Unlike La Place and Kleiman (reviewed below), Italian cooking authority Bugialli takes his pasta seriously. He studiously...

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BUGIALLI ON PASTA

Unlike La Place and Kleiman (reviewed below), Italian cooking authority Bugialli takes his pasta seriously. He studiously stalks the authentic version, calls for olive oil from the same region as the dish in preparation, warns that in Italy cheese is not an ingredient in a marinara dish, and generally cautions against ""the trial and error of undirected 'creativity.'"" Yet some new dishes are included with the old; and there is no semblance of rigid purism or dead language in this vibrant collection. What we have, then, is nothing less than a living, breathing encyclopedia of pasta, arranged by categories of pasta partners: 13 of pasta and beans, over 50 of pasta and vegetables (including five that feature artichokes, four with bell peppers--always with the skin removed--and many versions of tomato sauce), and so on through pasta with fish, pasta with meat, regional specialties, flavored pastas, gnocci, couscous, and more. A historical note on file dish, the major ingredient, or a local preparation adds dimension to each recipe or group of recipes--which are as delicious in application as they are enlightening in the reading.

Pub Date: Nov. 17, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1988

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