“Not the Same Old Spaghetti Sauce,” by Diane Darrow and Tom Maresca, offers 10 variants on the delicious theme of tomatoes with pasta. Tomatoes are the new world’s greatest culinary gift to the old world. Tomato sauces for pasta are what Italy sent us in return. Diane and Tom have always thought that was a very good deal, and here present 10 of their favorites, including such gems as Ziti with Fennel-Tomato Sauce, Tubetti with Potatoes, and Sicilian Baked Maccheroni. Making the book all the more enjoyable are detailed – and entertaining – headnotes, lively discussions of the principal ingredients in the recipes, and suggestions for wines to complement each dish.
This husband-and-wife team have co-authored two major books on Italian food, wine, and dining, La Tavola Italiana and The Seasons of the Italian Kitchen. Their recipes in Not the Same Old Spaghetti Sauce are the fruit of years of travel and dining throughout Italy, and each tastes richly and truly of the Italian lifestyle.
In addition to the two cookbooks, Diane has been a columnist and contributing editor for Long Island Newsday, Time-Life’s Great Meals in Minutes book series, the Los Angeles Times Syndicate’s FoodStyles feature service, Birnbaum’s France, and Warner Audio Publishing Company. She has had articles published in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, The New York Daily News, The Journal of Gastronomy, Saveur, Wine & Spirits, and Wine News.
Over many years, Tom has eaten and drunk his way through a large fraction of France and almost all of Italy. The most obvious result, other than a noticeable rotundity, has been two wine books, Mastering Wine (winner of the first-ever Clicquot Prize for Wine Book of the Year) and The Right Wine. In addition, Tom has written innumerable articles on wine in major publications such as Decanter, The Quarterly Review of Wine, and Wine & Spirits.
Recipes
Spaghetti with Vegetable Garden Sauce
Rigatoni with Mushroom Sauce
Farfalle with Calabrian Tomato Sauce
Linguine with Clam Sauce
Mezzani with Eggplant
Ziti with Fennel Tomato Sauce
Tubetti with Potatoes
Fusilli with Pork Tenderloin Medallions
Perciatelli with Wild Boar Ragù
Sicilian Baked Maccheroni