The Art of Pasta

I have been privileged to read many beautiful cookbooks this year, it seems to me that the standard has been exceptionally high. In Australia there are three publishers who continually publish wonderful books in this genre - Murdoch Books, Hardie Grant Books and Lantern (a specialist, stand-alone food/lifestyle imprint of Penguin). It is the last-mentioned publisher, headed by the ever-resourceful Julie Gibbs, who published this utterly gorgeous book, The Art of Pasta. Stunning photography by Anson Smart with appealing artwork by Luke Sciberras combine to make the book an absolute knock-out. If you are a foodie, and especially if you love Italian food be sure to check this one out. It is mouth-wateringly delicious.

Here is the publisher's description which sums it up very well:

Pasta is the most convivial of foods – the basis of Italian family cooking, and the soul of the Italian people. Ci facciamo un piatto di pasta ('Let's make a plate of pasta') is probably the most-spoken phrase in Italy.
And to help you your own plates of pasta, here are clear and detailed instructions for making and cutting pasta (including pasta flavoured with herbs, porcini, saffron and squid ink), and for making simple filled pastas and perfect gnocchi. To accompany your pasta, choose from an array of mouth-watering pestos – from the definitive Ligurian version made with basil and pine nuts to a vibrant-green pistachio pesto and a versatile orange and almond pesto that's equally good stirred through freshly cooked linguine, served with couscous or used as the basis of a salad dressing.
Or there are simple dishes that mark the passage of the seasons, such as tagliatelle served with raw mushrooms in autumn, or with the first thin spears of asparagus in spring. In the cooler days of winter, authentic recipes for slow-cooked ragùs (including a classic Bolognese sauce that has stood the test of time) really come into their own, filling the house with warmth and wonderful aromas.
For the more adventurous cook, Lucio's executive chef Logan Campbell has contributed some contemporary interpretations of classic pasta dishes, including rabbit cannelloni with Jerusalem artichoke sauce and beetroot gnocchi with pancetta and goat's cheese.
About the author:

Restaurateur Lucio Galletto has been serving sophisticated Italian food to media and political luminaries and artists (whose work lines the walls of his restaurant, Lucio's) for well over 25 years. He came to Australia from Liguria in 1977 from a family of restaurateurs, and has been proudly continuing the family tradition of great hospitality ever since.

In 2008 Lucio was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community through his contributions as a restaurateur and author, and his support of arts organisations.
His books include The Art of Pasta, Soffritto and Lucio's Ligurian Kitchen (all written with David Dale) and The Art of Food at Lucio's (with Timothy Fisher).