Pasta, Everyway Everyday by Eric Treuille and Anna del Conte

Eric has done it again. Pasta, Every Way Every Day is a resounding success. This time, Eric Treuille has worked with Anna del Conte to produce a book so useful that few will be able to resist buying it. They have taken a close look at pasta and put together a collection of recipes that will get your taste buds fluttering. The photography, by Ian O'Leary, is perfect.

Eric and Anna give the reader the benefit of their combined knowledge and there are facts in this book that every pasta lover should know. When buying pasta, always get Italian, as the composition and manufacture are strictly controlled by law. It should be made of 100 per cent durum wheat (pasta di semola di grano duro) as this keeps its flavour, shape and texture when cooking.

There are two types of pasta, neither of which is superior to the other. One is a mixture of durum wheat and water. This is pale yellow and gives a firm bite. Durum wheat and whole egg is golden and gives a smooth and silky texture. Eric and Anna urge choosing dried over pre-packaged fresh supermarket pasta but when it comes to home-made, there is no competition.

When it comes to choosing sauces, you must think about the pasta. Strands and ribbons of pasta are better suited to light and delicate sauces, think scallops with crème fraîche and dill. While pasta shapes are excellent for thick, chunky sauces. Try rigatoni with roast vegetables al forno. As for cooking pasta, always remember to add salt. If you forget, the pasta will be bland and adding it afterwards is just too late. Adding olive oil to the cooking water is unnecessary, with the proviso that you add the pasta when the water is boiling and stir immediately. Once cooked al dente, drain the water away but don't overdo it. The pasta should remain slippery.

Whilst there are enough handy hints to improve your cooking techniques here, this is all before you've even looked at the recipes. Pasta is a versatile food and can make hearty suppers or light dishes to tempt the palate. Eric and Anna have chosen recipes that cater for all tastes. Each chapter is governed by the dishes' principle ingredient. The recipes are classified by length of preparation and cooking. The terms, no cook, quick cook and slow cook (and most definitely not won't cook) help the reader find with ease a recipe to fit their timetable and mood.

Pasta has the real comfort factor and what could be better than a steaming bowl of one of Eric's recipes with a glass of wine at the end of a hard day.

Here are two recipes from Pasta. They are reproduced with the kind permission of the authors and Dorling Kindersley.

SMOKED SALMON, VODKA AND DILL

Serves 4
500g (1lb) dried pasta
60g (2oz) butter
1 tsp vodka
125ml (4floz) sour cream
200g (7oz) smoked salmon, cut into strips
1 tbsp dill sprigs<

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, until firm to the bite.
2. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water. Return pasta to the warm pasta pot.
3. Add butter, vodka and half the sour cream. Toss well to coat, adding reserved water as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Top with salmon, remaining sour cream and dill. Serve immediately.

Which pasta
Thin to medium ribbons - linguine, fettuccine, tagliatelle.

PIZZAIOLA

Serves 4
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
300g (1 ¾ lb) rump steak, cut into strips
1 tin chopped Italian plum tomatoes (400g, 14oz)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp pitted, sliced black olives
500g (1lb) dried pasta
1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add steak and cook over high heat until browned all over, 3 minutes. Remove from pan with slotted spoon, cover to keep warm and reserve.
2. Reduce heat to medium high. Add tomatoes, garlic, oregano, capers and olives. Simmer rapidly, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
3. Return steak to the pan to keep warm. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water. Drain.
4. Add pasta with parsley to the hot sauce. Toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

Which pasta?
Strands - spaghetti, spaghettini.

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