • nicolepellegrini on August 08, 2018

      A classic recipe from this book I've loved since I was a child. Made it again recently and it's just as good as I remember, just make sure not to overcook the scallops.

    • bellatavia on April 05, 2012

      Basically flawless. I used dried parsley and it was fine though fresh parsley would have given a brighter flavor.

  • Black truffle sauce

    • Astrid5555 on November 07, 2019

      A bit underwhelming, but a good way of using up an open jar of black truffles in oil.

  • Sausages and cream sauce

    • Astrid5555 on December 28, 2016

      This is probably the unhealthiest pasta sauce I know, BUT really delicious! Kids loved it, and on top very quick to make. Perfect for those leftover sausages in the fridge.

    • KarinaFrancis on December 02, 2023

      Delicious, reminds me of a dish a friend of mine used to make.

    • mamacrumbcake on October 14, 2020

      Delicious and very easy but oh so rich. Ok to have once in a while. Short pasta works better than long noodles. Used ½ teaspoon of black pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Might be nice with a touch of hot pepper, and maybe also a touch of acid (squeeze of lemon?).

    • Karen_S. on February 22, 2022

      Calls for sweet sausage, not Italian.

    • hlange on September 07, 2023

      The recipe as it's written results in a total of a mere 2/3 cup of sauce for 16 oz of pasta. The very small amount of sauce distributed over the pasta resulted in all its flavor being diluted and lost. We all agreed it tasted and looked like buttered noodles. Extremely bland. I followed the recipe from the 30th-anniversary edition, so maybe this was an error in this revised version. Needs at least double the amount of sauce for a pound of pasta.

  • Fried eggplant

    • abrownb1 on July 30, 2021

      Perfect base for eggplant Parm! The flour doesn't really make any sort of breading - just helps it brown and crisp up. I grew up with the breadcrumb breading and didn't miss it at all. I think that 1.5 inches of oil was a little much so may try to reduce slightly next time.

  • Pork loin braised in milk, Bolognese style

    • chefmichael on December 28, 2018

      Disclaimer - I’m not good at stovetop braising. BUT as written, this recipe — “minimum heat” and “lazy simmer” and “2.5 -3 hours total” did not in 4(!) hours render my pork shoulder completely tender. It wasn’t tough but did not have the fall-apartness that it should have. And after all the milk and rendered fat I had easily 1.5 cups of fat to scoop out. It was still very delicious. But next time I’m definitely doing this in the oven the whole time with much less fussing than what Marcella prescribes.

    • conwali on January 30, 2012

      I've been making this for years. Very simple and excellent.

    • pattyatbryce on November 17, 2018

      A personal favorite. Don't skip the part about browning the milk solids. They are the best part.

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      Really delicious

  • Egg custard gelato

    • bellatavia on October 11, 2013

      This recipe is simple and results in an aromatic ice cream that knocks your socks off. However, it makes about half the amount of base that a modern American ice cream recipe makes, so always double if you want a pint+ after you spin.

  • Beans and sauerkraut soup

    • bernalgirl on June 15, 2023

      I could not get pork jewels so used a ham hock. This is a sturdy and savory soup that I look forward to making again.

  • Chicken fricassee, Cacciatora style

    • Melanie on September 17, 2013

      Very good. I broke a chicken down but didn't have enough meat - would just use pieces next time. I served with the sautéed courgette rounds (p 523), crunchy roast potatoes and grilled asparagus. Will add crusty bread next time, definitely make again!

    • mharriman on January 25, 2021

      We liked this; it was good comfort food on a cold winter night. I used four skin on, bone in chicken breasts and put them back in the pan after browning for 20 not 10 minutes because they were pretty big breast pieces. The tomato/ wine sauce with the vegetables was lovely. Took one hour from start to finish. Served with Basmati rice but I think rustic bread would have been even better. Update: even better second night with chicken cut in chunks over orzo pasta.

    • JLDuck on February 04, 2023

      A truly excellent recipe. I used chicken thighs with skin and on the bone. Cooked very evenly and quickly - about 30 minutes.

    • purrviciouz on September 10, 2018

      I loved this. I used 6 thighs instead of a whole chicken. I removed the chicken pieces from the pan then tossed egg noodles in the sauce then added the chicken back before serving.

    • LauraMB on August 16, 2023

      I have made this numerous times over the years. I use thighs, as I like the flavor and they remain moist. I like the vegetables, so I do double the onions, carrot, and celery. When I have leftovers, I coarsely shred the chicken and return it to the sauce. Whether freshly made or leftover, I serve with rice.

  • Sautéed zucchini rounds with oregano

    • Melanie on September 17, 2013

      I substituted dried Italian herbs for the oregano - tasted very nice. Served with chicken cacciatora (p351).

  • Butter and Parmesan cheese sauce

    • Delys77 on December 22, 2013

      Pg 192 Nothing could be easier, with just a few ingredients yet tonnes of flavour. Remember to season aggressively with salt and pepper.

    • mharriman on April 08, 2020

      As others mentioned in their notes, this is a simple and flavorful dish. I used Girelle pasta, a great choice. I didn’t pay attention carefully to the instruction that the drained pasta goes into a pre-heated big bowl for tossing the Parmesan Reggiano and butter. I had a big bowl ready, but it wasn’t heated. I don’t know how much better the pasta would have absorbed the butter and grated cheese in a warmed up bowl, but my unheated one worked to my satisfaction. This really felt like an elegant version of Mac n cheese- which I love.

    • clcorbi on February 15, 2018

      Perfection. So simple yet luxurious!

  • Lasagne with mushrooms and ham

    • Delys77 on October 28, 2013

      Pg. 217 At first the amount of dried mushroom made me think this would be too pungent but with the addition of the bechamel the balance was just right between umami mushroom and creamy bechamel. I went with about 5 layers of noodles and finished with a layer of noodles and about 5 tb of béchamel and a sprinkling of parm. Overall I would say I used closer to 1.25 cups of parm and with that amount I gave a generous dusting to the top. I do think the recipe could have done with more bechamel on top, perhaps up to 1/2 a cup. Also I would suggest dicing the ham instead of julienne, I found the slivers of ham less appealing in the final presentation. Also I chopped the dried mushrooms before adding them to the pan. Lovely dish.

    • MWFhome on June 30, 2014

      Made with homemade pasta. Flavors excellent and not hard. Agree that more bechamel is helpful. I liked thin slices of ham fitting into the layers. Great flavors. I seasoned mushrooms with nutmeg.

  • Risotto with sausages

    • Delys77 on November 06, 2013

      Pg. 257 Different from my usual Jamie Oliver risotto which calls for quite a bit of butter, celery, more win, and way more cheese. That said, this risotto is enriched with sausage so it is still quite rich, plus the seasoning of the sausage makes up for the lighter hand on everything else. Overall a very good little risotto that took about 6 cups of stock and around 25 minutes. A bit faster than my usual risotto but it was cooked at a higher average heat. Lastly, I didn't crumble the sausage, instead I sliced it as directed but the final effect was very similar to if it has been crumbled.

    • stef on October 07, 2016

      This recipe is very good. I added italian oregano for a bit of color

  • Vegetable soup, Romagna style

    • Delys77 on November 05, 2013

      Pg. 89 Delicious soup that has tonnes of veggies but takes a fair bit of time to put together. That said most of it is inactive time. Do use the parm rind, and do make sure to dice small and cook for the suggested time. The result is a nice old fashioned rich veggie soup that has the umami hit of the parm.

    • twoyolks on January 10, 2018

      I found the soup to be a bit bland and lacking in flavor.

    • Zosia on November 14, 2017

      This is my family's favourite winter vegetable soup. It has a long cook time with great depth of flavour as a result. I omit the butter, reduce the olive oil to 2 tbsp and use vegetable stock (with Parmesan on the side for those who want) to keep it vegetarian; it's less rich than the recipe as written but no less delicious in my opinion. Served with panini al pomodoro, book of buns.

    • ksg518 on November 14, 2018

      This may be my favorite soup and I make it several times every winter. It does take time but, as noted in another review, most of the time is inactive. But it freezes well, so it can become a quick dinner if you make it for freezing.

    • mharriman on November 03, 2020

      My husband and I aren’t big minestrone soup fans, but it’s probably because we’ve mostly eaten American versions. I decided to make this authentic Italian version and we liked the results. I forgot to buy green beans, so those were missing. The Parmesan rind adds a lot. I added two. This is a hardy, substantial soup that goes well with a crusty, warm bread. As others have noted, you need lots of time to put this together, but most of it is inactive.

    • averythingcooks on February 10, 2023

      I did not have zucchini or green beans on hand but still - this makes a lovely winter soup. I followed the add order/cook times given for everything else (including the parm rind) and I also threw in a big handful of chopped leftover roast pork. I made it the day before we intended to eat it as the author suggests and then finished it with lots of fresh parsley & some spinach. This was a perfect "pantry/fridge/freezer clean out" dinner soup. I saw an EYB comment the other day that lead me here otherwise I might have missed this one - thanks MarieSwe!

    • Livia on November 10, 2019

      Added some bay leaves and herbes de Provence.

    • purrviciouz on August 05, 2019

      This is a favorite soup to make with fresh seasonal summer vegetables. It seems like a long time to have the stove on in the summer but it's well worth it. If you cook for the suggested time you will see the vegetables disintegrate and the flavor is a combination of all. I double the ingredients and freeze most of this to eat later. I agree the Parmesan rind is essential to adding deep umami flavor.

    • MariaSwe on February 08, 2023

      Really great vegetable soup! Lots of chopping and long cooking time, but totally worth it. The flavour was wonderful, and I didn't even use homemade stock.

    • Ganga108 on June 13, 2022

      This soup has a lot longer cooking time than my other favourite veg/minestrone recipes, but I should have trusted her from the get-go. As the other comments say, the flavours are deep and divine. The recipes that cook the soup for much shorter times have a fresh-vegetable flavour, but this one has a deep and more complex flavour that is perfect for Winter. Also it makes a lot, be prepared to freeze leftovers.

  • Rice and chicken salad

    • Delys77 on November 04, 2013

      Pg. 567 Initially the combination of ingredients sounded a bit odd but in the end I quite liked this. I used 3 bone in chicken thighs that I had left over from another recipe and they worked very well. The pickle is essential as there isn't a lot of acidity and sourness to the dish otherwise. Overall I would definitely repeat. My main variance from the recipe is that I simply used the rice cooker to cook the rice.

  • Braised carrots with Parmesan cheese

    • Delys77 on November 07, 2013

      Pg. 480 For me these were not good. After 50 minutes they were fully caramelized and starting to blacken, much less the 1 to 1.5 hours that she suggests. Also, I think the caramelized carrot just doesn't go with the suggested parmesan. Not a flavour combination we enjoyed.

  • Celery and potatoes braised in olive oil and lemon juice

    • Delys77 on October 30, 2013

      Not bad but not great. The peeled celery does impart a nice flavour to the potatoes but the dish is quite blah looking because the celery loses most of its colour. Also, I may have overcooked the potatoes slightly in my efforts to reduce the liquid, which if you put enough to cover takes quite a long time to simmer off. The result however was a rather unappealing plate of whole potatoes, mushed potatoes and washed out celery. Flavour wise the dish was nice though.

  • Pan-roasted chicken with rosemary, garlic, and white wine

    • Delys77 on October 31, 2013

      Pg. 329 I have mixed feelings about this dish. Overall it was pretty good but I think it needs tweaking. I used 7 thighs and the timing worked out to about 17 minutes of cooking after the browning step. The challenge was that the wine boiled off and all I was left with for sauce was fat with a few bits of fonds in it. I would suggest increasing both the rosemary and the garlic and then mashing one of the cloves of garlic into the sauce at the end. I would also remove most of the fat as suggested but add in another 1/2 cup of wine at the end to properly deglaze the pan and make a regular pan sauce. With these modifications I think the dish would be better.

    • kmattingly on October 30, 2012

      I used Marylands for this and the meat was so tender it melted in your mouth

    • JLDuck on June 20, 2017

      Keep the wine bottle handy and add when becoming dry. One of my stand by dishes.

  • Pan-broiled steaks with marsala and chili pepper

    • Delys77 on November 25, 2013

      Pg. 386 Steaks were a bit on the thin side, maybe 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, so they cooked to medium rare in about 2 minutes per side. Sauce comes together very quickly and was quite nice, almost a sweet and sour flavour with a bit of heat. Interesting and quite tasty.

  • Carbonara sauce

    • jbuchman on January 11, 2012

      Page 202. Classic --the real thing. Once you make this version you won't want to try any others.

    • totoro on April 09, 2015

      The perfect technique - thank you Marcella! Follow her instructions and you can't mess this up. I often leave out the garlic/parsley/wine for a simpler dish. Nothing wrong with the way her elaboration tastes though!

    • damazinah on March 26, 2016

      Incredibly good!

    • Lepa on February 18, 2019

      This is lighter and a bit less rich than other carbonara recipes I have tried. The kids and I loved it but my husband prefers the four egg, more cheese versions.

    • alex9179 on May 26, 2016

      My search is over - perfect. Clear instructions made for a success the first time.

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      Very good, though I like to use lemon juice rather than wine fro a brighter note

  • Fricasseed chicken with egg and lemon, Marches style

    • twoyolks on November 22, 2019

      I was really impressed by this. The chicken stock reduces down to a consistency that coats the chicken and then the egg yolks thicken the sauce. The lemon juice provides nice acidity (or makes it a little bit spicy if you ask my daughter). I'm not convinced the cooking times are accurate. I used a small chicken (2.3 lbs) and the breasts were well undercooked given the cooking time in the recipe (10 mintutes) so I continued to cook them for about 10 minutes longer.

    • mzgourmand on October 21, 2018

      One of my favorite recipes in the world - and literally everyone who eats it loves it as well. Onions are supposed to be lightly browned before you add the chicken and brown it but it is very easy for the onions to scorch this way, because of the extended cooking time, so I have started to make an extra batch of sauteed onions to have on hand so I can remove the charred ones.

  • Grilled marinated spareribs

    • twoyolks on July 05, 2017

      I marinated the spareribs over night but they didn't really pick up much flavor from the marinade.

  • Sautéed Swiss chard stalks with olive oil, garlic, and parsley

    • twoyolks on February 02, 2016

      It's hard to make Swiss chard stalks seem attractive but this worked for me. The stalks become soft but with just enough give. The flavor is on the subtle side but still quite good.

    • Zosia on November 04, 2015

      This recipe really brought out the sweetness and subtle flavour of the stalks. 10 minutes in boiling water made them tender enough for me. Not a very attractive dish but delicious.

    • Rutabaga on November 09, 2015

      I made this dish using both the stalks and leaves, but just added the leaved about five minutes prior to draining the chard. In total, I cooked it between 20-25 minutes, which was plenty. You could easily cook them less and still have a nice, silky preparation when slicked with the garlic oil. Because I love garlic with chard, I added extra, and also stirred in a couple tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Very flavorful!

  • Hollowed zucchini stuffed with beef, ham, and Parmesan cheese

    • twoyolks on July 13, 2015

      Despite the parmesan and prosciutto, the filling needs to be seasoned generously with salt. Overall, this was just bland. The filling didn't have a lot of flavor nor did the zucchini. The best part about this was the slow-cooked onions.

  • Zucchini gratin with tomato and marjoram

    • twoyolks on July 15, 2023

      The zucchini and the tomatoes meld together while baking and become very tender. The cheese makes this a bit better than other similar gratins.

  • Baked rigatoni with Bolognese meat sauce

    • twoyolks on May 18, 2024

      This was honestly a bit disappointing of a use for Bolognese sauce. It wasn't bad but it didn't have the same qualities as either a lasagna bolognese or a fettucini bologense.

    • Rachaelsb on March 21, 2018

      Hearty, rich, delicious.

  • Risotto with zucchini

    • twoyolks on August 09, 2013

      This seems like risotto with zucchini mixed in. The zucchini doesn't add any flavor to the risotto and the zucchini itself has little flavor.

    • Ganga108 on June 09, 2023

      A classic style risotto with the gentleness of zucchini. Creamy with the butter and parmesan. This is a soft risotto, almost to the point of runny - my style exactly. The only changes I made were to add some diced celery with the onion, and to add a splash or two of white wine, stirred until absorbed, before adding any stock. Oh, and a vegetarian "chicken" stock rather than meat stock. Very much enjoyed.

  • Tortellini with meat and cheese filling

    • twoyolks on January 09, 2018

      This was probably the most flavorful filling I've made for stuffed pasta. I served them with a butter and cream sauce and they were quite tasty. This made way more filling than I could possibly have used. I used pork tenderloin instead of pork butt and I think it worked fine. These were a lot of work to make but not as bad as I had expected. It took me about 1.25 hours to make ~150 tortellini.

  • Tomato Bruschetta

    • twoyolks on April 05, 2016

      A simple but tasty tomato bruschetta. This definitely depends on the quality of the tomatoes. I substituted marjoram for oregano or basil as that's all I had.

  • Marinated carrot sticks

    • twoyolks on November 18, 2016

      I really liked these. The carrots pick up a lot of flavor from the garlic and oregano. There's just enough acid from the red wine vinegar. These were really good with braised beef as the acid helped cut the richness.

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      Surprisingly good for such a simple recipe

    • amgenove on August 16, 2020

      Made this for a family gathering. So easy, yet delicious!

  • Chick pea soup

    • twoyolks on January 27, 2016

      For such simple ingredients, this is actually pretty tasty.

    • stef on January 31, 2017

      This is a very good soup. I didn't have rosmary so used dried sage. I used my immersion blender on it

  • Novara's bean and vegetable soup

    • meggan on December 28, 2017

      Used cannellini instead of cranberry beans a little more stock than called for. A nice hearty soup - better the next day.

  • Lentil soup with rice

    • okmosa on August 10, 2022

      Marcella had me at lentils and rice, one of my favorite combinations. I didn’t believe the small amount of tomato would matter, but it did. I didn’t think the small amount of arborio rice was enough, but it was perfect. I even made the basic beef stock because I had everything on hand. However, the pancetta was a little too strong and rich for me, maybe it was my pancetta, but I’ll use less next time. And I can see reasonable shortcuts to get this into my rotation. Delicious!

    • Zosia on February 15, 2014

      Hearty and delicious soup that starts with one of Marcella's fabulous tomato sauces as its base. The flavour is even better the second day but the texture of the rice is compromised - not a problem in my family where mushy rice is acceptable in a soup! I make a vegetarian version with vegetable stock and a Parmesan rind for added flavour and I keep a little stock on hand to thin out the leftovers.

    • Lepa on December 05, 2018

      This is one of the best lentil soups I have ever had the pleasure to eat. It cooks for a while on the stove but couldn't be easier to prepare. Such a treat on a cold, wet winter evening!

    • sosayi on October 29, 2018

      A warming and cozy cold weather soup! Loved the rice and lentil combination (I used puy lentils and arborio), and as Zosia called out, anything that starts with one of Marcella's tomato sauces is a winner. The use of beef broth is lovely, too, and I also added a parmesan rind to mine. This made perfectly enough for 4 people.

  • Winter meatballs with savoy cabbage

    • Bloominanglophile on October 23, 2013

      (2011) The meatballs in this dish were fine, but overall I felt this dish was good, not great.

  • Baked radicchio

    • Bloominanglophile on October 23, 2013

      I enjoyed this, especially the crispy parts which get nice and nutty. It was a bit bitter for my family, however. Oh well, more for me!

  • A chocolate dessert with rum and coffee

    • dclong on August 02, 2015

      This combines a lot of my loves: coffee, chocolate, and rum. Marcella's notes mentions this recipe takes "little effort", but I found it time consuming. You need to make a chocolate mousse in advance. The recipe calls for the use of cheesecloth and a double boiler.

  • Spareribs pan-roasted with sage and white wine, Treviso style

    • dclong on August 02, 2015

      This is one of those recipes that pops into my head and I have to make once a year when it gets cold out. Simple, tasty, and cozy. I always make it with Marcella's Italian Mashed Potatoes.

    • GiselleMarie on October 21, 2019

      I made this in a Lodge non-stick pan. During the braising, the ribs didn’t leave the browned bits I needed to make the gravy, so I proceeded without them. I lost patience waiting for the juices to darken and thicken. Finally, I used a little cornstarch solution to thicken the gravy and it tasted good served over the ribs and Marcella’s Italian mashed potatoes.

  • Braised carrots with capers

    • dclong on August 02, 2015

      I like how the capers and parsley cut through the sweetness of the cooked carrots. I think salt packed capers are the way to go, instead of brined, with their floral character. The recipe calls for cooking the carrots in 1/4 water until reduced and repeating for 20-30 minutes to create a glaze. The first time I cooked this, I used that method. That's too much work for me, so now I start out with more water and worked on the glaze near the end of the cooking time to avoid baby sitting the dish.

    • kitchen_chick on December 15, 2020

      A tasty and simple dish. I agree with reducing the oil by 1-1.5Tbs. It may take a bit more work to get the carrots coated at the start, but there will be less excess at the end.

    • Shelmar on September 05, 2019

      Replaced parsley with mint, excellent, but cut oil in half.

  • Spinach and ricotta gnocchi

    • sturlington on October 23, 2014

      The gratineed version of this that follows is excellent. p262

    • KarinaFrancis on March 30, 2014

      I used frozen spinach and it turned out just great. Will take Marcella's advice and try the tomato cream sauce next time, and there will be a next time.

    • mharriman on March 29, 2018

      I messed up because I didn’t read the recipe before buying the ingredients. I was looking for a cheese and green vegetable pasta sauce to go with frozen prepared gnocchi, and the index in this cookbook lists “ spinach and ricotta” under Pasta Sauces. So, when I read the instructions before beginning, I was chagrined to see that this isn’t a sauce recipe but a gnocchi recipe! I decided to make a sauce from the onion, pancetta, ricotta, Parmesan, and spinach, and it turned out so well that my husband asked that we repeat it soon. I added half and half which helped break down the ricotta. Next time, I will omit the ricotta and blend all the other ingredients to use with already prepared potato gnocchi.

    • Wojtanowski on August 21, 2018

      Great recipe...made with sage butter sauce...makes a fair amount but they are light...used as a side dish to porchetta

    • Wojtanowski on August 21, 2018

      Nice recipe...people enjoyed it well..great leftovers too. Made with sage butter sauce...it’s a good do-ahead recipe and warm in the oven for a dinner party.

  • Cream and butter sauce

    • sturlington on October 23, 2014

      This is the classic alfredo sauce. Absolutely delicious but best reserved for special occasions. p193

    • Lepa on March 08, 2018

      I had some cream that was about to go bad and decided to make this. It tasted very good when it was warm. I picked at the cold leftovers and it was oily, not creamy. Not sure if this will be good tomorrow for lunch.

    • PanNan on January 12, 2021

      This is an outstanding and simple Alfredo sauce recipe. - our family's go-to when making fettucine alfredo.

  • Basic bruschetta

    • sturlington on March 26, 2013

      This is an excellent guide to how to make the quintessential Italian garlic bread and the only bruschetta recipe you need. Includes the classic tomato-topped version. P73

    • Beebopalulu on December 02, 2019

      Excellent basic recipe.

  • Frittata with cheese

    • sturlington on May 20, 2013

      P279. A pretty basic recipe, but the best method for cooking frittata that I know.

  • Great mixed raw salad

    • sturlington on March 26, 2013

      This mixed salad is a favorite for family dinners. p546

    • SpatulaCity on November 13, 2023

      Lovely salad! Thought it would be boring, but the variety of greens and veg all work together so well. I did add some fresh basil and shaved Parmesan, and used marinated artichoke hearts in place of fresh.

  • Almond and lemon cookies

    • JKDLady on November 09, 2012

      I made these today and was so disappointed. I measured the ingredients, but when I used the food processor, the dough would not stick together. Thinking that my eggs were too small, I put in another egg yolk. Still nothing. So I added one more. Still nothing. I then added lemon extract and almond extract. At this point, I did not feel I was following the recipe. The taste in the end was nice and lemony, but I would not make this recipe again.

  • Stuffed whole squid braised with tomatoes and white wine

    • KarinaFrancis on June 30, 2019

      Last time I made this dish was around 15 years ago and after cleaning 3 huge squid I remembered why. But it is a very delicious dish and worth the effort, I will make it again.

  • Frittata with pasta

    • thekitchenchronicles on January 17, 2013

      Found it a bit dry and lacking flavor.

    • Lepa on July 22, 2016

      We were disappointed in this recipe. I was surprised after reading glowing reviews of it on the internet.

  • Gratinnéed spinach and ricotta gnocchi

    • thekitchenchronicles on November 03, 2014

      http://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2014/02/25/gratinneed-spinach-and-ricotta-gnocchi/

  • Braised and gratinéed celery stalks with Parmesan cheese

    • thekitchenchronicles on January 17, 2013

      Could not believe celery could taste this good- kept eating it out of the baking dish.

  • Baked escarole torta

    • minerva on March 01, 2014

      I think I don't like escarole that has been cooked very much. This could be better with spinach and less salty ingredients.

  • Fava beans, Roman style

    • RogerP on May 27, 2023

      Good. The 'authentic' recipe uses guanciale instead of pancetta; use that if you can get it.

  • Potato soup with smothered onions

    • Globegal on December 01, 2023

      This was ok. This didn’t have enough flavor for me. Tasted better after more salt. Probably would like better “as is” the next day. Because the soup reminded me of a baked potato, I decided to add sour cream. Liked much better.

    • Karen_S. on March 06, 2022

      The way she has you cook onions is very different from how I've cooked them up to now. I decided to go with her method for this and this soup was fantastic. I put a parm rind in with the broth and that didn't hurt it a bit. It does take a while for the onions to do their thing.

  • Spinach or escarole soup with rice

    • rmardel on June 19, 2021

      This is a household favorite. I always make it with escarole, as in the original Classic Italian Cookbook.

    • kakmullen on March 24, 2020

      It is easy and delicious.

    • ashallen on June 21, 2021

      I had more escarole than I knew what to do with, but thanks to rmardel's note, I made this very good and easy soup. Besides the escarole, it uses ingredients I generally have on hand. Very comforting flavors and a thick texture which got thicker as it sat and the rice absorbed more stock. You can really taste the stock since the soup is so simple - I used a strong homemade chicken stock and that worked well. Bitter flavors aren't my favorite and I was concerned the bitterness in the raw escarole would carry into the soup, but they totally mellowed with cooking. Used jasmine rice instead of Arborio and that seemed to work fine. Leftovers froze quite well for a starchy soup.

  • Ricotta fritters

    • stockholm28 on January 29, 2014

      These were really delicious. They are kind of like a small doughnut with a creamy center. They are quite easy to make. I served some rolled in 5 spice powder sugar (think cinnamon sugar, but using 5 spice instead) instead of the honey. They were also delicious.

  • Asparagus and prosciutto bundles

    • stockholm28 on April 15, 2021

      I made two bundles for dinner and they were delicious. I did not have fat asparagus; I used medium thick asparagus and did not bother to boil them first, but did cook the full 20 minutes. I used Edwards ”Surryano” ham (which tastes like prosciutto) and fontina. There was a lot of oil/ butter in the pan after cooking, but the prosciutto was crispy delicious. Definitely a repeat during asparagus season.

    • Jviney on April 10, 2021

      These were so good. We couldn’t find a way to fit all the cheese in, so we did our best and it was a delicious main. Absolutely would make again, and maybe double it.

  • Palermo's stuffed pizza with broccoli and ricotta conza

    • Zosia on January 31, 2016

      This was a really fun and tasty addition to family pizza night. The dough was easy to work with and the filling was quite flavourful despite some of the somewhat bland ingredients that went into it. However, thrice-cooked broccoli is cooked one time too many for me. Even though I shortened the blanching and sauteing times, I couldn't change the final baking time. I'll skip the blanching step next time.

  • Macerated orange slices

    • Zosia on February 25, 2016

      Very refreshing dessert, particularly good as a bright ending to a heavy winter meal, though I would happily consume it at any time of year. I used half the sugar and the juice of the whole lemon.

  • Layered crespelle with tomato, prosciutto, and cheese

    • Zosia on February 25, 2016

      A savoury crêpe cake that tastes like pizza…who wouldn’t love it! This was a huge hit with family. I omitted the prosciutto.

  • Frittata with artichokes

    • Zosia on July 24, 2014

      I love the author's foolproof method of starting the frittata in the pan and finishing it under the broiler - it works perfectly every time. For this variation, I cheated and used frozen artichoke hearts, sliced and cooked them in a little olive oil until they were golden and added the squeeze of lemon juice and the garlic towards the end of cooking. I followed the rest of the recipe as written. Easy and delicious!

  • Potato and green pea soup

    • Zosia on November 27, 2013

      Simple but flavourful soup that uses basic ingredients. I used Yukon Gold potatoes cut in a larger dice than specified so my soup was probably not as thick as it should have been, but still yummy. I used only half the butter and oil.

  • Prosciutto and cream sauce

    • Zosia on January 19, 2017

      A bit bland for us. We prefer the variations that include peas and/or mushrooms which both add flavour and make the sauce seem less rich.

    • metacritic on January 09, 2023

      An all-time favorite recipe with our family. Always fantastic in a pinch, requiring only good prosciutto, some cream, and parmesan. This is a perfect wintery comfort dish that could not be easier.

  • Chickpea soup with rice

    • mharriman on August 12, 2017

      Excellent soup. Except for the dried rosemary instructions (missed the part about pulverizing it to almost powder) and suggested homemade meat broth (used better than boullion beef), I made this exactly according to instructions. It was delicious. I added dollops of sour cream on top of the soup which added a flavorful contrast. This was very good on a cooler, rainy summer evening but will be perfect on a fall or winter evening. Served with pita bread but a crusty one would work just as well to sop up the wonderful broth.

  • Pesto with ricotta

    • mharriman on July 07, 2019

      A delicious sauce. I liked the use of ricotta to lighten it up. Sometimes, pesto seems really heavy to me. Not this recipe. I used dry fettuccine instead of the recommended spaghetti and was happy with the results.

  • Sautéed zucchini rounds with onions

    • mharriman on December 19, 2018

      Easy to prepare and sauté while my (Thomas Keller recipe) roasted whole chicken was resting. Wonderful flavor and a nice pairing with the chicken. Definitely will repeat.

    • Larkspur on July 12, 2018

      Delicious—this has become one of our favorite ways to cook summer squash!

  • Crisp-fried zucchini blossoms

    • Rutabaga on August 01, 2015

      This the simplest, yet in some ways best, way to fry zucchini blossoms. Without cheese or any other rich fillings, the delicate sunny flavor of the blossoms really shines through. My blossoms don't "butterfly" out as beautifully as Hazan suggests they should (perhaps that's meant for bigger blossoms), but that doesn't affect how delicious they are.

    • AMFriedman on November 24, 2018

      I find that a squirt of lemon juice on top of the blossoms immediately before serving is nice on these.

    • Kag2020 on August 16, 2023

      Delicious. Marcella also gives a perfect description as to the look of the batter — it should look like sour cream. Made it so easy. There are more involved ways to make this batter but I don’t think they’re necessary.

  • Baked semolina gnocchi

    • Rutabaga on November 09, 2015

      I had some difficulty with these gnocchi. Hazan suggests that if you don't cook the semolina with the milk on the stove long enough, it will fall apart in the oven. She also suggests that it should be ready after 15-20 minutes of stovetop stirring. However, I had gotten up to 25 minutes and still didn't have quite the consistency recommended. Since little had changed in the last five minutes of stirring (despite turning up the heat), I decided maybe this was it, and spread it out on the counter. Once it cooled, it was too soft to cut into rounds, so I rolled it into balls, realizing this was not a good sign. Sure enough, in the oven it turned to mush, albeit a pretty good tasting mush. This made it seem a little more like a rich breakfast dish than dinner. The recipe implies you should be stirring the semolina on low heat, but I think I would have to crank it back to medium, and my stove runs pretty hot. Either that, or the semolina to milk ratio just didn't work for my semolina.

    • Karen_S. on February 23, 2022

      Gnocchi alla Romana

  • Sliced potatoes baked with porcini and fresh cultivated mushrooms, Riviera style

    • stef on November 14, 2017

      This was extremely good. Used russet potatoes and did it in a large cast iron. Served with pork tenderloin,green beans and salad

    • purrviciouz on October 08, 2018

      This was fantastic and very easy to put together. I served this as a side to grilled pork chops.

  • Gorgonzola sauce

    • lkgrover on December 06, 2023

      Excellent Gorgonzola & cream pasta sauce; simple & delicious. I served with spinach gnocchi, but any pasta would be good.

    • sosadetz on June 22, 2020

      This is such a wonderful sauce. When I reach for this cookbook, I'm usually thinking of the tomato sauce or the Bolognese sauce, but this one has also won me over. I tend to think of this as a winter sauce, because it's so rich.

  • Pork sausages with black-eyed peas and tomatoes

    • katenolan on July 11, 2018

      Used mild Italian sausage, but otherwise made per the recipe. In the future, will add the sausage towards the end of cooking so it does not dry out and leach all of its fat into the sauce (which is delicious!).

  • Braised pork chops with two wines

    • JLDuck on December 17, 2014

      Suggest halve the sauce. Also may need to cook for less time. Suggest 45 minutes.

  • A farm wife's fresh pear tart

    • Poppyseedbagel on September 27, 2015

      This is lovely so simple and fresh. I use only 170g sugar.

    • KatieK1 on April 02, 2024

      The cloves are optional.

  • Bechamel sauce

    • totoro on April 09, 2015

      This technique guarantees you a smooth sauce. You don't need to be quite as cautious with the liquid as she says, though!

    • apw2020 on June 25, 2022

      I made this bechamel for the base of a Croque Monsieur and it was HEAVENLY. I added a little bit of fresh microplaned nutmeg to the sauce, which really deepened the flavor profile.

  • Eggplant patties with parsley, garlic, and Parmesan

    • damazinah on January 10, 2016

      These are really good! I served them as per the suggested variation, with mozzarella melted on top, and added some marinara sauce. They made a great vegetarian main, along with sauteed spinach on the side.

  • Radicchio and warm bean salad

    • Lepa on September 12, 2018

      I love a similar salad from Verdura and thought of this one when I saw Treviso radicchio and fresh cranberry beans at the farmers market. This is more simple than the version in Verdura but very good. Because it is so simple I think the fresh beans are essential.

  • Pasta and bean soup

    • Lepa on May 31, 2020

      Wow, this soup was the best I've ever made. Many years ago I ate my first bowl of pasta e fagioli in Florence. It's one of my top food memories and I've never been able to recapture that exquisite bowl of soup, even on subsequent trips to Italy. I make it a few times a month, usually from a Deborah Madison recipe, and it's my kids' favorite food. None of my soup ever came close to the soup in Florence- until now. I am just stunned by how good it was. I made some changes I should note. I used pancetta because that's what I had (about 3 ounces). I used dried cranberry beans from Rancho Gordo. I used bone broth and also a parmesan rind in the broth. I made homemade maltagliati pasta from the recipe in this book (I think the silky homemade noodles are what made this soup so very good). I pureed about 1/3 of the soup with an immersion blender before adding the noodles.

    • MeganGarcia on April 18, 2019

      I felt this recipe needed to have the pasta adjusted. It calls for 1/2 lb of dried pasta which seems like way too much. I halved that, and turned out with a great pasta fagioli...not soupy but not dry. I used 4 baby back ribs, which I loved in this dish. I increased the following ingredients: a whole medium onion, 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot. I deglazed the pot with some white wine after browning the ribs, and I added about 1/4 t of fresh minced rosemary. I used cooked dried cranberry beans but simmered longer than the recipe states, so the ribs could get tender. I didn't mash any beans. I'd make it again using these alterations, because it turned out quite excellent.

  • Risotto with spring vegetables, tomato, and basil

    • e_ballad on January 30, 2018

      A good risotto, but not an amazing risotto.

    • Pamsy on July 31, 2022

      This was okay, colourful, but the flavours of the vegetables didn't shine through. However, as I always have the ingredients in the fridge, I may well make again. UPDATE; Duck stock improves the flavour as did roasting the halved cherry tomatoes for 10 mins before adding to the rice, 5 mins before the end of cooking.

  • Stuffed spaghetti frittata with tomato, mozzarella, and ham

    • e_ballad on July 15, 2019

      An excellent midweek dish & a hit with the kiddo.

  • Crostini bianchi--ricotta and anchovy canape

    • Frogcake on August 11, 2024

      A very nice appetizer that comes together in minutes. I served this with homemade baguette toasts.

  • Rabbit with rosemary and white wine

    • meginyeg on August 01, 2022

      This was good. Simple easy and tasty.

  • Pizzoccheri

    • tmitra on January 13, 2022

      I used store-bought fettuccine, and the dish was just okay. I imagine it's special (and easier to toss!) with the homemade pasta.

  • Potato soup with carrots and celery

    • Wahnamhong on November 19, 2017

      Very good recipe, easy to make.

  • Sautéed broccoli with olive oil and garlic

    • clcorbi on October 04, 2017

      This is a good and simple way to cook broccoli. The garlic flavor really permeated the broccoli which I liked. I want to try the variation with butter and parm next as I suspect we'd like that even more. Just a note--the ingredients are indexed incorrectly, the garam masala should be garlic.

  • Grilled chicken alla Diavola, Roman style

    • Maefleur on March 05, 2023

      Simple, juicy, tender and flavorful. We enjoyed the peppery spice.

  • Braised Finocchio with butter and Parmesan

    • SpatulaCity on October 13, 2023

      This recipe yields some luscious and buttery fennel. I appreciate the relatively hands off method - simply turn and flip the fennel slices occasionally throughout cooking. I can see adding some herbs to the butter bath to soak into the fennel as well. Because the fennel becomes so buttery, this would be best served on the side of a simple protein. If you leave the fennel in the pan and forget about it while doing laundry (who would?!) it gets caramelized and toasty. Big flavor at both levels of doneness

  • Tomato sauce with olive oil and chopped vegetables with marjoram and two cheeses

    • SpatulaCity on October 23, 2023

      All the cheese, please! As someone who loves mounds of Parmesan, I thought the addition of parm and pecorino directly into the sauce was a great move. The marjoram adds a touch of earthy nuance, but is barely discernible. With the carrots and onion, this is a slightly sweeter sauce, which is great if you don’t care for the overly acidic tomato sauces of yore. Because the veg doesn’t go through a sweating stage primarily, some bits retain their crunchiness. Not sure if I didn’t measure my tomatoes correctly, or possibly simmered too long or at too high of a heat, but there was barely enough sauce for 8oz of spaghetti. I will make again, though possibly cut down on the carrot in effort to cut the sweetness, and sweat the veg for a few min first.

  • Mashed potatoes with milk and Parmesan cheese, Bolognese style

    • averythingcooks on March 09, 2023

      I also cooked my potatoes (peeled Yukon golds) in the instant pot and skipped the double boiler for mixing but I did follow her instructions to run them through the ricer, to make them at the last minute and to "not cease to beat...unless I must rest my arm" :) I did not need all the milk, as she warns and I served them topped with a lovely Italian beef braise. It's easy to adjust the amount of cheese to taste and these are definitely worth repeating.

    • heatherlee on January 08, 2022

      I made this to accompany the "pot roast of beef braised in red wine (page 393)". For convenience I steamed the potatoes in a pressure cooker rather than boiling the potatoes in a pot of water. I skipped the double boiler method and warmed the milk in the microwave, then added the milk incrementally to the mashed potatoes and butter. I will make this again, next time with a bit more parmesan cheese.

  • Ricotta and coffee cream

    • GiselleMarie on March 04, 2021

      This is delicious! I had only our regular strong brewed coffee, so I used that rather than espresso. I accidentally put in twice as much rum as I should have but we loved the results. Since it was just for my husband and me on a weeknight, I didn’t garnish each goblet with coffee beans either, but if I were to serve this to company, which I will, they would really help the presentation.

    • GiselleMarie on March 05, 2021

      Regarding my note below, using too much rum resulted in a dessert that was a little too liquidy. The excess rum sank to the bottom of the goblets while they chilled in the fridge. Still, we loved this!

  • Baked polenta with Bolognese meat sauce

    • sosayi on April 12, 2018

      Essentially a lasagna style dish: polenta layered with bolognese, bechamel and parmesan. Great way to use some leftover bolognese and very warming and hearty on an unseasonably cold April night.

  • Polenta

    • sosayi on April 12, 2018

      Excellent instructions and ratios for making polenta. Her "no-stir" method (stirring once every 10 minutes for 1 minute instead of constantly) worked out perfectly.

  • Banana and rum gelato

    • Pamsy on January 15, 2020

      Disappointing flavour and texture. Not one to be repeated.

  • Grandmother's pastry ring

    • Karen_S. on February 22, 2022

      Ciambella.

  • Venetian lemon and strawberry slush with sparkling wine

    • Karen_S. on February 22, 2022

      Sgroppino,.

  • Beef stew with red wine and vegetables

    • amandabeck on October 13, 2018

      I love a good beef stew, but I found this one to be disappointing and bland. Would not make again.

  • Barley soup in the style of Trent

    • Livia on December 03, 2019

      Swapped barley for small pasta shapes. Added a spoon of bouillon and chicken stock pouch. Added parmesan rind instead of the sprinkle at the end.

  • Prosciutto and cream sauce

    • pattyatbryce on October 30, 2022

      Easier than carbonara and infinitely adaptable. Add mushrooms, alums, peas, or whatever to suit you.

  • Baked zucchini stuffed with ham and cheese

    • Jviney on April 10, 2021

      For me, the star of the “elegant menu with homemade pasta.” Yes, there were several steps involved with this: the bechamel, the boiling and scooping of zucchini, but it was so delicious. My zucchini-loving husband ate a full zucchini and a half and wished he could have more.

  • Braised whole veal shank, Trieste style (ossobuco)

    • Totallywired on January 02, 2019

      Terrific. Low intervention slow braise which yields a perfectly reduced sauce, rich and deep, magically more than its few ingredients. When handling raw, I questioned whether the shanks would yield enough but they really expand with cooking. Recipe says serves 4 but would easily serve 6 as part of a larger meal.

  • Risotto with Parmesan cheese

    • heatherlee on February 17, 2019

      Having never prepared risotto before, I decided to start with this simple recipe. In the book this recipe immediately follows the more detailed instructions on risotto. For a first effort, I was very pleased with the outcome of this basic recipe and would make again - although I plan to try some of the other risotto recipes in the book first.

  • Baby lamb, pan-roasted Roman style

    • Shelmar on September 05, 2019

      Very good.

  • Palermo's stuffed pizza with tomato and anchovy conza

    • lindseyshannon34 on August 27, 2022

      This was very good. The dough was very sticky so have a lot of cornmeal on hand to make sure you can get it off the peel. I added a layer of cheese on top of the tomatoes before putting the top crust on. This was to appease my 5 year old. It worked, he gobbled it up.

  • Roasted peppers and anchovies

    • Ganga108 on October 05, 2024

      Made without the anchovies, as vegetarian. The instructions are clear and detailed. A lovely way to prepare capsicums and have them ready for an infinite variety of uses. I am using the garlic, capers and red and orange capsicums, stored for the week ahead. A very similar approach is taken in Jam Today (Tod Davies), written as tho he is channeling Hazan, altho the recipe is specified in just a few lines :).

  • Braised leeks with Parmesan cheese

  • Treviso Radicchio with bacon

    • Ganga108 on October 03, 2024

      I made a vegetarian version (left out the bacon, tossed with a couple of earthy herbs/spices near the end of cooking). Classic, easy, delicious dish of these slightly bitter leaves.

  • Basic pizza dough

    • Ganga108 on May 22, 2022

      (P623) I made Jamie Oliver's 15 min rise dough (in Jamie's Italy) and Marcella's "slap and knead" technique, 3 hour rise dough, to compare the doughs. This dough is absolutely gorgeous. Absolutely. When you have time, it is the dough to make. (I suspect it can also be risen overnight in the fridge.) She specifies unbleached flour, I used baker's flour.

  • Braised veal shanks, Milanese style (ossobuco)

    • catmummery on April 21, 2024

      loved loved loved this. Absolutely delicious, melt in the mouth meat in a thick, unctuous sauce. 2 hours was perfect cooking time. Had with saffron risotto, recipe from the same book. One of the best things I've made according to husband!

    • LauraMB on August 16, 2023

      I enjoyed this dish. I reversed the preparation order to only use one pot: step 3 is browning the veal. I did this first and set the browned shanks aside. Then I sautéed the vegetables.

  • Bolognese rice cake

    • LauraMB on August 16, 2023

      Very good.

  • Ferrara's crumbly cake

    • LauraMB on August 16, 2023

      This cake is more like a large, crumbly, cornmeal shortbread cookie. I enjoyed it.

  • Fresh fruit whips

    • Logan92995 on August 25, 2024

      Not bad, but the recommended fruit (a banana) to make this with is not the one I would probably use again as it kind of contrasts with the Maraschino liqueur. I'd recommend either using strawberries or peaches

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Reviews about this book

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    The best way to "understand true Italian cuisine minus the airfare.

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  • Food52 by Celia Sack

    The bible for Italian cooks, including the proper way to make a Bolognese.

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  • Food52 by Matt Sartwell

    It’s comprehensive, it’s thorough, she’s brilliant. It’s got the scope, it’s got the depth, and if you want to learn recipes for a lot of well known dishes in Italian cuisine...it’s a great choice.

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  • Food52

    Picked for Food52's October 2018 Cookbook Club.

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Reviews about Recipes in this Book

  • ISBN 10 0307958302
  • ISBN 13 9780307958303
  • Published Jul 20 2011
  • Format eBook
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Knopf
  • Imprint Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group


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