Beard on Pasta

First edition (1983) copy of Beard on Pasta by James Beard

This book does for pasta what Beard on Bread* did for bread: everything. James beard tells you in the most delicious terms exactly what you need to know about making good pasta, about cooking it, saucing it, stuffing it and serving it forth. 

Beard himself calls this "a book of good times o have with pasta," and he encourages experimentation. But first the fundamentals: he explains step by step how to make perfect fresh pasta, both hand-mad and machine made (with no-nonsense assessments of the fully automatic pasta makers). He gives recipes for plain doughs, whole wheat, spinach, tomato, beet, basil, and avocado doughs, He discusses commercial pastas, American imported (often much better than inferior fresh), and Oriental varieties. He gives a lexicon of cheeses that go with pasta; hard-grating types (with good substitute recommendations for exorbitantly priced imported Parmesan), fresh and nutty cheese, bland varieties for belting, and tang, creamy ones for gentle folding. 

Then on to recipes for pasta dishes—soups with pasta, pastas with vegetables (from pesto to a primavera), fish pastas, meat pastas, egg and cheese pastas, and cold pasta salads. 

Throughout, Beard makes it clear that there are no hard-and-fast rules. His recipes offer variations, his section of small saucing invites spontaneous improvisations (for a clean, simple taste, he suggests you might cover hot green noodles with cold fresh tomatoes and scallions and a sharp vinaigrette; for a quick meal, spice spaghetti simply with good olive oil, anchovy, and garlic). As for shapes, what goes with what sauce? Do as you please, he says. Beard himself favors big tubular or envelope shapes with bits of meat and fish, delicate angel hair with golden caviar, and chewy twists and shells for cold salads. 

And if you think the best of pasta must be Italian, remember the old Marco Pol myth. Here are Chinese wontons and Japanese buckwheat noodles. Also, from the heart of Europe (who knows where pasta really was born), nockerli, spätzle, and shredded noodles, as well as Jewish kreplach and Greek pastitsio.
As a true aficionado, Beard delights in the whole international range of pastas and he brings it all together.

With 100 of his own favorite recipes to choose from, ranging from creations like orzo soufflé and beach pâté la meatloaf with tiny pasta shells scattered throughout) to fettuccine with striped bass and dill, here are pastas for every mood and occasion. Cook them, as Beard recommends, and eat them as Beard recommends the only classical way-with gusto.

Hardcover with dust jacket

Author: James Beard

Edition/Year: first edition, 1983, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 

Condition: excellent vintage condition 

Dimensions: 8.25" x 6.5"