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The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces
Paperback. 1991. 123 p. 9.50 x 6.70 x 0.40. Authentic regional recipes from Italy. 100 of the best pasta sauce recipes
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 12, 2023
I love pasta, so much.
February 17, 2018
LOVE this for the fun and festive illustrations AND the recipes.
Perfect for a non-Italian cook (like me) unaware of the delicious and quickly made varieties other than red and cheese sauces. A good three quarters of the book is devoted to pasta with "vegetable" sauces, including:
Basil, Walnuts, Eggplant, Lemon, Mushrooms, Artichokes, Zucchini, Spinach, Cauliflower, Black Olives, Sweet Peppers, Asparagus, Peas, Pumpkin, Chick peas, Lentils, etc.
Delicious!
Perfect for a non-Italian cook (like me) unaware of the delicious and quickly made varieties other than red and cheese sauces. A good three quarters of the book is devoted to pasta with "vegetable" sauces, including:
Basil, Walnuts, Eggplant, Lemon, Mushrooms, Artichokes, Zucchini, Spinach, Cauliflower, Black Olives, Sweet Peppers, Asparagus, Peas, Pumpkin, Chick peas, Lentils, etc.
Delicious!
October 23, 2023
#36 of 2023
June 4, 2012
Don't judge a book by its cover else you might stick this rather slim little book that claims to feature the top 100 pasta sauces back on the shelf. Good things can come in little packages.
This is a book that has been reprinted many times, so either the author has been doing something right and the book has been in high demand or the publishers have been playing it safe and only printing a hundred copies or so at a time. After looking at this book I think it is safe to guess which...
Things here are concise, to the point, without verbiage. You get given a quick little primer about the importance of saucing your pasta, selecting the pasta, cooking the pasta and even what to do with leftover pasta and then it is straight into the all important sauces. Nominally split into vegetable sauces, fish and shellfish sauces, cheese sauces, meat sauces and sauces for special occasions this is not so much a real book division but a mere statement of signposting and an impromptu index of the sauces on offer.
Straight away when browsing through the book you can get a lot of inspiration and a few "can you really do that?" responses. Yet the author has not tried to make wild and wacky sauces to shock and/or amaze, but these are on the whole regular mainstay sauces that could and do grace many an Italian table "just like how mamma used to make". Of course, question 100 different Italian men and invariably their mother made the definitive sauce, based on her grandmother's recipe, and of course anyone else's is a pale imitation/worse than melted plastic, etc, etc.
No full-colour photographs to help inspire either, which is a shame, just a few scene setting drawings that, to be honest, don't really set any scenes. Fortunately the recipes speak for themselves and you are able to see the required ingredients and method of cooking in clearly-marked out spaces. At the start of each nominal chapter and interspersed within are various knowledge bits to help the unwary get a little bit of extra background knowledge.
Each recipe is fuss-free and suitable for amateur and professional alike. You just need to have the wish to try something other than your usual pasta sauce and be open to something possibly new. Your tastebuds will thank you in any case.
This book has been published for quite a while now but it still stands tall amongst its peers as highly-regarded work. Un libro bellissimo!
The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces, written by Diane Seed and published by Ten Speed Press. ISBN 0898152321, 128 pages. Typical price: VARIES. YYYY.
This is a RETROspective review of a previously-published book that, whilst not new on the market, is still available and the review has been made of the book as it stands today.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
This is a book that has been reprinted many times, so either the author has been doing something right and the book has been in high demand or the publishers have been playing it safe and only printing a hundred copies or so at a time. After looking at this book I think it is safe to guess which...
Things here are concise, to the point, without verbiage. You get given a quick little primer about the importance of saucing your pasta, selecting the pasta, cooking the pasta and even what to do with leftover pasta and then it is straight into the all important sauces. Nominally split into vegetable sauces, fish and shellfish sauces, cheese sauces, meat sauces and sauces for special occasions this is not so much a real book division but a mere statement of signposting and an impromptu index of the sauces on offer.
Straight away when browsing through the book you can get a lot of inspiration and a few "can you really do that?" responses. Yet the author has not tried to make wild and wacky sauces to shock and/or amaze, but these are on the whole regular mainstay sauces that could and do grace many an Italian table "just like how mamma used to make". Of course, question 100 different Italian men and invariably their mother made the definitive sauce, based on her grandmother's recipe, and of course anyone else's is a pale imitation/worse than melted plastic, etc, etc.
No full-colour photographs to help inspire either, which is a shame, just a few scene setting drawings that, to be honest, don't really set any scenes. Fortunately the recipes speak for themselves and you are able to see the required ingredients and method of cooking in clearly-marked out spaces. At the start of each nominal chapter and interspersed within are various knowledge bits to help the unwary get a little bit of extra background knowledge.
Each recipe is fuss-free and suitable for amateur and professional alike. You just need to have the wish to try something other than your usual pasta sauce and be open to something possibly new. Your tastebuds will thank you in any case.
This book has been published for quite a while now but it still stands tall amongst its peers as highly-regarded work. Un libro bellissimo!
The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces, written by Diane Seed and published by Ten Speed Press. ISBN 0898152321, 128 pages. Typical price: VARIES. YYYY.
This is a RETROspective review of a previously-published book that, whilst not new on the market, is still available and the review has been made of the book as it stands today.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
June 11, 2008
A quirky little book I rate highly for having theeee best recipe for basic red sauce going.
The wife lived in Italy for a year and this is the sauce she demands when nostalgia calls.
Most of the other sauces I've made from this are pretty good, but the directions can be a bit cryptic and depending on which edition you get it may lack an index & provide measurements in metric.
But just dog-ear the Pomodoro section and you're good to go.
The wife lived in Italy for a year and this is the sauce she demands when nostalgia calls.
Most of the other sauces I've made from this are pretty good, but the directions can be a bit cryptic and depending on which edition you get it may lack an index & provide measurements in metric.
But just dog-ear the Pomodoro section and you're good to go.
February 15, 2022
My copy is 32 years old, from 1989. Not a clunker in this book. Have cooked some of these recipes dozens of times. Often, the most unassuming-looking ones turn out astonishingly good, especially Ciceri e Tria (chickpeas and pasta - half the pasta is fried crunchy and then stirred into the cooked pasta and chickpeas at the end - wonderful mix of textures/tastes), Pasta con la Verdura (pasta and mixed green vegetables - delicious far beyond the ingredient list), Tagliatelle agli Asparagi (subtle - great for a romantic dinner), of course the Carbonara, both versions of the Pasta e Fagioli, and the Puttanesca. Haven't tried any of the red sauces, but what the heck - the recipe's right here and there's no time like the present. By the way, Ciceri e Tria, the chickpeas and pasta dish, has been much-loved by meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans - everyone it's been served to loves it, and it's dirt-cheap. A fantastic little volume, and the beautiful Prismacolor colored pencil illustrations are skillfully done, and a feast for the eyes.
November 23, 2019
I read the 2012 edition and I really like how Diane explained about pasta and the history behind the recipes which is interesting for me. Indeed, pasta has always been the glory of Italian food for me and others. I do love the illustrations in this book!
September 12, 2020
A 30 year “go to” cookbook that never fails me — simple sauces with extraordinary tastes
July 1, 2021
Some really good recipes (based upon reading), found a few I'm willing to try too.
October 15, 2021
wonderful
July 19, 2022
Authentic and simple
November 9, 2007
OMG! I stole this book from a friend about 10 years ago. It was his favorite cookbook and he did something to piss me off.
Now I open this book at least once a month! There are quick pasta sauces and slow pasta dishes. All are categorized under the main ingredient (beans, fish, cheese). My favorite is the Tonno Limone. Lemon and tuna pasta. Yum!
So the moral of this story is...
1.Pasta Rocks.
2.Don't Piss Me Off.
Now I open this book at least once a month! There are quick pasta sauces and slow pasta dishes. All are categorized under the main ingredient (beans, fish, cheese). My favorite is the Tonno Limone. Lemon and tuna pasta. Yum!
So the moral of this story is...
1.Pasta Rocks.
2.Don't Piss Me Off.
November 4, 2011
Fortuitous find at the library bookstore. The Tagliatelle alla Zucca recipe has been on my mind lately (after enjoying it once years ago in Italy). Excellent resource for when you want to make a pasta with whatever vegetable you have on hand and would like a little guided expertise (provided you don't mind a little cream and butter with your pasta). Can't wait to try the Pasta al Limone recipe from the favorite Vecchia Roma restaurant.
February 17, 2013
One of the few cookbooks on my shelf that gets used consistently. Every recipe I have tried in this book has been good and it is a great resource if you have some vegetables you need to use up as the recipes are listed by main ingredient. It also tells the history behind a lot of the recipes which is interesting especially for Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
January 31, 2012
I've had this book now for 11 years now and still come back to it, especially since becoming vegetarian. The recipes are fantastic and I love the layout by primary ingredient.
They should really reissue this book as it is one of the few cookbooks I've bought that I've continually used.
They should really reissue this book as it is one of the few cookbooks I've bought that I've continually used.
February 6, 2010
Enough choices that are different and delicious to make it worth the purchase.
January 21, 2011
Great little book, well-used in my house growing up. I should really get a copy.
October 1, 2011
Lots of authentic fast and easy sauces for pasta, chicken and fish with really beautiful illustrations.
November 10, 2011
Had this book for years - very easy recipes and lovely illustrations.
May 10, 2012
One of my most loved cookery books. Delicious, simple-to-make sauces using a nice variety of vegetables, along with lovely illustrations.
July 27, 2012
This is a great book and the sauces are all delicious...well..the ones that i've tried out since buying it 18 years ago! Love the brief descriptions behind the regional sauces.
March 10, 2013
A wedding gift from a friend. This one has a permanent spot on the"shortlist" shelf over the counter that holds the everyday use cookbooks. Hard to find sometimes so buy it when you see it.
December 25, 2015
Buying this can disappoint you because you will never again find any cookbook with pastas that are nearly as good. Flip to a random page and wherever you land will be delicious.
July 3, 2008
The lady who wrote this book is the mother of a friend of mine.
December 27, 2013
Love every recipe and taste. Love Italia!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews