My Italian Cookbook Wishlist
I’m a believer in having a collection of tangible, worn and loved cookbooks to refer to. Dog-eared pages, handwritten notes in the margins, jotted down adaptations and substitutions. I’ll confess, I’m such a later bloomer on this front. My first cookbook I actually bought for myself was about two years ago, at the ripe age of 27. What can I say? I may be late to the party, but I’m here to stay!
So many of you mentioned that you were interested in joining me in my journey to experience Italy’s regional cooking with the Roaming Italy project. Well, today, I’m here to give you a big old list of great cookbooks to help you in this quest with me! This list is basically my own personal wishlist I’ve heavily researched as I continue to learn about Italian food and culture.
If only I had a monthly budget for cookbooks to collect every single one I’ve included on this list! Who wants to financially support me in my cookbook obsession? Any takers?
For the pasta aficionado, the pizza queens, and the hungry explorer… here is a lovely little round up of some of the Italian cookbooks I have on my wishlist!
Traditional Italian Cooking
I think this book is just a gem! Autentico is written by Rolando Beramendi, an Italian importer and expert, who goes above and beyond to bring real, true flavors of Italy to life… while also teaching readers about the traditional, centuries-old recipes that we all should know and love. I’m obsessed with his obsession to celebrate authentic Italian culinary traditions.
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Essentials of Italian Cooking can more or less be called the culinary bible of Italian cookery. Marcella Hazan does a beautiful job designing recipes for all levels of experience and accessibility, while teaching readers the comprehensive techniques and flavors of Italian cooking. It’s one of the first buys I would make if you’re also seeking to cook more authentic Italian food, like me!
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A coffee table book meets a luxurious cookbook, all in one binding. Seriously, look at how beautiful this thing is! The Silver Spoon is an offspring of the original Il Cucchiaio d'Argento written in 1950, that features 170 of the very best traditional Italian dishes. It’s sold over a million copies worldwide and, I’ll tell you what, the photography in this thing is stunning.
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Pasta in all its glorious forms! From the familiar spaghetti, gnocchi and ravioli to the lesser known shapes and staples found throughout the whole country. I’m drooling over this collection of recipes, not only because its comprehensive and beautiful… but also because its history of pasta looks amazing!
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If you’re looking to become master of pasta (a sfoglino), this is your book! Evan Funke, an American trained in the classic techniques from Emilia Romagna, masterfully covers the four foundational doughs of pasta making as well as the essential sauces/broths home cooks should know. If the perfect pomodoro, the hearty brodo di carne and the saucy bolognese are on your cooking bucket list, this is a great addition to your collection!
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This cookbook masterfully captures stories of travel with authentic dishes discovered along the way. Told through the eyes of a mother exploring every region of Italy, this cookbook features homemade recipes experienced throughout her journey, with the many locals who share their insight. It’s an intentional, beautifully written travelogue with recipes to boot… honoring the country’s rich food culture.
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A cookbook made from the award winning chef Marc Vetri, whose restaurant Pizzeria Vetri was one of my favorite spots in our Feast of Saint Pizza Philadelphia! Marc jam packs this cookbook with his personal stories of travel and foodie discoveries in Italy, along with his professional and coveted recipes, notes, and suggestions. I love his obsession with deep-dives into the science of cooking pasta, from textural notes to creating hand made pasta with or without a machine.
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This updated and revised edition of The Silver Spoon focuses on home cooking and traditions found around the Italian dinner table. If you’re on the hunt for a book that focuses on home cooked Italian treats, dishes and more, look no further. I personally love how this book is organized with photographic scenes I wish I could just hop right into.
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This is my personal cookbook bible for Roaming Italy. I chose this book primarily because of its scholarly research, conducted by the Italian Academy of Cuisine and its organization of recipes by region. Interspersed you’ll find fun anecdotal histories of specific dishes and specialty meals. It’s cut and dry (don’t expect frilly stories and gorgeous photos), but I’ve found myself referring to it regularly and often to get a fuller sense of authentic preparation and techniques used region by region.
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This is the next cookbook I’m planning on buying myself! (I literally had to resist the urge to buy this and La Cucina at the same time. My poor wallet can’t handle my obsession…) If you’re interested in learning regional cooking of Italy, this book provides each area’s recipes, techniques, ingredients and how to use them. Valentina Harris is an expert examiner of Italian regional cooking, and I know it’ll be a must-have in my library and yours too!
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When I began my journey cooking through Italy, I knew that this book would be one of my early purchases. Lucky for me, Luke got it for me as a Christmas present! Pasta Grannies is the winner of the James Bear Award for a Single Subject and I am absolutely infatuated. Italian nonnas teaching readers their tried and true, authentic recipes… right in their own homes. These accessible recipes are absolutely divine, but what I really love are the cozy segments about the nonnas featured in the book. It’s a heartwarming cookbook through and through.
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Pasta making comes down to the simplest of ingredients. And this cookbook demonstrates how the purest of elements can result in some of the most delicate, delicious and pillowy pastas out there! Based off of Thomas McNaughton’s beloved restaurant flour + water, this cookbook shines at teaching readers about seasonally influenced recipes. I’m salivating just paging through it!
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100 authentic, delicious recipes from the masters at America’s Test Kitchen and National Geographic… brought to life with sweeping images of the countryside, gorgeous maps and the ingredients found region by region. It’s the perfect mix of travel guide and cookbook, organized to perfection.
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Cocktails
For the cocktail curious or the expert mixologist, Aperitivo is a ride through the vibrant Italian cocktail culture, covering the classics we know and love, their histories, and a tour of some of the chicest bars in the country. This baby features deep dives into vermouths and botanical-infused liqueurs and great explanations as to how to understand the complex flavors within amari. As an aperitivo lover myself, I’m dying to get this into my own hands!
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I’m literally resisting the urge to add this book to my cart as I write this! Amari and the world of bittersweet liqueurs - explained and demystified. The centuries old European practice of creating herbacious digestifs can feel like a totally overwhelming one to understand, but this book does an excellent job opening readers’ eyes to the colorful culture of amaro today. Recipes, DIY amaros, a tour of the best bars and distilleries in Italy… this one’s got it all!
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The Spritz reigns supreme here in my household, and this is literally one of the first gifted cookbooks I ever received! I love it still so much to this day. Inside you’ll find a tour of the Spritz’s creation in the bubbly and bitter world of aperitivo, as well as the most amazing places to try variations on the cocktail around the world. Dozens of recipes, as well as other snacks to indulge in while sipping, historical classics and some gorgeous photos lie inside. I also think it’s the cutest book to showcase on your bar cart or to gift to another Spritz-lover!
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Regional Cooking
Besides my obsession with the cover of this cookbook (how gorgeous is this?!)… I’m also hungry to flip through its recipes and stunning photos! A culinary tour of Tuscan-created dishes, Florence’s very best produce, pastries, recipes and food scene… flipping through this cookbook feels like you’re on a walkabout through the streets of the Renaissance capital. Every dish, every photo, every little detail is so beautiful, it makes me want to hop on a plane and rediscover Florence!
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Friuli’s a unique region, nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea… but man does its cooking intrigue me! Because this tiny sliver of a region borders Austria and Slovenia, there are so many cultural influences unlike many other areas that are more traversed by travelers. This cookbook celebrates the practice of Friuli recipes, from its local winemakers, to the authentic dishes only found in the area.
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The tip of the Italian “boot” - Calabria! Known for its love of spice, Calabria’s cooking is resourceful and downright delicious. I’m dying to get this onto my bookshelves because I feel a kinship towards Rosetta Costantino’s relationship towards the region. (My grandfather’s side comes from Reggio-Calabria, and her parents do too!) Rosetta shares her family’s story and introduces readers to the mountainous and beautiful region’s original dishes side by side.
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I’m going to say it. This book has helped me through some bleak, bleak times. After returning home from Europe the first time, I had a huge wave of post-travel depression set in… and this book pretty much walked me back to the light. Tasting Rome covers the traditional, the modern, the culture and the absolute beauty of Rome. I can wax poetic about how beautifully and intentionally made this cookbook is, but I’ll just stop and tell you - go buy it!
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Sicilian food is often regarded as some of the most distinct, and The Sicily Cookbook does an excellent job at highlighting over 70 authentic dishes from the island’s history. I particularly love how Cettina highlights the three strands of Sicilian cooking, Cucina Povera (peasant food), Cibo di Strada (street food), and Cucina dei Monsù (sophisticated food).
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I love Katie Parla. I really just love her, her work, her dedication to food writing and research. I could go on and on. Her tour through southern Italy and its disappearing, rustic and romantic dishes are some of the first recipes I’m hoping to dive into. In Food of the Italian South, Katie shows us that the culinary traditions of Italy’s southern regions are some of the most rich and unique. From the focaccia of Puglia’s rugged beaches to the wildly peaceful medieval towns’ preserved recipes… every dish in this book is a dream.
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The slow, nourishing food of Sardinia await. In Bitter Honey, readers are taken on a trip through the relaxed and languid lifestyle of Letitia Clark’s Sardinia. The whole book is a love letter to the slow food and slow lifestyle of Sardinia. I’m obsessed. A tour of the island’s matured and aged cheeses, low roasted veggies, open roasted meats and more unfold through each gorgeous page. As someone who’s a big believer in slow living, this sounds so dreamy to me!