The Pasta Codex: 1001 Recipes

For decades, home cooks and pasta lovers have yearned for a complete English translation of Vincenzo Buonassisi’s 1974 Italian masterwork, Il Codice della Pasta. At last, that wait is over. Never before available in its complete form in English, Buonassisi’s landmark work in John Alcorn’s famed design represents a lost gem of classical Italian gastronomy and publishing, ready to dazzle an all-new generation. Featuring modern translations of all 1,001 recipes, The Pasta Codex incorporates research from every region of Italy and uses every noodle shape and form—flat, shaped, rolled, stuffed—and both dried and fresh pasta. There’s never been a more authentic and exhaustive look at the world’s favorite food.

Coded by ingredient—Pasta with Vegetables, Pasta with Vegetables and Dairy, Pasta with Fish, Pasta with Meat, and so on—each recipe is easy to use without detailed knowledge of Italian history or geography. These are classic dishes from homes and kitchens across Italy, presented plainly in Buonassisi’s delightfully gossipy voice, with no chef-speak here to confuse or dilute the authentic enjoyment of good food.

Born in Abruzzo and trained as a lawyer, famed journalist, writer, and gastronome Vincenzo Buonassisi (1918-2004) is most remembered today for his many journal articles and books on classic Italian cuisine, especially his 1974 masterwork published by Rizzoli Milan, Il Codice della Pasta. A member of every significant culinary or gastronomic society, including the prestigious Accademia Italiana della Cucina, Buonassisi was considered one of Italy’s foremost culinary authorities.