Book review: The Silver Spoon Pasta

From penne arrabbiata to spaghetti carbonara, The Silver Spoon Pasta is the ultimate guide to cooking pasta the Italian way.

The latest title in the prestigious Silver Spoon series celebrates one of the most iconic and popular Italian ingredients: pasta.

This stylish book showcases Italy's cherished culinary traditions and boasts more than 300 recipes, stunning full-page photography and detailed instructions. Whether preparing farfalle or fusilli, spaghetti or sedani, the book invites professional cooks to explore pasta's tremendous versatility.

The book's featured pastas are as varied as its recipes. Offering a culinary overview of 46 different types, the varieties are classified in categories such as long and short, cut and filled, and fresh and dry. All are accompanied by a short text illustrating why certain pasta shapes pair well with specific dishes or sauces. For example, pipe shapes often appears in soups and pasta salads, while rigatoni complements meat sauces due to its ridges.

No matter the pasta's shape or origin, every dish in the book encapsulates Italy's history, culture and landscape. From linguine in Liguria and pansotti stemming from Genoa, to orecchiette from Puglia and maccheroni alla chitarra emanating from the Abruzzo region, the book journeys through the southern European nation. Chefs will be particularly inspired by the more technical creations, including soufflé of capellini, linguine with lobster, and zucchini and almond ravioli. Each recipe provides ample advice to ensure success for both simple and elaborate dishes, with guidance on cooking time, storage and creating fresh pasta dough.

To further deepen its scope, the volume also includes insight into pasta's development across time, investigating topics such as the cultural history of al dente pasta, why pasta was once deemed a luxury item, the mechanisation of dried pasta production and the vast regional variations in its fresh form.

The Silver Spoon Pasta: Authentic Italian Recipes by the Silver Spoon Kitchen (Phaidon, £29.95)