pasta faster

Frances Mayes is known for her Italian expertise and her masterful ability to describe it in a way that makes readers want to move to Tuscany, buy a villa, and eat everything. Her memoir Under the Tuscan Sun inspired a movie and thousands of travelers with a stamp of Italy in their passports, as have her books since. And now, with Pasta Veloce, she shares not just recipes of delicious Italian food, she shares the mindset of the Italian home cooks who can throw together a quick and delicious dinner in minutes.

Mayes wrote this during the pandemic with her lifelong friend Susan Wyler, who worked in food media in New York while Mayes went to California to teach. Just three doors away from each other during lockdown, they shared ideas and pastas as they gathered their thoughts into this book. It’s filled with memories from meals in Italy, flavors that friends threw together, meals from an empty pantry when stomachs were growling.

Since most of these recipes are simple and fast, meant to get dinner on the table in 20 minutes, she starts out with the things you need to know. There is a lot of talk about pasta, about the shapes, how best to use the shapes, what the different weights of pasta are best suited for. She encourages cooks to explore new types of pasta, to explore online stores and create a pantry with an eclectic collection of noodles for these dishes. Then it’s on to the virtues of good, like really good, extra virgin olive oil and how to make use of its cooking and health benefits. And then it’s the basics of cooking pasta.

Once you’re set with all that, it’s time for recipes. Mayes starts with ideas for Vegetables and Cheese. From the simple sounding Penne Rigate with Spicy Broccoli Rabe and Toasted Garlic to the classic Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, from a hearty Baked Gigli with Four Cheeses and Ten-Minute Tomato Sauce to a lighter Lemon Pistachio Linguine. There are also several different recipes featuring mushrooms, adding rich flavor without meat, like the Pappardelle with Dried Porcini Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Croutons.

Then it’s on to Seafood pastas, like the Linguine with White Clam Sauce or the Farfalle with Salmon, Asparagus, and Shiitake Mushrooms or the Penne Seafood Salad, with shrimp and scallops. And then it’s time for Meat and Poultry, with recipes like the BLT Spaghetti, Bucatini al Fumo, Fusilli with Chicken Marsala and Mushrooms, Stracci with Almost-Instant Ragu, or Tagliatelle with Duck Confit and Chestnuts. They finish with recipes for 10 different pestos that can be used on pastas or as a topping for chicken, a dip for crackers, or for a splash of flavor on vegetables. There is a Classic Basil Pesto, Goat Cheese and Walnut Pesto, Smoky Almond-Mint Pesto, and a Sicilian Citrus Pesto, among others.

I have been a fan of Mayes and her work for many years now. When I feel the urge to go to Italy and wander the markets or talk about the food or learn about the history, I reach for one of her books. She has a way of bringing Italy to life, even if you’re on the other side of the world. Pasta Veloce is her latest cookbook, clearly focused on quick pasta meals that feature the soul of Italy but can be created anywhere.

While this particular cookbook’s specificity may not be to everyone’s taste, I think of it as a lovely addition to the Frances Mayes library. If you’re looking for more traditional Italian meals, with the varied courses and the large celebratory feasts, she has a different cookbook for you. If you want to learn more about the Tuscan aesthetic for your home, she has a book for that too. Like I said, I’ve been a fan for a long time. But this is perfect for where I am now. We love pasta, and we need quick evening meals. We may not stock up on the black truffles or the golden caviar for some of those richer dishes, but we love tomatoes and can certainly buy pancetta. I think Pasta Veloce has ideas that can inspire any wannabe Tuscan chef, or anyone wanting just wanting to make a more delicious pasta dish on an ordinary, busy Thursday night.