Skip to content
Open menu Close menu

Feed your appetite for cooking with Penguin’s expert authors

penguin logo

The best pasta cookbooks

by Jessica Lockyer-Palmer

published on 3 January 2024

There are few things more satisfying to master than homemade pasta dough and a repertoire of sauces to go with it. Discover our favourite cookbooks to help you make your best plate of pasta yet.

An A-Z of Pasta

In An A-Z of Pasta, food writer Rachel Roddy weaves together the potted histories and recipes behind different essential pasta shapes, from alphabeto to zito. Managing to be both practical and inspirational, it can be used as a guide to quick midweek suppers using shop-bought pasta or a manual for learning to make each pasta shape from scratch. Either way, it is a joyful addition to any cookbook collection and a true love letter to everyone’s favourite carb.

Trullo

by Tim Siadatan

Tim Siadatan is the chef behind Trullo and sister pasta restaurant, Padella, where hungry Londoners will happily wait in hour-long queues to get their hands on a plate of his pici cacio e pepe or pappardelle with ragù. Unsurprisingly, Tim’s first cookbook features an entire chapter on pasta, beginning with invaluable wisdom on the pasta-making process and instructions for making dough. It then moves on to recipes including tagliarini with dressed crab and that all-important pici cacio e pepe. This is restaurant-level pasta cooking made acheivable at home and a must-have cookbook for any Trullo and Padella devotee. 

Pasta

Pasta

In Pasta, Theo Randall shares a collection of 110 recipes, all within the reach of the home cook. Using a mix of fresh and dried pasta and the freshest ingredients according to the season, Pasta features a wide variety of dishes, many achievable in minutes, from tagliarini with peas, prosciutto and parmesan to cappaletti with slow cooked veal and pancetta.

River Café 30

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

Marking 30 years of one of London’s most inconic Italian restaurants, River Cafe 30 is packed with brilliant pasta recipes, from a guide to making fresh pasta, to instructions on how to master their famous slow-cooked tomato sauce. Bold and fresh flavours take centre stage in this masterclass on elegant simplicity. Think penne with zucchini and lemon zest and linguine with fresh and dried oregano.

Simply Italian

by Michaela, Emanuela and Romina Chiappa

The Chiappa sisters grew up in the heart of a close-knit Italian community where food was always at the centre of family and social gatherings. This cookbook is all about accessible Italian home cooking, complete with an extensive selection of pasta recipes including everything from how to colour pasta dough to making ravioli. 

Share

You might also like


View all

Book Collections

The ultimate guide to Ottolenghi cookbooks

From Plenty to COMFORT, find the best Ottolenghi cookbook for you with our handy guide.

Book Collections

The best cookbooks to give this Mother’s Day

It goes without saying that not all mums love cooking, but these cookbooks make the perfect gift if you are shopping for a foodie.

Book Collections

The best cookbooks coming out in 2024

Discover new releases by Bored of Lunch, Jamie Oliver, Ottolenghi, Nicola Lamb, The Batch Lady, and more.

newsletter

Subscribe to The Happy Foodie email newsletter

Get our latest recipes, features, book news and ebook deals straight to your inbox every week