Encyclopedia of Pasta

I just received this yesterday. I bought it after being disappointed by the book "The Geometry of Pasta". This one is exactly what its title says - it describes 310 pasta shapes (plus it lists quite a few others within some of the shapes (e.g. the pasta may be called by one name in the north of Italy and another in the south) so if you don't find one of your favorites among the 310, just look in the index and it will most likely be mentioned as part of the description of one of the 310.)THIS IS NOT A RECIPE BOOK!!! It is an encyclopedia of pasta not of pasta recipes!!! There are no recipes in this book. Just as with an encyclopedia of words which gives you the meaning, origin, spelling, etc. of words, you wouldn't expect it to also have a section telling you how to put sentences together or write a short story.However, for every one of the 310 shapes described: 1) Many have a drawing (very detailed and precise, not like in "The Geometry of Pasta"), 2) Ingredients list for pasta and usual filling if any, 3) How made, 4) Alternative names 5) How served, 6) Where found, and 7) Remarks: some history and additional info on that particular type/shape of pasta.So, if you want to learn more about pasta this is the book for you. I gave it 5 stars because it does exactly what it promises and does it very well.

An excellent book,arrived on time.

This is now one of my favourite books ever.

definitive.

Not a recipe book, but rather a book on the history, culture, geography, and making of a wide variety of pasta types. I learned a lot more from reading this than from almost every pasta-making and cookbook I own. I've been making my own pasta for decades, but this book makes me want to try making some of the types she describes that I've never made (and in several cases never seen on any store shelf). However, some require equipment (like shaping dies or cutters) that I lack.It could benefit from photographs of the various forms rather than the few line drawings.