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Pasta is a type of food made from flour mixed with water a
(and often eggs) which is then kneaded, formed into shapes
and boiled. The best-known form of pasta is probably spaghetti
which is a long-thin form of pasta whose name derives from
the Italian spaghetto, the diminutive of spago
which means "thin string".
Other than spaghetti, other common forms of pasta include
vermicelli (also string like),
farfalle and rotelle (complicated decorative shapes),
fettuccine and linguine (both ribbon-shipped),
lasagna (large sheets),
penne (short tubes),
as well as various forms of hollow shapes
that are stuffed with fillings (manicotti, ravioli and tortellini).
Although all the types of pasta are made from more or less the same ingredients,
the shapes do in fact serve an important role - different shapes make different
types of pasta more suitable for different types of sauce.
When pasta is cooked, it can be served with a variety of different
sauces. For example, in
Italian cuisine,
each region of
Italy
has their own preferred ways of serving the dish. For example,
bolognese and pesto are favored in the North, whereas carbonara
or tomato sauces tend to be favored in the South.
Pasta is also a popular dish outside of Italy,
and other countries such as the
United States,
have developed their own distinct accompaniments, albeit often inspired by
Italian cuisine.
The origins of pasta have been lost in the mists of time. It is known that noodles
have been eaten in China
for at least 4,000 years, and one legend says that
Marco Polo brought this dish to
Italy - however romantic
as this story is, it doesn't appear to be true - there are records of pasta dishes in
the Mediterranean area dating back from before the time of Christ.
On this page, you'll find a great selection of Pasta Cook Books.
Related pages on this site:
By Giada De Laurentiis
Clarkson Potter
Released: 2007-04-03
Hardcover (240 pages)
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Food Network favorite Giada De Laurentiis returns with another beautiful cookbook, this time focused on pasta. In Everyday Pasta you'll find more than a hundred new recipes for pasta dishes (as well as for sauces, salads, and sides) that are easy to prepare and delicious, whether you are looking for something light and delicate, or rich and hearty. We've included a recipe for "Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions" below to tempt you. --Daphne Durham
Everyday Pasta Recipe Preview
Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions
 4 to 6 servings
Stroll through any Italian American street fair and you'll smell this classic combo. But while sausage and peppers are great in a sandwich, I think they're even better tossed with rigatoni. Using turkey sausages instead of the more traditional pork also makes it a little lighter.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausages
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound rigatoni pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan.
Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and basil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, then add the Marsala, tomatoes with their juice, and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Bring to a simmer.
Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each. Return the sausages to the pan. Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the thickened sauce; toss to combine. Spoon into individual bowls and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.
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By Johanne Killeen
William Morrow Cookbooks
Released: 2006-10-24
Hardcover (288 pages)
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In On Top of Spaghetti, Johanne Killeen and George Germon, owners of the legendary restaurant Al Forno in Providence, R.I., and authors of Cucina Simpatica, offer up 100 new recipes for everyone's favorite tried–and–true dish –– pasta. Pasta is the culinary equivalent of the little black dress. It's simple and elegant, you can dress it up or down, and it never goes out of style. In On Top of Spaghetti, Johanne Killeen and George Germon present a collection of 100 pasta recipes, including new and old favorites such as Pasta Shells with Spicy Sausage Red Sauce, Fusilli with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto, and Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Cinnamon, and Mint. In Cucina Simpatica, Johanne and George introduced Americans to grilled pizza. With On Top of Spaghetti they will reintroduce home cooks to the joys of pasta. Classic recipes are elevated to new heights, and innovative new dishes are sure to be returned to again and again. |
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By Toni Patrick
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
Spiral-bound (128 pages)
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Expand your ramen repertoire with an amazingly inventive and unique addition to the million-copy-selling "101" series-101 Things to do with Ramen Noodles.
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By Cook's Illustrated
Clarkson Potter
Released: 2002-09-17
Paperback (496 pages)
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Americans love pasta. But this doesn't mean we know about its many types, how best to serve it, or even how best to bring it from plate to mouth. Exploring these topics and more, The Cook's Illustrated Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles offers a comprehensive introduction to the world's pasta, from spaghetti, couscous, and spaetzle to ramen, udon, rice sticks, and more. Compiled from the pages of Cook's Illustrated, the magazine of culinary investigation, the book is a trove of illustrated step-by-step instructions (on rolling pasta dough, for example), hundreds of pasta and related recipes, tips on buying and storage, and other useful data. In chapters such as "Dried Semolina Pasta and Chinese Wheat Noodles," the book explores a particular pasta type and then provides useful supplementary information. Included, for example, are pasta-tasting results, a "gallery" of pasta shapes, and material on matching pasta shapes to sauces. Offered also are comprehensive saucing chapters that cover such pasta accompaniments as olive oil, butter, cheese, bread crumbs, canned and fresh tomatoes, and seafood, among many others. The recipes themselves are exhaustive and, as one might expect, models of accuracy and good taste. Included are the likes of Macaroni with Spinach and Gorgonzola, Lasagna with Shrimps and Scallops, Potato Gnocchi with Butter, Sage, and Parmesan Cheese, and Cellophane Noodle Salad with Charred Beef and Snow Peas. With master recipes for many of the basic pasta types and more than 300 illustrations, the book should enlighten pasta lovers while whetting their appetite for its many satisfactions. --Arthur Boehm |
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By Laura Schenone
W. W. Norton
Hardcover (384 pages)
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Can a recipe change your life? A quest for an authentic dish reveals a mythic love story and age-old culinary secrets.
James Beard Award-winning author Laura Schenone undertakes a quest to retrieve her great grandmother's ravioli recipe, reuniting with relatives as she goes. In lyrical prose and delicious recipes, Schenone takes the reader on an unforgettable journey from the grit of New Jersey's industrial wastelands and the fast-paced disposable culture of its suburbs to the dramatically beautiful coast of Liguria—the family's homeland—with its pesto, smoked chestnuts, torte, and, most beloved of all, ravioli, the food of celebration and happiness. Schenone discovers the persistent importance of place, while offering a perceptive voice on immigration and ethnicity in its twilight. Along the way, she gives us the comedies and foibles of family life, a story of love and loss, a deeper understanding of the bonds between parents and children, and the mysteries of pasta, rolled into a perfect circle of gossamer dough. 90 illustrations. |
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By Jr., Pasquale Bruno
McGraw-Hill
Paperback (144 pages)
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"A fun cookbook for any audience." --Booklist Classic recipes for deep-dish, stuffed, thin-crust, and vegetarian variations. |
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By Larry Flax
William Morrow Cookbooks
Released: 1999-05-19
Hardcover (112 pages)
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At California Pizza Kitchen restaurants across the country, many of the favorite dishes (and most-requested recipes) are not the pizzas! Customers keep coming back for the boldly flavored pastas, soups, salads, and side dishes. The follow-up to the bestselling California Pizza Kitchen Cookbook, this new cookbook serves CPK customers just what they ordered -- secret restaurant recipes, never available before. With gorgeous color photographs of the finished dishes throughout the book, CPK fans will be tempted by recipes for Oriental Chicken Salad, Spinach Artichoke Dip, and Kung Pao Spaghetti, to name just a few.The new cookbook will include stories and anecdotes from CPK employees from around the country about favorite recipes, customers, and more. In the generous spirit they're best known for, CPK owners Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield will donate all royalties and proceeds from sales of the book in the restaurants to children's charities. Just like the first CPK cookbook, expect Pasta, Salads, Soups, and Sides to be one of the hottest cookbooks of the year. The CPK chain of restaurants is bigger than ever, and thi5 new hook will be published in the cool California style that has made the first book and the restaurants themselves so popular. |
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By Marlena Spieler
Chronicle Books
Paperback (132 pages)
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From the kitchen that brought us the I-have-never-seen-anything-yummier Grilled Cheese comes the it-just-got-yummier Macaroni & Cheese. The kid-friendly favorite is now being spotted at the trendiest restaurants around town, and this fantastic cookbook has it all. More than 50 classics range from the tried-and-true Yankee Doodle Dandy Baked Macaroni and Cheese and quick to prepare specialties such as the yodel-worthy Alpine Macaroni with Appenzeller and Cr me Fra che to international specialties like Giuvetchi, a Greek dish of orzo in a cinnamon tomato sauce with lamb and kasseri, myzithra, and feta cheeses. There are even a few dessert versions like Falooda, a traditional Indian treat, this one using ricotta and sweet vermicelli, with cherries and a touch of cardamom. Recipes for side salads and soups help round out a balanced meal. Mac & cheese it'll always please. |
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Oxmoor House
Hardcover (144 pages)
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Pasta enthusiasts will say Prego, prego! many times over for this sumptuous edition, part of the Essentials Recipe Collection series. Its easy-to-handle smaller size holds a treasure trove of 56 innovative pasta recipes, all with the Cooking Light kitchen-tested seal of approval. Gorgeous cover art, smart commentary, and big, bold photos make reading it almost as enjoyable as cooking with it.Evidence of Cooking Lights fundamental philosophy abounds: that good food, well prepared and shared with others, is one of lifes greatest pleasures. |
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By Erica De Mane
Free Press
Released: 2001-11-01
Hardcover (120 pages)
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Williams-Sonoma, purveyor of choice gourmet products and kitchenware, has also created a collection of succinct yet comprehensive cookbooks. Part of the series, Pasta offers 40 all-occasion recipes that reflect the company's signature good taste. From classics like Spaghetti alla Carbonara and Fettuccine Alfredo to quick-supper specialties such as Green Farfelle with Tomato Sauce and elegant dishes including Crab Ravioli with Crème Fraîche and Basil, the book offers a wide range of astutely chosen recipes. Formulas for seasonal pastas, such as Penne with Lamb Ragù and Mint, and hearty vegetarian pastas, like Roasted Eggplant Lasagna, are also included. Accompanied by color photos that show the pastas in all their glory, the Italian-rooted recipes are completely doable, and will appeal to a wide range of cooks. Throughout, sidebars (like "Cooking with Spirits") offer useful information on techniques and ingredients; a glossary and basics section are also helpful. Though small in size, the book provides an inclusive store of superior recipes and instruction. --Arthur Boehm |
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