• adrienneyoung on May 26, 2013

  I second that. It is reliable. It is simple. It is comprehensive -- at least, enough for a non-Italian like me. ;-). I love mine very dearly.

• formaggieo on May 26, 2013

  Excellent all round pasta cookbook. I frequently use it as a reference for sauces

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Spaghetti with tomatoes, capers, olives, and anchovies (Spaghettii alla puttanesca)

  • adrienneyoung on November 10, 2012

    Fabulous: a definite keeper. Not least because it's fast and requires nothing that likely isn't in my pantry already.

  • Breaddict on May 23, 2025

    This is my go-to puttanesca recipe. Quick, easy, perfect. No matter how much I play around with quantities it’s always delicious.

• Fettuccine with spring vegetables and cream (Fettuccine primavera)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 02, 2022

    I didn't make fresh pasta for this, and cut down on the vegetable cook time because I didn't want them to be mush (despite the instructions to let them cook for a long time to develop the flavors.) It was a very nice and filling primavera sauce, creamy and rich.

• Fettuccine with butter and cream (Fettuccine all'alfredo)

  • adrienneyoung on January 31, 2021

    Superb!

  • adrienneyoung on March 22, 2021

    added spinach. Not traditional, but just as superb as the classic! One of my very favorites!

• Spaghetti with clams (Spaghetti alle vongole)

  • hughb on March 04, 2013

    Delicious and easy! We used home-made pasta.

  • MmeFleiss on June 23, 2018

    Like everything I’ve made from this book, the recipe is perfect as written. I wanted to lick my bowl clean.

• Spaghetti with fresh tuna and roasted bell peppers (Spaghetti al tonno fresco)

  • nicolepellegrini on February 10, 2022

    This was just okay, not a pasta dish I'd rush to make again. Needed something else to make it more interesting.

• Bucatini with spicy tomato sauce (Bucatini all'Amatriciana)

  • adrienneyoung on January 14, 2017

    Over pan fried polenta, with a good grating of cheese and some wine: FANTASTIC.

• Spaghetti with tomatoes, carrots, and celery (Spaghetti al pomodoro)

  • adrienneyoung on August 08, 2020

    Simple but fantastic.

• Spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and Cognac (Spaghetti al Cognac)

  • Jiggalicious on September 09, 2012

    Simple, easy and super delicious. Even my mom, who doesn't like a meal without meat was content with this dish.

• Fettuccine with herbs, fresh tomatoes, and cream (Fettuccine alle erbe e panna rosa)

  • adrienneyoung on March 07, 2012

    one of my all time favourites!

  • adrienneyoung on August 26, 2017

    Still an all-time favorite!

• Fettuccine with zucchini and saffron cream (Fettuccine alle zucchine e zafferano)

  • jodies on April 25, 2016

    This is one of my favorite recipes in the book. Easy and absolutely delicious.

  • Hawky on July 25, 2018

    One of my favorites. I have also made this subbing out the zucchini with mushrooms. Fantastic.

• Fettuccine with Gorgonzola cheese (Fettuccine al Gorgonzola)

  • adrienneyoung on December 11, 2017

    This is not an everyday dish. Not if you want your pants to continue to fit. But it is pretty fantastic once in a while and dead easy to put together.

• Denti d'elefante with bell peppers, and Swiss chard (Denti d'elefante ai peperoni e biete)

  • nicolepellegrini on July 18, 2019

    Yummy, light, and easy. I love swiss chard in pasta dishes and this was a really good one. The bell peppers added sweetness to balance the bitter greens and the butter/cheese was just enough to make it satisfying and filling. I served the sauce over some fresh egg tagliatelle.

• Homemade pork sausage (Salsiccia di maiale)

  • Jiggalicious on September 09, 2012

    I've used this recipe several times, both for recipes from this cookbook, and just as a nice mild italian sausage substitute. For my friends who hate fennel's flavor, this works beautifully.

• Fusilli with eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers (Fusilli corti alla campagnola)

  • nicolepellegrini on August 08, 2020

    A nice and very fresh-tasting pasta sauce to make in mid-summer, when great tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant are available. I added a little fresh basil to finish it off.

• Shells with sausages, tomatoes, and cream (Conchiglie alla salsiccia e panna)

  • adrienneyoung on June 03, 2013

    Just terrific!

  • adrienneyoung on February 20, 2018

    Made again after a long hiatus. Still a 5 Star dish. Highly recommended.

• Tortelloni filled with Swiss chard (Tortelloni di biete)

  • runoutofshelves on November 22, 2020

    These are reasonably simple to make and very delicious. We have been making a few ravioli type recipes for the first time, and these have been our favourite so far. We loved the tiny taste of proscuttio, and we had these with a basil and fresh tomato sauce.

• Orecchiette with anchovies and Savoy cabbage (Orecchiette alla verza)

  • nicolepellegrini on February 26, 2026

    I liked this pretty well - I think more than my husband did - as I'm a big fan of cabbage and pasta together and I enjoyed the flavor the anchovies added with the long, slow cookdown of the cabbage. I would cut down a bit on the olive oil next time, though, as it was a little "greasy" for me.