“Ideal for serious kitchen nerds and ambitious makers who want to master authentic Italian shapes from scratch. You will need patience and time, not fancy gadgets. Quick-weeknight cooks or casual hobbyists looking for fast dinners will be disappointed.
"This is an amazing and deeply valuable work of culinary scholarship--an anthropology of Italian pasta that is also a major contribution to Italian cultural history. Maureen Fant's fine translation does complete justice to Oretta Zanini's scrupulously detailed and lovingly presented compendium. I defy anyone to read this book and not want immediately to board a plane for Italy."--Nancy Harmon Jenkins, author of "Cucina del Sole" and "The Essential Mediterranean" "This handsome book will be the authority for settling bets about the history of pasta. Every ambitious cook will covet these authentic and exciting entries."--Paul Levy, co-author of "The Official Foodie Handbook" and "Out to Lunch" "Zanini's singular achievement in this book has been to shine a light into every Italian kitchen where a different kind of pasta is made, entertaining us with pertinent historical anecdotes, instructing us with explicit details and techniques, and making us powerfully hungry."--Victor Hazan, author of "Italian Wine"
💎 Expert review
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Eatbook Family editorial team
Cookbook desk
While lauded as an authority on pasta history, this text is clearly aimed at serious enthusiasts rather than casual dinner cooks. The dense scholarship and anthropological approach may overwhelm those seeking quick, practical instructions for weeknight meals. It lacks the immediate accessibility of lighter cookbooks, requiring patience for its detailed entries. However, for readers who covet authentic, exciting entries and enjoy digging into cultural context, it is invaluable. Those expecting simple step-by-step guides without historical baggage will likely find it too academic. It is a treasure trove for the dedicated but potentially dry for the impatient.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW
⭐ Reader reviews
The starting rating comes from the team Eatbook Family —
Ideal for serious kitchen nerds and ambitious makers who want to master authentic Italian shapes from scratch. You will need patience and time, not fancy gadgets. Quick-weeknight cooks or casual hobbyists looking for fast dinners will be disappointed.
Reader rating
4.6
Based on 1 reviews
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Eatbook Family editorial team
While lauded as an authority on pasta history, this text is clearly aimed at serious enthusiasts rather than casual dinner cooks. The dense scholarship and anthropological approach may overwhelm those seeking quick, practical instructions for weeknight meals. It lacks the immediate accessibility of lighter cookbooks, requiring patience for its detailed entries. However, for readers who covet authentic, exciting entries and enjoy digging into cultural context, it is invaluable. Those expecting simple step-by-step guides without historical baggage will likely find it too academic. It is a treasure trove for the dedicated but potentially dry for the impatient.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Because this book focuses on deep culinary scholarship and traditional techniques rather than standard kitchen-tested recipes, precise measurements may vary, reflecting authentic historical methods.
It is designed for ambitious cooks, offering explicit details and traditional methods that require patience and dedication to master properly.
📖 Who should read this
Ideal for serious kitchen nerds and ambitious makers who want to master authentic Italian shapes from scratch. You will need patience and time, not fancy gadgets. Quick-weeknight cooks or casual hobbyists looking for fast dinners will be disappointed.
📜 Historical context
Deeply rooted in Italian culinary heritage, this comprehensive study documents the diverse regional traditions of pasta making. Rather than a standard collection of modern recipes, it serves as an anthropological guide into the home kitchens and local customs where Italy's pasta varieties were born and perfected.