Pasta Sauces by Lindy Wildsmith

So you thought you had tried all the pasta sauces that there were recipes for. You would be wrong as with Lindy Wildsmith's passion for Italian food, she has found some new, some old and some reincarnated to jazz up your pasta. Lindy is an expert in regional Italian cookery and has worked with the likes of Franco Taruschio, latterly of The Walnut Tree Inn, near Abergavenny. She runs a cookery school, running courses in Italian food.

As with all good books, she starts at the beginning with advice on which pasta goes best with each type of sauce. Egg pasta from the North is best suited to rich meat and dairy sauces. Durum wheat pasta from the South, the shapes in the pasta family, is good with lighter oil based sauces. Having said that, though, tubes go well with cream and meat sauces. In other words, do what you feel like doing, just remember to cook the pasta in plenty of water and with sea salt. As for quantities, a rule of thumb is that 500g is enough for four to six people. A useful tip is to use chilli flakes, which dress pasta up and give it some kick.

We particularly like spaghettini with courgettes and toasted pine nuts with olive oil and parsley. If you are by the sea or have a good fishmonger, the frutti di mare, with squid, clams, mussels, prawns and anything else going, is irresistible, served with a fruity sauvignon blanc. Papparedelle with grilled prawns and salmon with basil and citrus cream sauce is inviting too.

Use the recipes as a launch pad to developing your own ideas. As usual, RPS don't disappoint with the photography; Nicky Dowey is a name to watch. She just loves food and you can see this all over the pages in Lindy Wildsmith's useful book.

Publication details:
64 pp. Photography by Nicky Dowey. £8.99
Published by Ryland Peters & Small
ISBN 1841725757
2004

Order directly from for great service and specially discounted prices.