Some of Our Favorite Cookbooks

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On our journey to create the best Timpano recipe, we read a lot of cookbooks. And many great chefs and cooks inspired us … whether through a Timpano recipe of their own or advice on how to make better pasta, meatballs, pasta sauce, and more.

In the hopes that you’ll find your own inspiration, we share some of our favorite Italian cookbooks and books about Italian cooking.

The Tucci Cookbook by Stanley Tucci

Featuring nearly 200 irresistible recipes, perfectly paired with delicious wines, this cookbook is brimming with robust flavors, beloved Italian traditions, mouthwatering photographs, and stories from the family’s kitchen. It is one of our favorite Timpano cookbooks.

Recipes include Timpano, Venetian Seafood Salad, Lasagna made with Polenta and Gorgonzola Cheese, Spicy Spaghetti with Tomato and Tuana, Pork Tenderloin with Fennel and Rosemary, Fruity Roast Duck with Fresh Figs, Baked Whole Fish in an Aromatic Salt Crust, Eggplant and Zucchini Casserole with Potatoes, and Plum and Polenta Cake.

Cucina & Famiglia: Two Italian Families Share Their Stories, Recipes, and Traditions by Joan Tropiano Tucci, Gianni Scappin, Mimi Sharley Taft

The mother and teacher of Big Night star Stanley Tucci present more than 200 delicious, easy-to-prepare, and authentic Italian recipes. Recipes range from Stuffed Mushrooms to Chicken Cacciatore. It was one of the first Timpano cookbooks we explored.

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

The most consulted Italian cookbook of all time, this is from Marcella Hazan, who introduced Americans to a whole new world of Italian food. Essentials of Italian Cooking is a culinary bible for anyone looking to master the art of Italian cooking. And, it brings together her beloved books, The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking, in one volume.

This book has been updated and expanded with new entries and 50 new recipes.

Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine by Lidia Mattichhio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali

From the Emmy-winning host of Lidia’s Kitchen, best-selling author and beloved ambassador for Italian culinary traditions in America comes the ultimate master class. This is a beautifully produced guide to Italian cooking and is coauthored by her daughter, Tanya. The book covers everything from ingredients to techniques to tools.

The 400 recipes run the full gamut from classics like risotto alla Milanese and Tagliatelle with Mushroom Sauce to Lidia’s always-satisfying originals like Bread and Prune Gnocchi and Beet Ravioli in Poppy Seed Sauce.

The Silver Spoon by The Silver Spoon Kitchen

This cookbook was first published in 1950 as Il Cucchiaio d’Argento. Its English-language offspring, The Silver Spoon, is the ultimate compilation of traditional home-cooking Italian dishes. In this all-new version (2019), The Silver Spoon Classic features 170 of the very best recipes from Italy’s diverse regions. This collection features exquisite photography of the dishes and has elegant double ribbons for easy reference. The Silver Spoon Classic is the definitive guide to preparing the most important, authentic, and delicious Italian recipes.

Mastering Pasta: The Art and Practice of Handmade Pasta, Gnocchi, and Risotto by Marc Vetri and David Joachim

The respected master of Italian cuisine shares his vast knowledge of pasta, gnocchi, and risotto. This inspiring, informative primer features expert tips and techniques, and more than 100 recipes. You’ll learn how to make more than 30 types of pasta dough, from versatile egg yolk dough, to extruded semolina dough, to flavored pastas. And you’ll learn how to form them into shapes both familiar and unique.

The Tucci Table: Cooking with Family and Friends by Stanley Tucci and Felicity Blunt

Featuring 100 luscious full-color photographs, The Tucci Table captures the true joys of family cooking. Tucci captivates with recipes from his Italian roots as well as those of his British wife, Felicity Blunt.

The time-tested recipes include pasta alla bottarga, mushroom-stuffed trout, pork chops with onions and mustard sauce, and barbeque chicken wings! Nothing will make you happier than the aroma of a hearty Italian dish sizzling on the stovetop.