pro-pasta

holy rigatoni!

Nov 11, 2025

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Once I cried over water. I had been making pasta for dinner and was probably distracted by a podcast or something because I accidentally POURED MY PASTA WATER down the sink. Watching all that precious starchy water swirl into the drain brought tears to my eyes and obviously ruined my dinner.

Being Italian, my veins are basically bucatini so needless to say, I harbor a deep affection for pasta. My favorite Seattle restaurant, before the pandemic ate it, was Il Corvo— a tiny spot with a rotating daily menu that was only open weekdays from 11-3 so a visit was a rare treat. The creaky old building, simple menu and affordable glasses of wine transported me right back to Italy. Every summer I look forward to the appearance of sungold tomatoes so I can whip up my famous1 sungold, corn and basil pasta and my bachelorette meal of choice is mac and cheese. I love all the names of pasta shapes and their meanings; like boccoli/ringlets, cascatelli/little waterfalls, cavatappi/corkscrew, creste di gallo/cock’s comb and strozzapreti/priest-stranglers.

Pasta is one of the easiest meals to whip up at a moment’s notice but there are a few things that are vital for peak enjoyment including salting your water, cooking till just al dente, combining the pasta, PASTA WATER and sauce a la ‘the marriage ceremony’ so if you’re looking for a cookbook that will level up your pasta game or just give you a few ideas of what to do with your seasonal CSA box, today’s shelf has you covered. If you’re looking for a side of laughs with your pasta, take a listen to Spilled Milk’s episodes on Pasta Lengths, Pasta Widths and Pasta Shapes.

Twirl your way into comfort and decadence with one of these.

SIX SEASONS OF PASTA by Josh McFadden and Martha Holmberg

a new way with everyone’s favorite food

From the team that brought you Six Seasons2, this uses pasta as a vehicle for serving up highly flavored concoctions of seasonal produce. The introductory material teaches cooks the necessary information to create a ‘poetic plate of pasta’ like matching shape to sauce, cooking al dente, salting the water, saucing tips, the magic of pasta water and includes a list of favorite pasta brands. Sure, it can get a bit fussy3 but this isn’t a 30 minute weeknight dinner book— its for building flavor, imparting knowledge and upping skill levels. There’s a pantry section about compound butters, herby pestos, sauces and toppings, then a primer on cheeses, fats, spices and classic accompaniments like caesar salad and garlic bread and finally an equipment list.

The recipes start with a chapter on Ragus and one for Any Season then go into each of the six seasons; Spring, Early Summer, Midsummer, Late Summer, Fall and Winter. Some recipes are projects requiring time and a long list of ingredients while others are more whip up on a whim types. Many recipes include a Pasta Knowledge note about things like emulsification, incorporating grated cheese and maintaining egg based sauces that will be very useful for any pasta enthusiast. This hefty tome is lovely, useful and an ideal way to get inspiration for each season’s bounty.

some recipes of note

charred vegetable ragu
chicken ragu bianco
favas with prosciutto, cream and black pepper
peas with pancetta onion and tomato
golden beets with golden raisins, pine nuts and sausage
snap peas with ‘nduja and spring onion
broccoli with pancetta, black pepper and pecorino
hot chilies with fennel, sausage and tomato
corn with jalapenos and brown butter
cabbage with whipped lemon ricotta and chili crisp
cabbage with pancetta and calabrian chili
butternut squash with sausage, sage, and spicy chiles

And oh, the things that pair with pasta: olive oil; aromatics like garlic, chiles, and fresh herbs; umami-rich Parmigiano-Reggiano and tender mozzarella cheeses; meats, seafood, and poultry; and, of course, the ingredients most dear to this cook’s heart— seasonal vegetables. Your pasta dish can be a showcase for the best of the season, from delicate fava beans in spring to meaty tomatoes in late summer to deeply roasted butternut squash in winter, and so much in between.

BACK POCKET PASTA by Colu Henry

inspired dinners to cook on the fly

A personal book showcasing some of Colu Henry’s Italian family recipes, this focuses on pastas that can be thrown together with pantry staples and seasonal produce for weeknight dinners. It begins with a ‘Here’s How it Works’ section which provides pasta cooks with the main info needed even if you are a ‘laid back cook’. This includes notes on salting the water, getting an al dente texture, saving the pasta water, saucing techniques and broad primer on pasta shapes and sizes.

The recipes are divided by Mama’s, Brooklyn, Hudson & The Valley, Travels Near & Far, Salads & Sides, Weeknight Drinking and Stocking Up. Each recipe fits on a page and has a photo and some helpful ‘Cook’s Notes’ about else to do with ingredients or other random tips. I appreciate the ‘Back Pocket Wine’ page with at-a-glance info about under $25 wines and which dishes to pair with them alongside a few deliciously bitter aperitivo cocktails created by Talia Baiocchi4. This cookbook has an elevated approachable vibe that cuts right to the good stuff with all sorts of flavor varieties.

some recipes of note

mama’s marinara
tomato and zucchini melt
sicilian escarole & sausage
chestnut pasta with red cabbage and pancetta
tuscan kale ‘caesar’ pasta
creamy saffron risotto-style fregola
rotini with rainbow & orange-fennel ricotta
pasta with summer squash, sardines & preserved lemon
baked ziti with crème fraîche & spinach
brown buttered squash bake
campanelle with broccoli rabe & chorizo
mezze rigatoni with chickpeas & pancetta

We all tend to get hung up on recipes, but long lists of ingredients and steps aren’t actually that helpful for weeknight cooking. Everyone should be able to reach for what’s closest and pull together something nourishing and beautiful without fuss. What’s most beneficial is to set up your pantry, stock your fridge, and open your eyes to what works well together. Simple, high-quality ingredients allow you to cut your hardworking self a break and, most important, have fun while doing so.

Did you know I do more than read and tell you what to read? I also edit podcasts and fiction. If you’ve got an audio project that needs a skilled ear or a fiction manuscript that needs a detailedeye, send me a message, or leave me a comment.

PASTA FOR ALL SEASONS by Michela Tartaglia

dishes that celebrate the flavors of italy and the bounty of the pacific northwest

A cookbook from Pasta Casalinga, the delectable restaurant located inside Pike Place Market, this also concentrates on produce/pasta pairings but leans primarily on PNW flavors. It begins with a pasta primer, a short list of dos and don’ts5 and the basics of making fresh pasta with or without eggs. Then recipes are organized by season with an ‘Anytime’ section at the end and each has a adorable little graphic to label it as from the ocean, the farm or the garden. Some of the produce will be hyper local to the pacific northwest but most dishes can still be inspiring if you live elsewhere even if you need to improvise. Pretty, cozy photos along with cutesy illustrations add whimsy to this compact little book that makes pasta a form of delicious artistic expression.

some recipes of note

penne with pancetta, sweet peas, leeks and crème fraîche
tagliolini with halibut, asparagus, almonds and sumac
ziti with wild coho salmon, fava beans and mint
ziti with arugula, ginger and walnut pesto, ricotta salata and red habanero chili oil
conchiglie rigate with delicata squash puree, burrata, nigella seeds and african cayenne
orecchiette with escarole, ‘nduja and burrata
orecchiette with crumbled calabrian spicy sausage and rapini
radiatori with pacific northwest winter carrot puree, buffalo mozzarella, nigella seeds and tumeric
lasagna from the forest

The dishes here are not secret family recipes, which are often what’s valued when talking about Italian cooking. Is it my nonna’s recipe? Is it going to taste like it came from the streets of Naples? Sometimes yes but mostly no. Infused with my Italian sensibilities, culture, and training, these recipes are a tribute to the PNW and combine classic flavors with creative twists designed to showcase the local bounty. Italian through and through, I am a pasta lover who is continually inspired to cook with the seasons. I hope that they can encourage you to let the ingredients be your guide when cooking and to find many ways to incorporate fresh produce, seafood, and meats into pasta dishes.

It’s the best way to feed your soul.