Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking [Hardcover]

Mario Batali (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2010

The bestselling author of Italian Grill and Molto Italiano delivers a gorgeous collection of mouthwatering recipes to bring some Italian favorites home.

Chef Mario Batali's zest for life infuses the casual Italian fare that has made his restaurant Otto Enoteca Pizzeria a perennially popular New York City destination. Now you can have the flavors of Otto at home, with Molto Gusto, a collection of recipes for everyone's favorites, from pizza, pasta, and antipasti to gelati and sorbetti.

Mario has written the definitive book on great pizza making for the amateur, the novice, the foodie, and the gourmet cook, teaching how to make really great pizza at home without any fancy equipment. Here too are recipes for classic pizza, Otto's special pizzas, and even kids' pizzas.

Looking for something a little lighter? Try the antipasti. Based on seasonal vegetables, with a few recipes showcasing seafood and meat, these dishes can make up an entire, healthy meal. Also included are many of Mario's favorite simple pasta dishes, and to finish it all off, fantastic recipes for gelati, sorbetti, and copette.

Filled with Mario's infectious personality and love of robust flavors, and illustrated with luscious full-color photos, Molto Gusto makes it easy to spend a night on the town without leaving home.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Recipes from Molto Gusto

Summer Caprese Salad
Serves 6

10 ounces fresh mozzarella
1½ pounds assorted ripe tomatoes (choose a combination of colors, types, and sizes), such as Brandywine, purple Cherokee, cherry, pear, peach, and/or Green Zebra
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small bunch basil (Genovese, lemon, Thai, or fino verde), leaves removed, or about 1 cup mixed fresh basil leaves
Maldon or other flaky sea salt

With a sharp knife, cut the mozzarella into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a serving platter, reserving any milky liquid from the cheese in a small cup.

If using cherry or grape tomatoes, cut them in half; reserve the juices. Core the remaining tomatoes and slice them, reserving the juices. Arrange the tomatoes on the cheese.

Whisk the vinegar, reserved tomato juices, any liquid from the mozzarella, and the olive oil together in a small bowl.

Tear the basil leaves over the salad. Pour the vinaigrette over it, sprinkle with salt, and serve.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Serves 6

Kosher salt
5 ounces sliced pancetta, cut into ½-inch-wide strips
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
6 fresh large eggs
1 pound spaghetti
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving
¼ cup grated pecorino romano

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons kosher salt.

Meanwhile, combine the pancetta and oil in another large pot and cook over medium-high heat until the pancetta has rendered some of its fat and is lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the pepper and remove from the heat.

Separate the eggs, being careful to keep the yolks intact, putting the whites in a small bowl and the yolks in a shallow dish.

Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain, reserving cup of the pasta water.

Add the reserved pasta water to the pan¬cetta and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the egg whites and cook, whisking furiously, until they are frothy but not set, about 1 minute. Add the pasta, stirring and tossing well to coat. Stir in the cheeses.

Divide the pasta among six bowls, making a nest in the center of each portion. Gently drop an egg yolk into each nest and serve immediately, advising your guests to stir the yolk into the pasta so it will cook. Pass additional grated Parmigiano on the side.

Review

“The breadth of vegetable preparations in “Molto Gusto” is infectious. Armed with Batali’s suggestions, it seems, readers could tackle almost any vegetable they bring home.” (Buffalo News (NY) )

“If you could eat with your eyes, you’d swoon while reading Mario Batali’s MOLTO GUSTO.” (San Francisco Book Review )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Ecco; 1 edition (April 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061924326
• ISBN-13: 978-0061924323
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,952 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Italian

More About the Author

Mario Batali's world now encompasses three New York City restaurants -- Babbo, Lupa, and Esca -- as well as a wine store, The Italian Wine Merchant. He is the host of Food Networks popular Molto Mario, as well as an upcoming new series, Mario Batalis Italy. He lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new standard for simple Italian, April 18, 2010

By 

George M (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking (Hardcover)

I've had Molto Italiano for awhile now, and I can honestly say that I don't cook from it that often, because the recipes--while all amazing--just aren't as accessible in terms of ingredients. But Molto Gusto (with its truly beautiful photographs) really lives up to its subtitle and brings the recipes down to the bricks and mortar of Italian. The few pastas and antipasti that I've made from this already were fantastic. Highly recommended!

46 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great photos!, April 8, 2010

By 

E. Jacobs "Book lover" (Fairfax, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking (Hardcover)

I am a pretty good cook, and I have Batali's other cookbooks, so I expected that this might be "too easy" for me--but that's not at all the case! The photographs are beautiful, and the glorious mixture of vegetables and pasta/pizza makes the recipes healthy, as well as simple. I think I may use this book more than his others, in part because it is visually so appealing. That makes me want to try all the recipes!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth It Just for the Pizza Alone!, April 19, 2010

By 

Fleur-de-Lisa (U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking (Hardcover)

This is the first Mario Batali book I've ever bought and I'm very impressed with the beautiful looking food. I'm inspired to make almost everything in it. But I've started with the pizza and what a HUGE success that was! The dough was fabulous. I had to track down the "00" flour called for in the recipe at a specialty market, but I'm sure it was worth the extra effort. I'm now a fan of Mario!