Frequently leaving her London digs to teach cooking in her native Italy, Ferrigno (Risotto) assembles more than 150 recipes in this oddly titled book based on the ingredient she extols as "a complex-carbohydrate food" that "isn't high in calories at all," although she concedes that sauces often are. Not exactly "ultimate," this is more suitable to cooks new to the joys of pasta, because it is heavily weighted toward such mainstays as Pasta with Garlic and Oil, Farfalle with Gorgonzola Cream, and Spaghetti with Mushrooms. Recipes are arranged in six sections—"Soups," "Instant," "Everyday," "Light and Healthy," "Cook Ahead" and "Pasta to Impress"—and nearly all are within easy reach of cooks at any level. Among the most appealing are Conchiglie with Roasted Vegetables, Roasted Bell Pepper Pesto with Penne Rigate and Lasagne with Meatballs. The pastas to impress include Cheese Cappellacci with Bolognese Sauce (egg- and cheese-stuffed morsels shaped like bishops' miters) and Spinach, Ricotta and Tomato Pasta Roll, which is a long stuffed roll, wrapped in cheesecloth and boiled for 30 minutes, then sliced and broiled for five more. As expected from Rizzoli, the 175 color photos are sumptuous, including an 18-photo sequence demonstrating the steps for making pasta by hand. (June)
