Bugialli on Pasta (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Two book Two books celebrating our enduring fascination with pasta, one likely to become a basic reference, the other a lively collection of simply made dishes. Bugialli is concerned with setting down the authentic versions of Italy's many pasta specialties, those that have endured because they taste good and have contemporary appeal. History, provenance, and cultural details precede each recipe. He includes dried as well as fresh pasta, gnocchi, and couscous; the chapter on fresh regional pastas is particularly good. La Place, food writer and consultant, and Kleiman, chef of two popular Los Angeles restaurants, are the authors of Cucina Fresca, featuring Italian dishes for all courses of a meal. Now they present their favorite pasta recipes. Some are unusual; some are traditional specialties. All are appetizing and fresh, from Forest Soup with capellini and porcini to Penne Piccoline with radicchio, hot peppers, and cream. Books on pasta abound, but most collections will want both of these. JS
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Master chef Giuliano Bugialli comes home to Stewart, Tabori & Chang with a completely revised and enlarged edition of his best-selling Bugialli on Pasta. A confirmed classic, the cookbook has sold more than 50,000 copies since its publication in 1988. Updated to cover all the changes the past decade has brought to our perception of pasta, the new Bugialli will demand its own place in the kitchens of cooks who appreciate authentic and inventive Italian cuisine.

In addition to its 190 classics, the new Bugialli on Pasta features 30 never-before-published recipes. From Sicily's Minestra di Pasta all'Aragosta (Lobster Soup with Pasta) to Bologna's Tagliatelle al Rag alla Bolognese (Tagliatelle with Bolognese Rag Meat Sauce), Bugialli offers traditional dishes that have been honed for centuries in all the regions of Italy. Penne Strascicate alla Lucchese tosses sausages, herbs, tomatoes, and cream with bite-sized tubes for a taste that typifies the hearty cuisine of its namesake city, Lucca. Pansoti o Pansooti alle Noci presents Genoa's triangular-shaped pockets, stuffed with ricotta, Parmesan, Swiss chard, and watercress, then garnished with walnuts.

For cooks intent on capturing the simple yet savory cuisine of Italy in their own saucepans, Bugialli on Pasta is essential. A chapter devoted to homemade ingredients will please the chef who wishes to make pasta dishes from scratch. A new design and 100 photographs taken specially for this edition on location in Italy further invigorate the revised edition. Infused with Bugialli's encouragement and extensive knowledge, this book just might inspire the reader to attempt all 220 recipes. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 363 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st.Edition edition (November 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067162024X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671620240
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,403,288 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Purity and beauty, July 10, 2000

By	David Wihowski (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bugialli on Pasta (Hardcover)

Bugialli is ever the purist in his pusuit of good, authentic and classic Italian recipes.

Many of these recipes occur in variations in other cookbooks, but Bugialli has done his research and work with regard to the recipes. The research was done in finding the purest and most traditional (and best) ways of preparing them. The work was done in adapting the recipes so they will succeed for N. American cooks.

There is incredible variety in the recipes! Pasta with all manner of vegetables and meat and cheese. There are even some tomato sauces. Many of the recipes are quite simple; some are quite complex.

Most recipes have a preface with notes on history, tradition, cooking tips, etc. There are illustrations demonstrating most of the important techniques. The recipes are organized by major ingredient (other than pasta, such as vegetables or cheese). There is also a section on notable regional pastas, though all the recipes that are in the other sections designate the region(s) of their origin.

Also, there are many beautiful, full-color photos of many of the recipes and of scenes in Italy. The paper is heavy and resilient (not many books use this fine grade of paper!).

I have been very pleased with the results so far. The Bucatini all' Amatriciana was possibly the simplest recipe I have encountered for it, yet it tasted the best: it is the recipe I will make from now on. There is a surprisingly good mushroom-meat sauce (complex, deep flavors). The marinara sauce is simple to make but very good. Etc. Etc.

One criticism I have is that the pictures of the techniques are not necessarily near the recipe(s) they pertain to. It is a minor annoyance to have to scour the book looking for the pictures (did I miss some reference to the page they were on?)

If you love pasta and wish to explore it through fine Italian recipes, this book would be my first choice. If you just want a really good starter book on pasta, this one fits the bill for that, too. This book is destined to become a classic on the subject.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The All Star Pasta Cookbook, October 31, 2000

By	Deb Mele (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bugialli on Pasta (Hardcover)

If you want to buy one cookbook to learn all aspects of pasta making and preparation, this one would be my recommendation. Bugialli, an expert on Italian cuisine in general, shines on his own when it comes to pasta. As the Italian Food Host @ BellaOnline, I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have pulled this book off the shelf to use as a reference. If you love pasta, this book should be in your collection!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and useful, but..., October 22, 2001

By	D. Wolf "wolfd" (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bugialli on Pasta (Hardcover)

Bugialli has produced a good cookbook that has many useful recipes and is decorated with some beautiful photos. However, the book falls short in two areas.

First, he refers to recipes in other cookbooks he's written. Without those recipes, some dishes can't be made. Fortunately there aren't many of these instances; but, each book should stand on its own and not require the reader to get several books to make one recipe.

Second, Bugialli doesn't give much advice on making the eggless pasta that traditionally is used for pesto. Because it is just a mixture of flour, water, and salt, this pasta must be handled a bit more carefully to avoid making glue. Ask me how I know that.

Fortunately, the book has some excellent recipes that go beyond the usual fare. The dishes with seafood and vegetables are particularly good. This makes the weaknesses described above tolerable.