Carmella Alvaro comes by her love of pasta honestly. She was the youngest child of Italian immigrants and grew up with genuine Italian cooking straight from the family garden. She grew up and got a corporate job, but when she wanted to reconnect with that fresh food from her childhood, she did it right. She went to Italy and learned pasta making from the country that perfected it. And then she came back and chose to share everything she learned with all of us.
Authentic Homemade Pasta is the guide to making a wide variety of pasts with the simplest of ingredients—flour and water (and sometimes eggs). She gets us ready with all the information we need to get started, from what kind of flour to use to what equipment we’ll need for making, cooking, storing, or freezing the pasta to troubleshooting the pasta dough.
And then it’s time for the master dough recipes. There is an Egg Pasta Dough, All-Purpose Flour Dough, Whole Wheat Flour Pasta Dough, Gluten-Free Pasta Dough, and a Flavored Pasta Dough (with several flavor options), among others. Each master recipe comes with ideas for how to use it, so you can take your homemade pasta and turn it into a meal.
And then it’s on to learn to make pasta. First off is cut pasta, specifically Tagliatelle. There are instructions for rolling and cutting the pasta dough, complete with photos of each step. And then there is dinner: Tagliatelle Ragu Bolognese or Tagliatelle with Pistachio-Artichoke Pesto. Or if you want something a little different, you can go with the Herbed Pappardelle with Mushroom Ragu, Whole-Wheat Alpine Linguine, or Sausage Lasagna.
Next is hand-shaped pasta, where you learn Orecchiette and Pici. Then you can make the Orecchiette with Garlic-Broccoli Sauce or Pici all’Aglione. Or you can try your hand at other shapes and go with the Basil Farfalle with Ricotta and Cherry Tomatoes, Fusilli at Ferretto with ‘Nduja Sauce, Capunti alla Pastora, or Cavatelli with Short Rib Ragu.
Then it’s time to stuff it and learn stuffed pasta, like Ravioli and Agnolotti del Plin. Then you can make the Lemon-Ricotta Ravioli with Butter-Parmesan Sauce, Burrata Agnolotti with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Gluten-Free Cannelloni Lucchese, Tortellini with Burro e Oro, or Corn and Mascarpone Mezzaluna with Basil Oil.
Next is the Extruded Pasta. You learn to make a variety of extruded pastas, like bucatini. rigatoni, and fusilli. They’re usually made in factories, but they can be done at home with a pasta maker or an attachment for your stand mixer. And then you can create your own Spaghetti Carbonara, Macaroni with Tuna and Olives, Bucatini alla Puttanesca, or Macaroni with Sausage and Peppers.
And last, but certainly not least, is the Gnocchi and Gnudi. Once you learn to make the Potato Gnocchi, you can make Ricotta Gnocchi with Pan Sauce, Spinach Gnocchi Skillet with Vegetables, Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Roasted Vegetables, or Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pecan Butter Sauce.
And then there is an entire chapter with recipes for Sauces, Fillings, and More, so you can make your favorite pasta and then add the Master Tomato Sauce, Quick Spicy Sausage Rago, Caponata, Tomato-Parmesan Cream Sauce, or Romesco. Or you can make a filled pasta with the Fog-Gorgonzola Filling, Pea and Pancetta Filling, Sausage Filling, or Asparagus-Ricotta Filling.
I loved Authentic Homemade Pasta, with its loyalty to true Italian pasta dishes (and over 100 recipes!) and the detailed instructions with photos to help guide you. However, I do wish there were more photos of the finished dishes. I think they would be more tempting than just the lists of ingredients and instructions, and more inspiring. But the details and the authenticity of these recipes make me feel like I’m learning from a true Italian, because I am. Short of traveling to Europe, this is the way to go!
Egalleys for Authentic Homemade Pasta were provided by Rockridge Press through the Callisto Media Publisher’s Club, with many thanks.
