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| An A-Z of Pasta by Rachel Roddy |
First, I have to declare a little involvement in this book, in so far as I know the author, Rachel Roddy, and tested some of the recipes to get this book over the line in these strange and difficult times. But I love this book and because of that I wanted it on my 'Favourite Books' page, so, what to do? Put it on, of course. Now you know my partiality and to continue reading or not is up to you.
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| Vermicelli with clams, courgettes, almonds & breadcrumbs An A-Z of Pasta |
This is a book about pasta, that most Italian of foods, written by an Englishwoman who has lived in Rome with her Sicilian partner for 16 years, time spent learning, cooking and eating pasta. Like her previous two books, an A-Z of Pasta comes out of an inquisitive mind, a love of the food culture of Italy and a passion for pasta shared with its makers and everyone who cooks this staple food pretty much every day. There are 50 of the hundreds of pasta shapes covered here and over 120 recipes - as the author says, she knows her limitations but she has put in the work and that shows through in this book.
It's hard to think of a more travelled food than pasta. How many millions of us around the world have a shelf full of packets of pasta shapes I wonder. This book starts with a quick, practical guide pointing the reader to recipes to suit those shapes most of us habitually have to hand - invaluable for when the direction of dinner needs deciding pronto. There's also a succinct explanation of fresh and dried pastas and how different flours and treatments produce particular shapes and textures suited to particular sauces. Launching into the A-Z of Shapes, each starts with a Story which, for me, serves to enhance my appetite for the Sauces and Recipes that follow.
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| Making Orecchiette An A-Z of Pasta |
What could be a better start than A for Alfabeto? One of the tiny pastina that needs nothing but a good brodo to satisfy, be it a child chasing the letters to find its name in a bowl - there's a Story about that - or an adult savouring the delight of a good, simple broth. I had a moment's disappointment when I saw the the lovely brothy Peas Roman Style with Anelli (little rings) hadn't made it to the final edit, only to find the recipe had shape-shifted to Q for Quadrucci (little squares). M for Malfade comes with a helping of sobering history as well as tomato sauce and ricotta. M is also for Maltagliati, the "badly cut" pasta, its lack of uniformity being one that we can all make with confidence and perfect to add to a Chickpea and chestnut soup. V for Vermicelli evokes a visit to the church of Santa Maria dell'Orto marvelling at the stained glass and mosaics celebrating the Food Guilds of Rome and is simply matched with clams. But V is also for the voluptuous Vincisgrassi, described by some as a "Baroque Lasagne" for the richness of its ingredients. The version here is inspired by the dish that Ann and Franco Taruschio used to serve at the the iconic Walnut Tree Inn in Wales. Having been lucky enough to eat it there once, this makes me very happy.
There's plenty of hand-holding on the subject of matching shapes with sauces and recommendations for the best alternative shapes to stop you chasing around looking for that elusive Mezze Maniche or Trofie when it's not essential to the dish. The parts played by the geometry of the pasta and the geography dictating ingredients are touched upon. Fresh and dried pastas all have their place here and tinned or frozen ingredients are not disparaged. A lot of the recipes are quick and easy, yet you will find encouragement here too to make a time-consuming Tortellini - I've made it, I know - and you'll very much want to when you read about the 'snack' of Tortellini with Parmesan cream on page 314.
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| Tortellini in Brodo An A-Z of Pasta |
The design of An A-Z of Pasta is a treat, as you'd expect if you know the author's previous work, and Jonathan Lovekin's photographs are beautiful and devoid of artifice. Saffron Stockers's design is elegant and perfect for the subject, with an egg-yolk yellow cover and delightful endpapers. The dedication is simple and heartfelt - 'To pasta makers and pasta eaters'.
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| Rigatoni/Paccheri with the sauce of Roman-style oxtail stew An A-Z of Pasta |
As I write, July has drawn to a close. It should feel like high summer, yet the day's greyness wants me to turn to P for Pizzoccheri and make the dish of buckwheat pasta, potatoes, cabbage and cheese that would normally only come to mind in the cold months. Or maybe the Rigatoni with with the sauce of Roman-style oxtail stew. This is indeed the strangest of years, in so many ways, and comforting Recipes that come with helpings of Stories weaving in history, culture and everyday life are very welcome. I'm pleased to have them on my bookshelf and, now, on my Favourite Books page.
This book was a gift from the author
An A-Z of Pasta: Stories, Shapes, Sauces, Recipes by Rachel Roddy
Published by: Fig Tree, Penguin Books
