Truly Madly Pasta by Ursula Ferrigno

Ursula Ferrigno has a zest for life that is evident in her cooking. Each page of her new book Truly Madly Pasta bursts forth with life; here are recipes that are robust in flavour and looks, redolent of her home country.

Pasta was originally a Southern speciality while the Northerners preferred rice and polenta. During the Renaissance, only the rich could afford to eat pasta (lasagne, ravioli and tortellini) but by the Nineteenth Century, it had become the food of the poor, especially in Naples. Now it has become a daily ritual the width and length of the country.

The best pasta is homemade and Ursula puts you through a master class at the beginning of the book. With the right ingredients, strong flour that is rich in gluten (Italian 00 grade), she claims it is difficult to go wrong. Following the photographs, you might well be tempted. You can also use this flour when making a white sauce, it is much lighter.

Pasta pointers
Hollow and twisted shapes are best with chunky sauces.
Thin and long pasta match oily, runny sauces.
Add salt once the water has boiled. If you add it too early, it will disperse around the sides of the saucepan.
When cooking stuffed pasta (ravioli), bring it quickly to the boil and then poach it gently, stirring occasionally.
Everyone must be at the table, waiting. Pasta waits for no man.
When eating it, Ursula says, ‘Do it with a fork only please.'
You may not want to do this at home but Ursula cooks her pasta in Italian bottled water. She says it makes a world of difference.

And now to the recipes, which are completely authentic. As a taster, imagine Sardinian fish stew. This jewelled soup cum stew is made with snapper and mullet and fregula, a type of couscous but you could use small soup pasta. From the chapter on instant dishes, all cooked and ready in under ten minutes, we particularly like pasta shells with walnut and mushroom sauce. Torn Prosciutto and grated Gruyère combines well with fresh sage. Vermicelli with saffron is Ursula's upmarket version of spaghetti alla Carbonara. This dish is even more useful as you are likely to have all the ingredients at hand so it is perfect for impromptu meals.

Ursula has sensibly devoted a chapter to meals that you can cook ahead, which can allow flavours to develop more fully. Cannelloni with broad beans and ricotta benefits from such treatment. The chapter entitled Pasta to Impress makes use of some expensive ingredients (truffles, lobster, scallops) but they are worth it. And just to prove that the topic has been fully covered, you will find one sweet pasta dish. Neapolitan ricotta tart is made with vermicelli, ricotta, cinnamon and orange peel. Try it and see what you think.

For pasta lovers, this book is one of life's essentials. Get it.

Publication details:
160 pp. Photography by Peter Cassidy. £18.99
Published by Quadrille
ISBN 1844000184
2003

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