The Il Fornaio Pasta Book: Authentic Recipes Celebrating Italy's Regional Pasta Dishes [Hardcover]

Maurizio Mazzon (Author), Michael Lamotte (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2002

Il Fornaio restaurants are renowned for their authentic Italian cuisine, and what could be more Italian than a plate of delicious pasta? Executive Chef Maurizio Mazzon has compiled his favorite recipes, using classic ingredients that represent every region of Italy. From Piemontes Cannelloni alla Montanara, infused with their intoxicating flavor of truffles, to Calabrias best-tasting pork dishes like spicy Rigatoni alla Calabrese, each home-style specialty is not to be missed. Chef Mazzon also gives step-by-step instructions for making peerless fresh pastas, including ravioli, cannelloni, cappelacci, fettuccine, and simple spaghetti. The photographs alone are enough to make anyone want to try these recipes. Like the best-selling Il Fornaio Baking Book before it, The Il Fornaio Pasta Book is a dazzling invitation to all Italians at heart to eat and be merry.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In Italy, eating is about much more than simple nourishment--it is a pastime, an art. Italians love to eat, and love even more to share with others the authentic dishes of their regions. Here, Maurizio Mazzon, executive chef of Il Fornaio's almost two dozen restaurants, indulges that cultural urge with a collection of his own favorite recipes gathered from all 20 regions of Italy. Not just another pasta book, this one offers unusual recipes that you won't likely find outside of Italy: Beet-Flavored Pasta Stuffed with a Ricotta-Beet Filling Topped with Brown Butter and Poppy Seeds, Eggplant-Potato Dumplings with a Tomato-Basil Sauce, and Pasta Stuffed with a Wild-Greens Filling and Topped with a Buttermilk Sauce, to name just a few. Mazzon also includes simple yet elegant versions of classics found in Italian restaurants throughout the U.S., such as Spaghettini with Tomato-Basil Sauce, Prawns and Pasta Ribbons with Pesto, and Buccatini alla Carbonara. Many of the recipes are quite complicated, but the elegant results are well worth the effort. One of Mazzon's favorite Italian proverbs says, "When the stomach is full, the heart is happy." If this is true, Mazzon's book is sure to leave a trail of happy hearts. --Robin Donovan

From Publishers Weekly

Mazzon, who oversees the chefs and kitchens for the high-end California chain Il Fornaio, hails from the Veneto region of Italy, and his bias is obvious in this charming if slightly uneven roundup of regional pasta specialties. While some regions, such as Molise and Abruzzo, are all but ignored here, there are eight recipes offered from the Veneto. Still, it's hard to complain when the area is home to such delicious specialties as Potato Dumplings with Calamari and Radicchio, or Thin Pasta Strands in Tomato-Anchovy Sauce. Mazzon hasn't missed any of the big, familiar dishes here: there is Butternut Squash Pasta Filled with a Butternut Squash, Parmesan and Walnut Filling from the Emilia-Romagna region; and Cauliflower, Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts Tossed with Small Pasta Tubes from Sicily. Other treats include the Umbrian Pasta Strands with Black Truffle Sauce and the Small Pasta Tubes and Lamb Sauce with Aged Ricotta from Basilicata. A number of more challenging recipes namely those that call for making pasta from scratch, including one for Sardegna's saffron-tinged malloreddus dumplings and a few original presentations, like Prawns and Pasta Ribbons with Parsley Pesto (served in a hollowed-out lemon), lift this book above its peers. Some readers may be irritated by the book's insistence on translating pasta names into English (is there anyone left in America who needs "spaghetti" translated as "pasta strands"?), but the dishes themselves look irresistible, thanks to the sumptuous photo illustrations.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811830160
• ISBN-13: 978-0811830164
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pasta to die for!, September 29, 2002

By 

A. J. Watson "Bones" (Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Il Fornaio Pasta Book: Authentic Recipes Celebrating Italy's Regional Pasta Dishes (Hardcover)

Deliciously mouth-watering pasta meals from traditional regional recipes, described in a no-nonsense way with beautiful illustrations.
Italian food is probably my favourite, but there are some novel recipes and combinations of ingredients that I haven't come across before - and my Mother-in-law is Italian - I can't wait to try 'Rotolina di Pasta all'Emiliana'.

Each region is represented, with a concise introduction on their salient features and specialties, followed by a map, and selected recipes that typify each region - but not necessarily their signature dishes - which makes a refreshing change.

The presentation is good, with one page per recipe, often with a close-up photo of the finished product on the facing page and an interesting anecdote to accompany the recipe. The wide format ensures that the book stays open at that page, without having to weight it down or break the spine (something not often considered).
Aimed at the American market it has quantities in US measures, but with a conversion table at the back, along with a list of addresses and websites to get utensils and ingredients from.

An excellent book, Maurizio's Mama would be proud of him! *****

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gourmet's delight, January 10, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Il Fornaio Pasta Book: Authentic Recipes Celebrating Italy's Regional Pasta Dishes (Hardcover)

In The Il Fornaio Pasta Book: Authentic Recipes Celebrating Italy's Regional Pasta Dishes, Italian culinary expert Maurizio Mazzon (he is also a native of the Veneto region), offers a wealth of fine dining selections that would grace any menu and satisfy even the most discerning palate. An informative introduction is followed with a Pasta Glossary, as well as sections devoted to ingredients, equipment, classic pasta recipes, techniques for cooking perfect pasta, and advice on how pasta should be served. Then come a host of recipes drawn from every region of Italy. From Frenette con Pesto alla Genovese (Poasta Ribbons with Pesto, Green Beans, and Potatoes); to Canederli Tirolesi (A Trio of Spinach, Mushroom, and Ricotta-Pancetta Dumplings Served in Chicken Stock); to Crespelle alla Fiorentina (Delicate Fresh Crepes with a Spinach-Ricotta Filling); to Vermicelli alla Vongole (Thin Pasta Strands with Fresh Clams and Garlic-White Wine Sauce), The Il Fornaio Pasta Book is a gourmet's delight and a warmly recommended addition to any kitchen cookbook collection.