• arl8058 on March 01, 2022

  So excited. Just found this at the thrift store for one dollar! Can't wait to dig into it. Where to begin?

• featherbooks on April 19, 2013

  Notable Recipes according to 101 Classic Cookbooks (2012): Arrosto di maiale al latte, p.535, Baby Lamb Chops Fried in Parmesan Cheese, Blender Pesto, p. 432, Chicken al diavolo, Coniglio in padella, p. 555, Fried Artichoke Wedges, Home-Made Egg Pasta, Ossobucco alla milanese, p. 550, Ragu, p. 527, Scaloppini di vittelo al marsala, p. 549, Vitello tonnato, p. 552, Zuppa di scarole e riso, p. 342.

• Breadcrumbs on December 28, 2011

  Note: No need to purchase as Marcella paired this book w More Classic Italian Cooking in her "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" which I own.

• judyhm on October 02, 2011

  This is the book that taught me about Italian food. I love the recipes for minestrone soup, pesto, spaghetti with garlic and oil, risotto with Parmesan Cheese, some of the tomato sauce recipes, the beef ragu

• crjoburke on December 27, 2009

  The title says it all.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Béchamel sauce (Salsa balsamella)

  • anya_sf on May 06, 2021

    Helpful instructions for this classic recipe yield a perfectly smooth sauce.

  • Dannausc on January 24, 2022

    I made it for lasagne. Fairly easy. Turned out fine.

• Cold salmon foam (Spuma fredda di salmone)

  • okcook on April 21, 2013

    So simple. It makes a lovely light 'mouse' like spread. It was a real hit at my Italian dinner party. Served it with crisp endive leaves but people were spreading it on the homemade bread also.

• Shrimps with oil and lemon (Gamberetti all'olio e limone)

  • debhall on January 31, 2013

    Add red pepper flakes

• Mussel soup (Zuppa di cozze)

  • PinchOfSalt on April 15, 2023

    Made this using crushed tomatoes instead of whole canned tomatoes. Don't do this - there is a cooking stage to make the sauce that is before you add the mussels. Its purpose is to cook down the whole tomatoes. I realized this too late, but was able to work around the mismatch by cutting down the cooking time. The finished dish was tasty, but I very much prefer the Arthur Schwartz version from Soup Suppers.

• Vegetable soup (Minestrone di Romagna)

  • lorloff on July 04, 2016

    This was a lot of work and long time cooking but in flavor at the end worth every minute. We followed the recipe and added other vegetables we had in the house in addition. These were chopped up sugar snap and snow peas and added fresh favas. The soup cooks so long the fava did not need a second peeling. Added some intense tomato paste from Sicily at the end too Strattu concentrated tomato paste available from Sicily.

  • k8stp on September 11, 2020

    Used vegetable stock. One of best soups I've ever eaten.

  • infotrop on October 11, 2021

    Perfect for a chilly autumn evening. I used vegetable broth rather than beef broth, skipped the cabbage & took Marcela Hazan's suggestion of a dollop of pesto on top

  • LemonVerbena on June 03, 2023

    I have the older version of this cookbook so I don't know if the recipe is the same. It is an excellent soup. But I did not use nearly the (1/2 cup) oil and (3 Tbsp) butter. I did not use the parmesan rind and prefer to sprinkle the cheese on at the table. It is very forgiving with the amounts of vegetables, for instance I used a whole (14 oz) can of tomatoes instead of the 2/3 cup called for and used canned green beans but I think it would be better with fresh. I also use chicken broth.

• Minestrone, hot, with pesto

  • ruth115 on January 11, 2014

    The best minestrone recipe-no pasta just beautiful veg. You'll need a big pan. Astonishes everyone I've given it to.

• Red cabbage soup (Zuppa di cavolo nero)

  • rmardel on June 19, 2021

    Although the title of this dish calls for cavolo Nero the recipe specifies red cabbage. This is how I made it for years, when Cavolo Nero, or Tuscan Kale, was not readily available in the US. At some point I switched to the latter, and liked the soup even better for it. Hazan's newer editions just call this red cabbage soup, but we still like this version, even if the substitution is inauthentic.

• Spaghetti with tuna sauce (Spaghetti al tonno)

  • eve_kloepper on April 11, 2020

    I know Marcella is all about "less is more", but after tasting the sauce at the end, I decided to add finely grated lemon peel and a good pinch of cayenne. For me it worked beautifully. Definitely no grated cheese needed.

  • rmardel on June 19, 2021

    This is a favorite pantry meal. You really need to sauté the parsley until it begins to frizzle a bit and is aromatic, which always takes me longer than the half minute specified. You also need to cook this slowly until the oil begins to separate from the sauce. The result is an incredibly satisfying dinner.

  • Dannausc on January 24, 2022

    Super quick and easy. We both liked it a lot. Definitely worth a repeat.

• Bucatini with pancetta, tomatoes, and hot pepper (Bucatini all'Amatriciana)

  • Laurendmck on February 17, 2015

    p. 105

• Baked rigatoni with meat sauce (Rigatoni al forno col ragù)

  • anya_sf on May 06, 2021

    Despite the small amount of cheese, this was rather rich, mainly due to the fatty Bolognese sauce. Although I prefer Americanized versions of this dish with more cheese and tomato and less fatty sauce, I appreciated this simpler Italian version and loved how the Bolognese and bechamel sauces were simply mixed together. With the ragu made ahead, this was very quick to prepare.

• Homemade egg pasta (Pasta all'uovo fatta in casa)

  • anya_sf on September 25, 2021

    My first time making fresh pasta, I had trouble with this recipe - probably my fault due to inexperience. I made the dough with 2 1/4 c flour and 3 eggs. My eggs may have been small, but the dough was incredibly dry. I found it difficult not to incorporate all the flour when mixing; next time I'd start with 2 cups on the board and add the final 1/4 cup later if needed. I salvaged the dough by adding several tablespoons of water. Still, it was quite stiff. I used a machine to roll out sheets, then cut tagliatelle by hand. Additional tips would have been helpful (e.g., how to fold while rolling on the widest setting, avoiding sticking after cutting, etc.); I ended up consulting a couple of other sources. In the end, though, I managed to produce some decent fresh pasta, so I'll definitely try again.

• Meat sauce, Bolognese style (Ragù)

  • Cheri on November 11, 2012

    This is an old family favorite. Freezes well, and a little goes a long way.

  • anya_sf on May 06, 2021

    I doubled the recipe and am glad I did since (1) it's an investment in time (although not much effort), and (2) my stove had trouble maintaining such a low simmer and a smaller volume might have been impossible. Simmered 4 hours, froze half for later, used the other half (3 days after cooking) for baked rigatoni. As Cheri says, a little goes a long way; the sauce is rather fatty and the pasta mostly gets coated in that. The ragu was quite tasty, but had an unfortunate warmed-over aroma (well, it was warmed over...).

  • Dannausc on January 24, 2022

    I used red wine because that’s what I had on hand. Quite easy. Turned out well. I

• Tagliatelle with Bolognese meat sauce (Tagliatelle alla Bolognese)

  • anya_sf on September 25, 2021

    The rich Bolognese meat sauce was perfect with fresh tagliatelle, as there was just enough sauce to coat the pasta and the fat helped it cling to the noodles. 3 of us finished it all as a main course with just a simple salad on the side. My fresh pasta needed longer to cook (the dough was rather dry); I cooked it for 30 seconds after the water returned to a boil and it was quite toothsome.

• Fettuccine tossed in cream and butter (Fettuccine all'Alfredo)

  • heatherlee on August 01, 2021

    Simple recipe with just enough flavor imparted by the pepper and nutmeg. I think this will be my go-to recipe for alfredo sauce.

• Baked green lasagne with meat sauce (Lasagne verdi al forno)

  • mirage on January 16, 2010

    Devra's recipe

• Homemade macaroni (Garganelli)

  • Johjoh on February 19, 2021

    can be frozen

• Risotto with Parmesan cheese (Risotto alla Parmigiana)

  • robinemcd on October 03, 2009

    Larry Weinstein made this and it was delicious.

• Polenta with sausages (Polenta con la Luganega)

  • jenmmcd on April 12, 2020

    This recipe is very simple but super yummy. It uses pantry staples and is a good go-to.

  • anya_sf on April 21, 2022

    I had 4 smoked Italian sausage links rather than fresh sausage, so I didn't cut them. I was going to just brown them and cook them in tomato sauce, but I'm glad I used the pancetta and mirepoix called for here as they definitely boosted the flavor. I also used closer to 1.5 cups crushed tomatoes. Served over Ina's parmesan polenta rather than plain.

• Fillet of sole with piquant tomato sauce (Filetti di sogliola con pomodoro e capperi)

  • SugarTreeBaking on February 04, 2014

    Simple, easy and delicious.

• Meatloaf braised in white wine with dried wild mushrooms (Polpettone alla Toscana)

  • NealStreet on December 11, 2021

    Perhaps use a little more water to the porcini to give more liquid. Sauce was delicious but needed topping up during cooking.

• Braised veal shanks, Milan style (Ossobuco alla Milanese, or oss bus)

  • PiaOC on May 10, 2015

    Tried and true - this dish never disappoints. Reheats beautifully and so easy to make ahead for a crowd. I serve with steamed green vegetables, mashed potatoes or soft polenta and of course, lots of crusty bread for the mop up.

• Casserole-roasted lamb with juniper berries (Arrosto di agnello al ginepro)

  • chriscooks on August 01, 2011

    This is easy to make and can be done with other cuts of lamb such as shanks. It is austere but rich at the same time. (Not fatty-rich but mouthfeel-rich due to the gelatin from the lamb.) No problem with cooking it the day before and chilling to remove the fat before serving.

• Roast pork with bay leaves (Arrosto di maiale all'alloro)

  • Ktala on January 01, 2022

    This is one of our family’s favorite recipes.

  • Arlene0814 on October 31, 2025

    This is easy & very delicious! I’ve been making it for years & it’s always a big hit

• Black-eyed peas and sausages with tomato sauce (Fagioli dall'occhio con salsicce)

  • Dannausc on January 24, 2022

    Fairly easy. Fine, not great.

• Chicken fricassee with dried wild mushrooms (Pollo coi funghi secchi)

  • Dannausc on January 24, 2022

    I used the mushroom soaking liquid in place of the white wine. I liked the dish quite a bit.

• Sautéed green beans with butter and cheese (Fagiolini verdi al burro e formaggio)

  • Dannausc on January 24, 2022

    Super quick and easy. Pretty decent.

• Sautéed broccoli with butter and cheese (Broccoli al burro e formaggio)

  • Cheri on November 20, 2025

    Agree with Marcella, include the stems! I microwaved the broccoli a couple of minutes (instead of boiling), then proceeded as written. Delicious

• Braised and gratinéed celery with Parmesan cheese (Coste di sedano alla Parmigiana)

  • Dannausc on January 24, 2022

    Pretty decent

• Zucchini stuffed with meat and cheese (Zucchine con ripieno di carne e formaggio)

  • infotrop on November 25, 2019

    I've made many times, but last night I used plant-based beef & to be honest, I liked it better. Stuffed in delicata squash.

• Mixed salad (Insalata mista)

  • eve_kloepper on January 18, 2024

    wonderful combo of vegetables

• Tuna and bean salad (Insalata di tonno e fagioli)

  • k8stp on September 11, 2020

    Good also with scallions as sub for red onions

• Shrimp and vegetable salad (Insalata russa con gamberi)

  • bktravels on March 21, 2021

    This is the perfect substantial accompaniment to ham, turkey, or grilled chicken especially on a buffet. We leave out the shrimp to make this a side dish instead of a main course. We also leave out the beets for personal preference, and we do not form into a mound covered in mayonnaise. In essence, we make it simpler, but it is so delicious.