Notes about Recipes in this book

• Golden vegetable broth

  • Hansyhobs on November 19, 2021

    The first time I've made a veg broth (I make a lot of chicken broth) and the end result was lovely. I used it the following day for Alison Roman's PLS

• Anelli baked with tomato, aubergine and cheese (Timballo di anelli siciliano)

  • Apollonia on October 28, 2022

    Despite a photo that unfortunately called to mind jellied Spaghetti-Os, this was fabulous. It's probably a moral failing, but I just can't put half a cup of olive in a sauce (even if I eat it happily enough at a restaurant), and I cut down the cheese to the amount I had on hand, none of which seemed to do the dish any harm. The anelli really changed the experience of eating the dish over, say, a baked ziti, and the combo of fresh and canned tomatoes in the sauce was lovely.

  • Hansyhobs on October 03, 2023

    This turned out fantastically. I assembled this in an 8-inch spring form and it fitted perfectly. I used less mozzarella for the middle layer (one ball was enough for the size of my container).

• Bigoli with onion and anchovy (Bigoli in salsa)

  • Astrid5555 on May 03, 2024

    Used linguine instead of bigoli pasta. Once the onions are cut, the whole recipe is only about waiting for them to soften and get creamy. Would have loved even more onions in the sauce though, excellent.

• Bucatini with tomato, guanciale and pecorino Romano (Bucatini all’amatriciana)

  • Lepa on January 09, 2022

    I keep trying various recipes for my favorite pasta, Amatriciana, which I first tried in a train station in Rome and was one of my top eating experiences of my life. I am generally disappointed with recipes for the dish because nothing quite matches that memory but this comes really close. I am sticking with this recipe from now on! I didn't have bucatini and used rigatoni instead (Roddy says this is an acceptable substitute), which was good and may be how I cook this from now on.

• Bucatini with cauliflower, saffron and anchovies (Bucatini con i broccoli arriminati)

  • Lepa on February 19, 2022

    I love cauliflower/anchovy/currant recipes and this was a great example of the genre. It was easy to make and tasted lovely. I used fusilli instead of bucatini.

  • Maxineanna on August 23, 2024

    Really good, I'd make it again. It needed a bit more black pepper next time.

• Capelli d’angelo with leeks, cream and saffron

  • Astrid5555 on January 28, 2024

    Excellent quick home office lunch recipe, used spaghetti pasta. Do use the saffron threads if you have them, they do make the dish!

• Casarecce with broccoli (Casarecce con broccoli)

  • Lepa on September 20, 2021

    We made this with romanesco from the farmers market. It was simple and delicious.

• Cavatelli with sausage, mint and tomato (Cavasuneddi or cavatelli con salsiccia, menta e pomodoro)

  • Logan92995 on January 05, 2026

    I thought this was good, but wholly uninspired -- what drew me to it was the addition of mint, which ended up being totally absent. 1 sprig, as the recipe denotes, just isn't enough. As it is, it's basically just a sausage ragu.

  • GardenCook12 on May 30, 2026

    Delicious! I used Tuscan sausage rather than a crumbly British sausage/sausage meat and it was still delicious but I’d like to make it again to see what happens with a less cured meat.

• Pasta and beans (Pasta e fagioli)

  • Hansyhobs on June 19, 2023

    I made this with fresh borlotti beans (from Natoora via Ocado). Delicious, easy recipe. Will make it again for sure. I cooked the pasta separately and added it just before serving as I thought it would make the stock gloopy if I cooked it in the same pot.

• Conchiglie with peas, bacon and ricotta (Conchiglie con piselli, pancetta e ricotta)

  • scarlettclm on May 27, 2026

    Wonderful easy recipe on a busy weeknight. Used prosciutto instead of bacon and orecchiette instead of conchiglioni - yum!

• Fettuccine with porcini mushrooms, butter and garlic (Fettuccine con funghi porcini)

  • Astrid5555 on February 09, 2024

    This is a great weeknight dinner pasta. Used half button mushrooms, half dried porcini mushrooms.

• Fusilli with tomato and tuna ragù (Fusilli al ragù di tonno)

  • Astrid5555 on November 17, 2024

    New favorite tuna pasta recipe, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.

• Fusilli with tinned sardines, fennel, lemon and anchovy crumbs

  • Astrid5555 on February 22, 2026

    Nice way to use up some fennel, delicious!

• Potato gnocchi (Gnocchi di patate)

  • Astrid5555 on May 01, 2024

    I have tried many gnocchi recipes and this one is the best one yet!

• Pasta and chickpea soup with tinned chickpeas (Pasta e ceci)

  • Lepa on March 06, 2023

    This is simple and good. I used left over homemade pasta (scraps from when I last made lasagna). The entire family enjoyed this.

  • veronicafrance on December 28, 2025

    Many years ago I had the most amazing pasta e ceci at an agriturismo in Abruzzo. I’ve occasionally tried to create it since, but never got close. This is the best yet, though not quite there — some magic ingredient missing! (Probably place and time). Be generous with the rosemary — the flavour faded out a bit when I added the pasta. I might be tempted to add some greens (eg spinach) at the last minute.

• Linguine with courgettes, egg and Parmesan (Linguine con zucchine, uova e Parmigiano)

  • Hansyhobs on April 19, 2024

    Very nice

  • pensky on January 17, 2026

    Mmm better than the sum of its parts

• Lumache with tuna, beans, tomato and basil (Lumache all’insalata)

  • roma_pg8lm5 on January 25, 2026

    Made with vegan Future Farm Tvna and was so delicious!

• Lumache with tuna, egg and capers (Lumache con tonno, uova e capperi)

  • Lepa on January 20, 2022

    This was okay but not great. It wasn't quite as creamy as the picture but did have a light, lemony flavor. We liked it but didn't love it. Probably not a repeat.

• Mafalde with tomato sauce and ricotta (Mafalde con sugo di pomodoro e ricotta)

  • Apollonia on August 02, 2024

    Not quite the "more than the sum of its parts" triumph I was hoping for, but it was reasonably tasty. 6 tablespoons of oil for this amount of tomatoes seemed high to me, so I cut it to 4, and, at least for me, could have gone much lower, as the sauce was still a bit oily, and not in a tasty way. We did like the parm/ricotta mixture, though, and this shape of pasta (new to me) was very pleasing.

• Chickpea and chestnut soup (Minestra di ceci e castagne)

  • alysekstokes on January 03, 2022

    Made this with some ceci neri (black chickpeas) and dried genovisine pasta. It’s a simple recipe that yields a flavorful meal—perfect for a winter lunch. Served with olive oil and a pinch of red chilli as suggested.

• Ravioli with ricotta and spinach (Ravioli ricotta e spinaci)

  • Lepa on August 16, 2021

    I made this with Carla's variation (in the headnotes, including semolina flour). It was my first time making ravioli and we liked the results. I served it with Marcella Hazen's tomato, butter and onion sauce instead of sage butter, which was a nice combination. Watch the nutmeg here, as I overdid it a bit.

• Trofie with pesto alla genovese, potatoes and green beans (Trofie con pesto alla Genovese)

  • Lepa on August 24, 2021

    This was a good version of a classic recipe. I'd add a bit more salt.

• Paccheri with aubergine, two sorts of tomatoes and mozzarella (Paccheri con crema di melanzane, pomodorini e mozzarella)

  • FJT on September 18, 2021

    This was a little bit different and we enjoyed it. Not a quick supper though.

  • Astrid5555 on October 16, 2025

    This was delicious, but very time-consuming to make (roast eggplants for 40 minutes, then turn down the heat and roast cherry tomatoes for another 45 minutes, then puree everything through food mill, ...). Lovely though!

• Tagliolini with chanterelles and datterini tomatoes (Tagliolini con galletti e datterini)

  • Lepa on October 28, 2021

    This was decent but there were too many noodles for the veggies/sauce. Next time I'd make less noodles and perhaps add more butter and cheese at the end.

• Orecchiette with turnip tops, garlic and anchovy (Orecchiette con cime di rapa)

  • Hansyhobs on February 04, 2023

    Excellent, didn't have enough cime de rapa but it didn't matter at all

• Pappardelle with radicchio, fennel, cream and Parmesan (Pappardelle con radicchio, finocchio e Parmigiano)

  • Hansyhobs on March 06, 2023

    A really easy recipe that delivers a great payoff. The sweated fennel and shallots give a lovely sweetness and delicate dish. I really enjoyed this

  • Astrid5555 on October 27, 2025

    Had some fennel and radicchio in my CSA box this week and this recipe came up in my EYB search. Very quick to make weeknight dinner, pleasantly surprised.

• Baked ziti with roasted peppers, provola and Parmesan (Timballo di ziti)

  • Hansyhobs on March 26, 2023

    Forgot about the red peppers and used regular mozzarella (I don't like smoked products) and it was very nice.

• Pizzoccheri with potatoes, cabbage and cheese (Pizzoccheri con patate, verza e formaggio)

  • Hansyhobs on September 16, 2023

    Easy, basic recipe. I used chopped-up bucatini

• Spaghetti alla chitarra or tonnarelli with pecorino cheese and black pepper (Cacio e pepe)

  • veronicafrance on April 08, 2026

    Disclaimer: I’ve never made or even eaten cacio e pepe sauce before making this, so I was starting at a disadvantage. Rachel’s method here doesn’t use the pasta water, which seemed strange to me. Instead you make a paste of cold tap water and cheese and add the warm pasta to it, tossing to melt the paste. This didn’t work well for me … I think I didn’t use enough water, and the sauce didn’t gel. I ended up with a liquid phase and some stringy lumps of cheese. Yes, it tasted good, but it was at best lukewarm and there wasn’t enough sauce. Later I found an article by Rachel in which she advises setting aside a cupful of pasta water after 5 minutes’ boiling so that it has time to cool (it’s important that the water is not hot and the cheese is at room temperature). I’ll try this the next time I manage to find some pecorino. I’d also do the mixing in a warmed bowl.

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