From historic recipes to contemporary original variations, the recipe collection includes history and instructions.
American-style meatballs served over spaghetti was invented by immigrants arriving in the United States. Typically, Italian meatballs were served separately rather than alongside spaghetti.
An early version of eggplant parmigiana from the 19th century, published in dialect, Molignane alla parmisciana is perhaps the first evidence of the origin of the modern dish.
This vodka and cream sauce comes from an American cookbook, but based on recipes collected in Italy.
Fettuccine Alfredo is a rich, creamy tasting pasta dish. The simple recipe of butter and cheese is a richer, more indulgent version of a basic pasta dish.
Pellegrino Artusi’s La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene includes a version of chicken diavolo that might be related to the more famous American dish, Lobster fra diavolo.
Italian-style meatballs served with tomato sauce were one of the few “ethnic” dishes included in the War Department cooking technical manuals in World War II.
Il Cucchiaio D’Argento was a massive volume of Italian recipes published in post-war Italy, and quickly became the kind of classic given to young couples as a wedding present.
Ada Boni’s The Talisman Italian Cook Book is a classic of pre-war Italian cooking. When Metilda la Rosa published a post-war translation in English, it included a few additional recipes.
The Salsa del Papa, known as the Pope’s sauce but unrelated to the Vatican, is a loose marinara similar to Puttanesca sauce published by Pellegrino Artusi, the famous literary critic.
An early version of Puttanesca Sauce, this salty marinara style sauce was introduced by Antonia Isola’s Simple Italian Cookery, one of the first Italian cooking books printed in English.