Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy's Greatest Food, with Recipes

Brand new book but scuffed with something black that I can’t wipe off. This was suppose to be a gift.

Best book for beginners with great, detailed, explanations and information. Beware - the portions are family portions!

*Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy's Greatest Food, with Recipes* is an absolute gem for pasta lovers and home cooks alike. Authored by Missy Robbins and Talia Baiocchi, this cookbook is a masterclass in pasta making, offering a deep dive into the art and craft of Italy's most beloved food.The book is beautifully illustrated with nearly 100 full-color photos, making it a visual delight. It covers everything from the basics of pasta dough to the intricacies of shaping and cooking various pasta types. The step-by-step instructions are clear and easy to follow, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced cooks.One of the standout features is the variety of recipes included. With 40 handmade pasta shapes and 100 recipes for Italian American, regional Italian, and modern dishes, there's something for everyone. The recipes are well-organized and provide detailed guidance, ensuring that you can recreate these delicious dishes at home.Missy Robbins' passion for pasta shines through in every page. Her expertise and love for Italian cuisine are evident, and she provides valuable tips and insights that elevate the cooking experience. Whether you're making pasta sheets for lasagna or trying your hand at more unique shapes like Corzetti, this cookbook has you covered.Overall, *Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy's Greatest Food, with Recipes* is a must-have for anyone who loves pasta and wants to master the art of making it at home. Highly recommended!

Love this pasta book! Great institutions, and also very aesthetic in my kitchen.

On a whim, I decided to get into making fresh pasta. I bought 2 books: Homemade Ravioli Made Simple by Carmella Alvaro and Pasta by Missy Robbins.This book is stunning. It’s a beautiful book. It’s a very obvious labor of love. I absolutely love all of the different recipes she’s included in the book: regional Italian classic recipes, American classic recipes (who doesn’t love a good vodka or alfredo sauce??), and modern classics + sides from her restaurants. She does a fabulous job at articulating the shapes, styles, doughs, and tools needed to make fresh pasta. Personally, I find her modern classics creative, inspiring, and really fun to make.The only 2 things I YERN FOR: photos of ALL of the dishes and VIDEOS! What I wouldn’t give to be able to scan a QR code and get a step-by-step video of how to make some of these recipes or pasta shapes……and on that note, my first piece of advice for any fresh pasta making newbie: simply learn how to make fresh pasta dough before anything! And learn it from Helen Rennie on YouTube. She’s an incredible teacher, she explains literally everything - like why do we use the scale vs measuring cups when making pasta dough? Unlike Missy, we are without Nonnas to teach us the intuitive way of making pasta dough and Helen will give us replicable results. Be sure to watch all of Helen’s videos on egg pasta dough, semolina pasta dough and ravioli making. If you try Missy’s dough recipes, I recommend cutting them in half (she recommends this in her book)! I wasted almost 30 eggs on my first batch of her egg pasta dough and it turned out terrible. Looking back, I should have taken more time to explore the dough making process before attempting such a large batch of dough.My second piece of advice for any fresh pasta making newbie: start with simple pasta + sauce recipes out of Missy’s book. Pappardelle with Porcini and Veal Bolognese (I used pork + beef), Spaghetti Four Ways, any of the American Classics - especially once you start getting into stuffed pasta: a classic Ravioli Red Sauce will not make your head explode or back break.My third piece of advice for fresh pasta making newbies: IF YOU ATTEMPT STUFFED PASTAS, just know they are a TON of work. I recommend something like this: make the filling a day or two in advance, you could even make the dough a day in advance, and then put it all together on the final day with your sauce. Stuffed pastas are putzy beyond belief, and they can be infuriating. Again, highly recommend watching Helen Rennie’s video on Ravioli Making so you can avoid a bunch of newbie mistakes.And finally, Missy is a true Chef. The capital C stands for elevation. Depending on who you are, elevation may feel putzy, or it may feel worth it to you. After making a couple of her recipes, you will start to be able to identify The Elevation/Putz with the use of things like: meat grinder for sofrito, tamis for filling, food processor for whipped ricotta. I 100% think they’re worth trying, at least once (if you have them already!). She explains how they elevate a dish which I appreciated. Personally, after a couple of recipes, I began to ignore those instructions and find faster, simpler ways because I’m really after the flavor profile, not the slight elevation. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯This is one of those books that you’ll keep coming back to if you decide fresh pasta making is for you. You’ll get better with each recipe, because you’ll possibly be forced to watch YouTube videos on all of them to understand what you’re doing ;) One of my favorite cookbooks! Highly recommend.And to all of those reviewers complaining about American classics being in a pasta book because they’re not “authentic”: please feel free to write this book you’re looking for. Missy doesn’t call this an authentic Italian pasta cookbook once and also has the creative freedom to write whatever she wants to.