Six seasons of pasta A new way with everyone's favorite food

McFadden follows his James Beard Award--winning Six Seasons with this substantial and highly informative treatise on pasta. He opens with a detailed dive into pasta fundamentals, listing sensory cues that can help determine when noodles are cooked ("the closer they are to al dente, the more water they absorb, and the quieter they become," he notes) and tips for ensuring that they are then fully coated in a smooth, unified sauce (he recommends adding a bit of pasta water and gently tossing with tongs). Sauce recipes range from rich ragus--including one with pork, beef, kale, and chile, and another with green lentils--to "build-in-the-skillet" options like aglio e olio and cacio e pepe. Most are organized by season, with summer divided into three parts, taking advantage of peak vegetable ripeness. In spring, there's leek alfredo with shrimp. Early summer brings fennel, mascarpone, and arugula; midsummer features a broccoli fra diavolo; and late summer offerings include eggplant with garlic, capers, raisins, and herbs. For fall there's mushrooms with sausage, spicy chiles, and burrata, while winter offerings include charred cabbage with pork shoulder ragu and lemon. While McFadden's guidance is meticulous, his detail-dense prose demands careful reading before readers break out any pots or pans. Still, this encyclopedic resource is sure to become an essential tool for home cooks looking to elevate their pasta skills. (Oct.)

James Beard Award-winning chef McFadden follows up his hit cookbook Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables with a pasta-focused tome chock-full of recipes for year-round pasta preparation and enjoyment. While the recipes all look delicious, what's really special about this cookbook is McFadden's attention to detail regarding the proper preparation of pasta and sauce. He emphasizes the importance of choosing the right pasta shape and texture for the dish, salting the cooking water adequately, and using the right fats for the recipe and offers numerous variations on classic sauces to suit any diet. While readers will likely be generally familiar with many of the dishes in the book, McFadden's spins offer new ways to enjoy favorites such as lasagna, chicken-noodle soup, and pesto. The book is organized by season, but recipes are often provided with variations that depend on what season one is cooking them in. There's also a whole chapter devoted to "any season" pastas that can be enjoyed year-round. Whether readers are whipping up pasta with fava beans and asparagus in the spring; with lobster, chilis, and heirloom tomatoes in the summer; with chard, sausage, and ricotta in the fall; or with roasted squash-and-nut ragu in the winter, there's no doubt that following McFadden's recipes will lead to something delicious. VERDICT This extensive and beautifully designed cookbook will appeal to a wide audience and has something for everyone, no matter their tastes or dietary restrictions. For all public libraries.--Elizabeth Walline