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

by Jack Bishop (Author)

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 (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #610,797 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 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

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!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for everyday cooking, September 12, 1999

By A Customer

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

In my collection of nearly 100 cookbooks, this is the one I reach for when I get home from work and want a satisfying, simple, healthy dinner. The recipes are easy to follow, require normal groceries, and produce tasty dishes in about an hour.

10 of 10 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 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