10 Best Italian Cookbooks To Add To You Collection

If you are looking to start with the basics, you go to the queen herself, Marcella Hazan. She explains how to master all the Italian techniques and flavors with super helpful illustrations, so even the most expert of chefs can find something to learn. This cookbook combines two of her previous works, The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking, so you know it’s full of the best recipes. 

In the mid 20th century, a group of Italian scholars gathered to brainstorm a way to preserve Italian techniques and recipes. Their solution was the Italian Academy of Cuisine, and this cookbook documents classic recipes from every region in Italy. These recipes come from home cooks, farmers, and grandmothers who had never been published before. Each recipes walks you through the ingredients you need, and the technique to learn for that specific region. Go ahead, step into Italian history!

If you know anything about Italian cooking, then you definitely know Lidia Bastianich Manuali. And if you don’t, then you need to buy this book. Inside, Lidia takes you through more than 400 different recipes to allow you to gain a comprehensive understanding of Italian cooking. It’s deeper than the dishes too, with instructions on how to buy, store, clean, and cook the best ingredients.

An oldie, but a goodie, this classic was first published back in the 1950s, in Italian. With 2,000 recipes inside (and the latest edition adding another 400 dishes), it’s recognized as the bible of Italian cooking. You could say it’s pretty comprehensive! Plus, you’ll learn how to compose an Italian meal, the foods from the many regions within the country, how to set an Italian table, and so much more. 

When it comes to really good at-home cooking, we know grannies just do it best. They have that secret talent (life experience) for knowing exactly how much of that spice to add or how much longer a pot should sit on the stove for before it’s ready. Not only does this book cover all that, but it also shares traditions and skills that could’ve been lost with time. If you want a sneak peak as to what could be inside, check out the YouTube channel of the same name.

You know the movie Under The Tuscan Sun? Of course you do. I don’t even know why I’m asking. This cookbook comes from the author of the memoir that inspired the film, so think super rustic and countryside-inspired Italian recipes written by a woman who is living all of our dreams.

Want to dive into the basics of making pasta? Then turn to Pasta, of course. It comes from Missy Robbins, one of the premiere pasta chefs in New York City. She takes readers through the magic of mixing flour, water, and/or eggs together, then how to make 40+ shapes out of said magic. 

The title may be simple, but the impact this humble cookbook had on the world was big. When it was released in 1954, English writer Elizabeth David’s book showed the incredible range of regional cooking within Italy, beyond the spaghetti and minestrone her home country was familiar with. Cracking into this book, you’ll learn about the complex traditions of Tuscany, Sicily, Lombardy, Umbria, and so many more regions.

If you want to talk about breaking down the basics of cooking, then Ken Forkish is the expert you need. His first book Flour Water Salt Yeast won a James Beard award for its expertise in baking—and the base of pizza has the same ingredients, so we know we can trust him. This pizza cookbook breaks down every step of the process, from dough-making to shaping to cheese selection to toppings, so you can be sure that the pizza you make is so much better than delivery.

If you want to dive deeply into this one (wildly important) aspect of Italian cuisine, Marc Vetri is the one to take you there. He spent 10 years researching pasta while writing this book, and you’ll learn about gnocchi, risotto, stuffed pasta, sauce suggestions, different shapes, and so much more.