The Best Italian Cookbooks (Review) in 2020

The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan has been tagged the most consulted, enjoyed, and famous cookbook of all time. It is this recipe book that introduced Americans to the delicious world of Italian food. The book is used by professionals, but it is easy for beginners to understand. It has a compilation of Marcella’s best works and is the best choice for anyone trying to be the best at cooking Italian food. It also has updated and expanded recipes as well as 50 new ones. For some, this book is the culinary Bible because it projects the passion the author has for cooking.

Marcella Hazan was an Italian cook and writer who realized that she was able to add her own style to existing recipes to make them hers. She also had a vivid memory of everything she tasted at home and was able to put it down on paper. Before she got married, she had never cooked, and that is what makes her an exceptional writer. Her recipes were strictly traditional with no influence from America or Britain even though she was no longer in Italy. Every ingredient is also practical as to what will be used in an Italian kitchen. Having this book for either personal or professional use will make you feel like you have been trained in Italy all your life.

Another Italian recipe book that will give you a good feel of Italy is The Silver Spoon New Edition. With over 2,000 recipes and pictures for practicality, this is another book considered a culinary Bible. It is a very lively book with a detailed explanation of methods and relevant tips an tricks to make cooking easier. It features great cooks in the industry, including Tony Mantuano, Mario Batali, Mario Carbone, and Lidia Bastianich. Recipes are collected by experts in the field who chose traditional home Italian dishes to feature in the book. It is the newer version of Il Cucchiaio d’Argento, which was published in 1950 with some updated ingredients and methods. However, you still get the same great results, and the ancient memories are preserved for future culinary experts. Each chapter is color-coded, featuring recipes about eggs, sauces, poultry, and cheese, among others. The fascinating thing about this book is how it captures the authentic home recipes. It is recommended by many of today’s top-notch chefs, who have had personal experiences with the book.

La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy is one of those books that preserve Italy’s cuisine. The book documents traditional Italian cooking to keep it alive. It includes recipes from grandmothers who were interviewed by over seven thousand associates from the Italian Academy of Cuisine. Many of those recipes had never been documented before, and that is one feature that makes this book unique. It is a full representation of Italy’s sumptuous cuisine with 2,000 dishes, each labeled with the region of origin. The book does not take short-cuts in getting the desired results, and that puts it in the top category for best cookbooks from Italy. At the same time, it contains simple recipes that are easy to achieve by everyone and anyone. If you are a cook, you should have this in your library as something to reference whenever you’re in doubt about a dish. This October 20, 2009, book attests to the diversity of Italian culture and cuisine. It is 928 pages of useful contributions to understanding the Italian food sector.

Italy has different regions which have their unique recipes used to identify them. The Food of the Italian South: Recipes for Classic, Disappearing, and Lost Dishes: A Cookbook seeks to capture the southern part, which is known for its tomato forward and heavy pasta meals. Katie Parla, with this book, attempts to take readers deep into the south and give then a tour of the vibrant destinations of the region. The book gives you a taste of what goes into southern Italy’s meals and what makes it unique. The cookbook contains both original and customized recipes from all over southern Italy, which portray the culture and history of the regions. It is a 256-page book with 85 recipes and 100 pictures for a more realistic feel.

Katie Parla is a food journalist and writer who enjoys transferring tastes into recipes. She is a Rome based food enthusiast but took a trip into a territory that was different from hers to appreciate their methods of cooking. She is also called an educator by reviewers because her works give more insight into where the food is coming from.

Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Great Italian Cook is another excellent book for discovering Italy and its dishes. This is not an ordinary cookbook, but a learning guide into everything concerning Italian meals. It explains how to clean, store, buy, and cook with all kinds of ingredients from meats and fish to spices. It also covers the different tools needed to execute all 400 of the recipes available in it. The book even has a glossary with relevant words about the culinary industry. The book is 480 pages, and you are guaranteed an experience that will make you feel like an Italian.

The book was written by Lidia Bastianich, an award-winning cook with help from her daughter Tanya. Lidia has written 12 books before this and is knowledgeable in the culinary field. She has a deep passion for food and takes delight in passing on her experiences through writing and teaching. She owns/co-owns four restaurants, giving her practical experience, which puts her in the best position to teach others.

When cooking, you want to feel like an expert in the area, and Autentico: Cooking Italian the Authentic Way will give you that experience. The book tries with a lot of detail to help you make original Italian dishes even when you are not in Italy. The cookbook also goes beyond the narrow-minded assertion that Italy is just about pasta to give an account of a variety of dishes. The idea behind its authenticity is that the book uses full methods without any shortcuts to help you reach your goals. It is aimed at preserving Italian culture and cuisine and keeping the traditions alive. The 384-page book covers recipes that have lost some of its originality due to globalization and the modification of the original. It contains 120 recipes from desserts to full meals using ingredients from the shores of Italy. Autentico brings to life old traditions into modern kitchens and offers a vibrant taste of Italy’s history right in your home. Ronaldo Beramendi is the author of this masterpiece and is known for his extensive work in the field. He has experience fro cooking and is well-spoken about by his peers in the area.

The Tuscan Sun Cookbook: Recipes from Our Italian Kitchen covers recipes cooked in a traditional kitchen in Tuscany, a part of Italy. The Tuscan experience includes meals that comfort, entice, and speak to a generally pleasant spirit of life in Tuscany. The book contains 150 recipes curated through years of living in the area accompanied by vivid pictures. The recipes are simple, and the ingredients a robust and wholesome. It also captures snapshots of the people and the place to give a holistic experience in bringing Italy into your home. It will almost feel as if Frances Mayes, the author, were beside you, providing step by step instructions. It contains everything from starters to desserts, with some dishes like Risotto Primavera, Chicken Under a Brick, and Steamed Chocolate Cake and Vanilla Sauce. Additional resources include how to pair wine with food, how to stock our pantry, and other useful tips. It is not surprising when reviewers tag this book as a complete guide to Tuscan, Italian cooking.

Frances and her husband Ed Mayes, channel their passion for Italian cooking into this 224-page book. Every page tells a story that makes you miss home even when Italy is not your home. It brings Italy right to you with detailed explanations of recipes and extra tricks to give you an even better experience.

Carmine’s is a popular restaurant that makes some of the best classic Italian dishes. The Carmine’s Family-Style Cookbook: More Than 100 Classic Italian Dishes to Make at Home puts 100 of the best recipes together for your cooking pleasure. Carmine’s brings out a unique flavor that you cannot miss in any of their methods. That is why over 1 million people troop to their New York location to enjoy their meals. Every dish is curated with the family in mind and is meant to bring people together. With this cookbook, you’ll be making Italian family-style dishes from the comfort of your home. Each meal can be enjoyed by anyone who isn’t Italian because the ingredients can be found across the world. The cookbook has meals including appetizers, side dishes as well as meat and fish main courses.

Michael Ronis and Mary Goodbody are the authors of this 336-page kitchen must-have. Ronis is the founding chef at Carmine’s Legendary Family Style Italian Restaurant and an executive chef at Alicart Restaurant Group. Goodbody is also an award-winning author for her cookbooks.

Just like the name implies, Tasting Italy: A Culinary Journey takes you on a tour of Italy through its meals. Inside this cookbook, there are 100 recipes with 300 pictures to give you a realistic imagination. There are also 30 maps to take you through Italy, region by region, to explore their tradition and heritage. The book also includes information on the best farmer’s market in Venice, origins of some famous cheeses, and the different wine-growing regions in Italy. All these excerpts are put together by food experts from America’s Test Kitchen, who make sure that every recipe stands out. These food experts collaborated with travel and culture experts National Geographic to bring the best of Italy’s cuisine to your kitchen. Each method has a story to tell about the part of Italy where it originates from.

Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes is a more beginner-friendly approach to Italian cuisine. The cookbook highlights some outstanding recipes that can be prepared by anyone, anywhere, and at any time. It also helps you get dinner ready with no struggle. The methods are practical and perfect for everyday cooking, and you will find a meal for whatever mood you’re in. The ingredients mentioned in the book are easily accessible, and some recipes can even turn leftovers into hearty meals. The dishes are categorized in a way that makes it easy to find what you are looking for. The 256-page book is a must-have for the family man or woman interested in making mealtime a wholesome experience. Giada De Laurentiis is the author of this book with a vast knowledge of cooking, which has also made her a star on some cooking shows.