Pasta e Verdura: 140 Vegetable Sauces for Spaghetti, Fusilli, Rigatoni, and All Other Noodles [Paperback]

Jack Bishop (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2000

Features 140 elegant and easy recipes for vegetable pasta sauces.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Pasta e Verdura provides endless ideas for cooks who love pasta, but prefer greens to meats. Yet this is not a health-food book, nor is it a vegetarian's take on Italian cuisine. Rather, Jack Bishop made the astute observation somewhere along the line that Italians, as a consequence of tradition, and of being Italian, eat a lot of different pasta dishes that have absolutely nothing to do with high levels of meat, fat, or dairy. Healthy dishes, in other words. And impossibly delicious.

So, starting at the beginning of the alphabet, Bishop gives the reader Braised Artichokes with Tomatoes and Thyme served over linguine--while also explaining how to shop for the best artichokes, how to store them, and how to prep them for cooking. This format is followed for all 27 individual vegetable entries. Arugula is next, right on through to zucchini (Sautéed Zucchini with Lemon, Pine Nuts, and Basil served over fettuccine).

Anyone who opines that eating well and living within the parameters of a sensible diet are impossible bedfellows needs this book. The results will be delicious and healthy. --Schuyler Ingle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

"Although I lost seven pounds... while testing these recipes, this is by no means a 'diet' cookbook," says Bishop, author of Lasagna: Classic and Contemporary Favorites and a senior writer for Cook's Illustrated. Maybe not, but it's easy to see why the pounds fell away in this collection of light, sometimes too light, pasta dishes. After starting with an informative discussion on pasta (how to cook it, which shapes work best with which sauces), Bishop addresses vegetables individually in alphabetically arranged chapters, from "Artichoke" to "Zucchini." While chapter headings in cookbooks are often the textual equivalent of muzak, those here are truly informative considerations on their topics, detailing the differences in tough and tender greens or how to determine if fava beans need to be blanched and peeled. Among the many appealing recipes are Caramelized Endive with Parmesan and Cream; Wilted Swiss Chard with Garlic and Ricotta Salata Cheese; Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Rosemary Puree and Crunchy Potato Croutons with Tomatoes and Parsley Pesto. Others, such as Blanched Carrots and Slow-Cooked Endive with Chives, and Arugula with Cucumbers, Mint, and Lemon Juice, are intriguing preparations for veggies but don't have the heft to stand up to pasta.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks (July 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060932457
• ISBN-13: 978-0060932459
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #955,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jack Bishop is the editorial director of America's Test Kitchen. He joined the staff of Cook's Magazine in 1988 and helped with the launch of Cook's Illustrated in 1993. He established the tasting protocols used in America's Test Kitchen and has authored dozens of articles for the magazine. Jack directed the launch of Cook's Country magazine and oversees editorial operations at both magazines. He edited the The Best Recipe (1999) and established the book division at America's Test Kitchen. Jack is the author of several cookbooks, including A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, Vegetables Every Day, The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook, Pasta e Verdura, and Lasagna. Jack's wife, Lauren Chattman, is a cookbook author and former pastry chef. They have two daughters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impress your friends and family...., September 5, 2004

By 

Mark M "Mark M" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pasta e Verdura: 140 Vegetable Sauces for Spaghetti, Fusilli, Rigatoni, and All Other Noodles (Paperback)

There are few cookbooks that are as universally useful as this one. While the subject matter (pasta sauces) is limited, the situations in which you can use these recipes is almost limitless. The book contains simple recipes that make me think that my mom was slacking when she fed us bottled sauce when I was a child. And you can find elegant recipes that use unusual ingredients in imaginative ways. Best of all, you'll love this book if you're a budget-constained novice (like my recent college-grad brother to whom I gave this book - many of the recipes are neither expensive nor difficult) or an accomplished cook, especially in Italian cooking, looking for new ways to prepare pasta. Regardless of your situation, you can find a good recipe in this book. Frankly, this book is indispensible if you want to cook interesting pasta. My copy is so stained from the many sauces that I've cooked that I have an extra "clean" copy that I'm saving for posterity.

I have cooked recipes from this book for my Italian colleagues who were universally impressed by the results. And, quite honestly, I'm not sure if my wife would have married me if I hadn't delved into this book. The first time that I cooked "Spicy mixed peppers with basil and parmesan" was an unqualified success.

This book contains over 100 great recipes for pasta sauces, but if you want suggestions for some specific ones (the type for which you'd bend a corner of a page if you were to give the book as a gift) try (page numbers refer to the hardback version):

Cheap sauces
1) Chopped broccoli puree with garlic (pg. 65)
2) Blanched broccoli with spicy black olive vinaigrette (pg. 67)
3) Aglio e olio (a great garlic and olive oil recipe) (pg. 148)
4) Pasta alla puttanesca (pg. 290)
5) Pasta arrabbiata (pg. 296)

Sauces to impress
1) Golden Cauiflower in Spicy Tomato Sauce (pg. 101)
2) Sauteed endive with bell peppers, shallots and white wine (pg. 124)
3) Carmelized vidalia onions with black olives and rosemary (pg. 152)
4) Steamed green beans with double mushroom sauce (pg. 164)
5) Spicy mixed peppers with basil and parmesan (pg. 234)
6) Roasted red pepper sauce (pg. 238)
7) Roasted new potatoes with herbs, garlic and balsamic vinegar (pg. 248)
8) Spinach in tomato sauce with shallots and carrots (pg. 263)
9) Slow-cooked zucchini with tomato sauce (pg. 312)

Of course, almost anything else from the book is worth trying as well. These are just some recipes to start. Overall, this book is fantastic. I use it at least twice a week, and the inspiration that it has provided is even more pervasive. Grazie, Jack Bishop!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent vegetarian pastas, November 15, 2001

By 

emil r espinosa (sarasota, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pasta e Verdura: 140 Vegetable Sauces for Spaghetti, Fusilli, Rigatoni, and All Other Noodles (Hardcover)

every recipe i've tried so far (at least 25 percent) is a winner.
every recipe is for four servings from one lb. of pasta, extremely convenient and very easy to reduce by half for a couple
another great feature is the layout, by main vegetable ingredient which makes it easy to use according to what's seasonal.
i was a chef for 10 yrs. & have been a vegetarian for 12 yrs. now and have never gotten this much use out of a cookbook before

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an excellent book!, August 14, 2000

By 

JP Hennecke (Vernon, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pasta e Verdura: 140 Vegetable Sauces for Spaghetti, Fusilli, Rigatoni, and All Other Noodles (Paperback)

This Recipe book is one of the best in my collect of cookbooks. It is such an easy to use book. What I love about this book, is that each chapter is about a vegetable. So if I have alot of eggplant and want to know what to do with it, all I have to do is go to that chapter. Excellent book Great gift