Starred review from November 7, 2022
TikTok star Munno, whose Italian ancestors were dried pasta makers as far back as the 1880s, shares a mix of go-to classics and family recipes in her luscious debut. Before getting to the recipes, Munno provides a brief history of pasta and lays out some helpful cooking tips (“Treat the recommended cooking time on a box of dried pasta as a guide, not law, to tell you when the pasta is al dente”), and novices will appreciate the detailed directions for making from-scratch pasta (the explanation for how to shape tortellini runs to multiple paragraphs). Classic recipes include spicy penne all’arrabbiata, and spaghetti all’amatriciana with guanciale and Pecorino Romano. Easy everyday recipes make use of leftover pasta, such as timballo di pasta (baked pasta) with salami, ham, or sausage. The American-inspired recipes—silky mac and cheese, penne with creamy salmon—offer nourishing comfort food. Those who want to put their skills to the test can try their hands at one of the recipes that encourage experimentation, such as a lemony pesto that calls for lemon, mint, and pistachios, the proportions of which can be changed based on flavor preferences and what one has on hand. Thorough and infectiously jubilant, this spirited celebration of Italy’s most famous food is a winner. Agent: Brandi Bowles, UTA.
November 1, 2022
Munno brings vast inherited knowledge, and years as an Italian food blogger, to her first cookbook. There is much here to enjoy. An extensive ingredient and tool glossary is accompanied by a nice vignette of entertaining the Italian way. "Gorgeous Tips" include helpful hints for time savers, make-ahead, and flavor alternatives, and many recipes include QR codes to videos demonstrating how to make the dish. Photos are luxuriant but are as likely to be of Munno as of the food, but this is nothing new to fans of the blog and new readers likely won't mind a bit as her style is quite reminiscent of Giada De Laurentiis and Nigella Lawson. Cookbook readers will delight in turning the pages filled with plenty of family and recipe origin stories. True to the style of her blog, Munno delivers ingredient-forward recipes that encourage the use of fresh pasta, but she's not against subbing in dried pasta for quick weeknight meals. VERDICT This "just gorgeous" cookbook is truly that, and its assortment of recipes will please a variety of readers looking for bona fide Italian food for all occasions.--Sarah Tansley
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 18, 2024
Bestseller Munno (The Pasta Queen) dives into family-focused Mediterranean cuisine in this exuberant and inspirational volume. The recipes are drawn from multiple regions and organized by course. For Aperitivi, a peach bellini and inventive lemon-basil cocktail get the party started. In the Antipasti section, Munno instructs home cooks on how to construct a vibrant snack board of olives, salami, gorgonzola, and focaccia. First-course plates (Primi) include Milanese risotto, seafood linguine, and potato gnocchi, alongside a guide to making fresh pasta. The section on Secondi features lemon-sauced chicken scallopine and stuffed peppers. Vegetables star in the Contorni course, which features sautéed broccoli rabe and artichokes alla Romana, and for dessert (Dolci), there’s “melt in your mouth” lemon ricotta cake. A brief final chapter on Italian street food consists mainly of paninis and feels oddly out of place, but Munno infuses every recipe with a sense of fun through personal anecdotes and the mantra “food is love.” She encourages home cooks to view these recipes as “but a canvas” for one’s “culinary artistry,” inviting personalization while still offering enough guidance to help novices feel comfortable. This is a must for anyone looking to put together an authentic Italian meal.