OP: Bugialli on Pasta (first printing)

Simon and Schuster, New York, 1988. Hardcover. Near Fine. First printing.

As with Bugialli’s earlier work on cooking technique, Bugialli on Pasta (1988) is rigorously instructive with helpful illustrations, guiding the reader in the ways of handrolling and cutting pasta, as well as employing the necessary equipment for more complicated shapes.

While making pasta from scratch is, no doubt, most rewarding, Bugialli is not so strict as to disallow store bought products for those looking for a quicker approach to dinner. It is really the ways in which the shapes are used and the bountiful headnotes and commentary that make the book most captivating; this is where Bugialli’s expertise shines. 

Meanwhile, it is the recipes which provide the temptation. You’ll find:

• Tuscan nastri alla borraccina—thick ribbons of pasta in a finely chopped herb sauce
• Calabrian pasta con le zucchine—vermicelli with sauteed zucchini, and ricotta
• Orecchiette o lasgnette alla macellara—a dish featuring a 4-meat sauce from the Adriatic coast
• Torta di taglierini—a Mantuan chocolate cake incorporating capellini

A thorough and effective approach. Rewarding for anyone ready to put in the work. Ours is a Fine copy, the only exception being that the jacket is price-clipped. First printing.