Pasta !

[jmridd]

The most recent addition to my library of italian cook books was Giorgio Locatelli's "Made in Italy," and while it is a magnificent book, it set me off on to a hunt for another book...

Is there any sort of definitive, penultimate, authentic book of Pasta? In my mind, a book like this would really be two parts: pasta and sauces.

The first part, pasta, would be alphabetical and describe all of the different shapes of pasta, and include such information as basic details--size, shape, fresh/dry?, where it is from, and what its made of; what the traditional sauce for it is and WHY; a basic recipe and suggestions for close variations; and what wines are regionally had with it.

The second part would be the sauces.... again, to match the pasta with such details as traditional ingredients, loose recipes, history, etc...

Am I dreaming this up?

Edited January 31, 2009 by jmridd (log)

[slkinsey]

Possibly:

http://www.amazon.com/Pasta-Bible-Definiti...s/dp/0785819096

[mbhank]

The most recent addition to my library of italian cook books was Giorgio Locatelli's "Made in Italy," and while it is a magnificent book, it set me off on to a hunt for another book...

Is there any sort of definitive, penultimate, authentic book of Pasta?  In my mind, a book like this would really be two parts: pasta and sauces. 

The first part, pasta, would be alphabetical and describe all of the different shapes of pasta, and include such information as basic details--size, shape, fresh/dry?, where it is from, and what its made of; what the traditional sauce for it is and WHY; a basic recipe and suggestions for close variations; and what wines are regionally had with it.

The second part would be the sauces.... again, to match the pasta with such details as traditional ingredients, loose recipes, history, etc...

Am I dreaming this up?

←

[mbhank]

Have you checked out "The Silver Spoon?" It is considered Italy's Culinary Bible.

Edited January 31, 2009 by mbhank (log)

[nickrey]

Not quite what you are looking and out of print (but fairly widely available second-hand) is Vincenzo Buonassisi's "The Classic Book of Pasta."

He is a member of the Accademia Itliana della Cucina.

Translated from the Italian, it represents 30 years of collecting and compiling pasta recipes.

In Italian cooking, the pasta itself is the star of the dish. As a consequence, the index is organised by Pasta type rather than by sauce ingredient. This sort of meets one of your requirements. Moreover, the book is organized into sections by what goes with the Pasta (eg: section one covers pasta with vegetables; section four covers pasta with fish; and section seven covers pasta with pork).

If you are looking for "authentic," this one is hard to beat.

[mjc]

This is a pretty comprehensive book:

http://www.amazon.com/Bugialli-Pasta-Giull...846/ref=ed_oe_h