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Our top 12 Italian cookbooks

by Elizabeth Young

published on 1 January 2024

We’ve delved into our cookbook collection to bring you our top ten Italian cookbooks, each one brimming with recipes to take you one step closer to la dolce vita. From Anna del Conte to Nigella Lawson, discover our favourite Italian cookbooks, new and old.

Venice

by Russell Norman

Russell Norman, the restaurateur behind Polpo, explores the simplicity and wonder of Venetian home cooking across the seasons, from grilled spring vegetable pizza to a wintry slow-roasted veal shin. Interspersed between 130 inspiring and accessible recipes for everything from pizza, pasta, risotto, meat dishes and plenty of seafood, as well desserts and authentic cocktails, you’ll find notes on Russell’s favourite markets, suppliers and places to visit, complete with stunning photography of the Floating City. This book is guaranteed to give you wanderlust.

The Sicily Cookbook

Take a trip to Sicily from your kitchen with this new cookbook that promises not only tonnes of mouth-watering recipes but a dose of history and culture too, alongside gorgeous stories on the island’s local producers and chefs. Expect plenty of Sicilian spice and citrus, tomatoes and aubergines, seafood and cheese with recipes from Sweet Meatballs with Almond & Cinnamon to traditional Pasta alla Norma to authentic Sicilian Orange Cake.

River Café 30

by Rose Gray, Ruth Rogers, Sian Wyn Owen, Joseph Trivelli

Marking three decades of The River Cafe, this cookbook features 120 recipes from thirty years of bold and accomplished Italian cooking at the iconic London institution. From updated versions of some of the best loved recipes from the first River Cafe cookbook to thirty new recipes, plus plenty of stories and tips from Ruth Rogers throughout.

Trullo

by Tim Siadatan

Tim Siadatan is the chef behind two of London’s most popular Italian restaurants, Trullo and Padella. In this, his first cookbook, he presents a British take on Italian cooking, marrying the best of the Italian cuisine together with British produce. Trullo is about enjoying every element of Italian cookery, whether that be putting on an impressive dinner party or simply mastering the perfect, silky pasta sauce.

Nigellissima

Now with a shiny new edition cover, Nigellissima sees Nigella Lawson conjure up the warmth, the simplicity and the directness of Italian cooking with an Anglo-twist. Illustrated with gorgeous photographs to instruct and delight, Nigellissima shows how we can all bring the spirit of Italy into our kitchens and onto the plate, pronto.

Amaretto

Amaretto

The best of Anna del Conte, Amaretto, Apple Cake and Artichokes is packed with beautiful recipes as well as tips, anecdotes and reminiscences about Anna’s life in Italy and London. From classics like tomato sauce and tiramisu to more unusual dishes such as nettle risotto and chestnut mousse, this book is an indispensable resource for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of Italian cooking.

Simply Italian

by Michaela, Emanuela and Romina Chiappa

The Chiappa sisters grew up in Wales in the heart of a close-knit Italian community where food was always at the centre of family and social gatherings. Whether searching for porcini in the hills near their parents’ home, making pasta with the whole family, or sharing food at the annual Welsh-Italian summer picnic, they have been immersed in the Italian way of cooking all their lives. Here they share their cherished family recipes, including all the pasta dishes featured in their popular Channel 4 series.

Jamie Cooks Italy

Jamie returns to Italy with his ultimate guide to Italian cooking. In this colourful cookbook, you’ll find Jamie recreating the magic of Italian cooking with a collection of well-tested and accessible recipes inspired by the wonderful nonnas he encountered while travelling the length and breadth of the country. Expect a range of recipes from midweek meal ideas to slower dishes, all with clear nutritional information and Jamie’s signature flair.

My Simple Italian

Specialised in Italian cuisine, Theo Randall is currently head chef at Theo Randall at the Intercontinental Hotel London Park Lane. My Simple Italian showcases Theo’s favourite Italian dishes that he enjoys cooking at home when he’s not working in his restaurant. He focuses on what he loves best – a few top quality ingredients making perfectly balanced flavour combination – and offers over 100 recipes with simple methods that work in a home kitchen.

The Food Of Italy

The Food Of Italy

by Claudia Roden

The Food of Italy was written after Claudia Roden spent a year in Italy researching Italian cuisine. From regional recipes and country cooking to the bravura of grand, centrepiece dishes, Claudia Roden’s encyclopaedic knowledge suffuses this rich and fascinating book. Expect quick and easy pasta recipes, fresh seafood dishes, and authentic Italian desserts.

An A-Z of Pasta

Drawing upon 16+ years of living between Rome and Sicily, Rachel Roddy’s An A-Z of Pasta is a compendium of 50 of pasta’s most recognisable shapes and sizes and offers inspiring, beautifully photographed recipes for each. Bolster your repertoire for fast and simple one-pot dishes or enjoy slower centrepieces for entertaining whilst simultaneously learning a potted history of some of your favourite pasta shapes.

The Sicily Cookbook

Explore the breadth of Sicilian cooking through Cettina Vicenzino’s stunning cookbook. Beautiful food photography, authentic recipes and profiles of local chefs and artisanal food producers unite in this unique collection. Expect an array of vegetarian and meat dishes seasoned with spices, fruits and cheeses and delight in the joy this cookbook brings to your home kitchen.

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