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The Italian Vegetable Cookbook: 200 Favorite Recipes for Antipasti, Soups, Pasta, Main Dishes, and Desserts
Traditional and contemporary Italian recipes for vegetarian and nearly vegetarian dishes from the author of The Italian Slow Cooker.
Over the ages, resourceful Italian cooks have devised countless ways to prepare vegetables—all incredibly flavorful and simple. In this book, Italian cooking authority Michele Scicolone shares recipes that she gathered during years of traveling in Italy.
Some, like Green Fettuccine with Spring Vegetable Ragu and Easter Swiss Chard and Cheese Pie, came from talented home cooks. Others, such as Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms, were passed down through her family. She encountered still more, including One-Pot “Dragged” Penne, in restaurants and adapted dishes like Romeo’s Stuffed Eggplant from the cookbooks she collects. Many recipes display the Italian talent for making much out of Acquacotta, “Cooked Water,” makes a sumptuous soup from bread, tomatoes, and cheese. In keeping with Italian tradition, some dishes contain small amounts of pancetta, anchovies, or chicken broth, but they are optional. Simple desserts—Rustic Fruit Focaccia, Plum Crostata—finish the collection.
“[Scicolone’s] methodology for vegetable cooking strives to extract the greatest amount of flavor and texture from every plant…Ambitious cooks will love the challenge of Scicolone’s Swiss chard and ricotta pie. Some recipes call for typical Italian flavor enhancers, such as anchovies or pancetta; nevertheless, vegetarians will find lots to savor here, and meat eaters will deem many of the pasta sauces perfectly satisfying. And both camps will delight in the host of rich and sweet dessert offerings.”—Boooklist
Over the ages, resourceful Italian cooks have devised countless ways to prepare vegetables—all incredibly flavorful and simple. In this book, Italian cooking authority Michele Scicolone shares recipes that she gathered during years of traveling in Italy.
Some, like Green Fettuccine with Spring Vegetable Ragu and Easter Swiss Chard and Cheese Pie, came from talented home cooks. Others, such as Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms, were passed down through her family. She encountered still more, including One-Pot “Dragged” Penne, in restaurants and adapted dishes like Romeo’s Stuffed Eggplant from the cookbooks she collects. Many recipes display the Italian talent for making much out of Acquacotta, “Cooked Water,” makes a sumptuous soup from bread, tomatoes, and cheese. In keeping with Italian tradition, some dishes contain small amounts of pancetta, anchovies, or chicken broth, but they are optional. Simple desserts—Rustic Fruit Focaccia, Plum Crostata—finish the collection.
“[Scicolone’s] methodology for vegetable cooking strives to extract the greatest amount of flavor and texture from every plant…Ambitious cooks will love the challenge of Scicolone’s Swiss chard and ricotta pie. Some recipes call for typical Italian flavor enhancers, such as anchovies or pancetta; nevertheless, vegetarians will find lots to savor here, and meat eaters will deem many of the pasta sauces perfectly satisfying. And both camps will delight in the host of rich and sweet dessert offerings.”—Boooklist
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
196 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Michele Scicolone
30 books16 followersMichele Scicolone is a cookbook author and writer who specializes in food, wine and travel. She is the author of 16 cookbooks, the latest being The BLT Cookbook co-authored with chef Laurent Tourondel, and Essentials of Italian Cooking (Williams-Sonoma). Entertaining with the Sopranos was published by Warner Books in 2006. Her previous book, The Sopranos Family Cookbook, co-authored with Allen Rucker, was a number one New York Times bestseller published in 9 languages. She was also one of the editors of the 75th Anniversary edition of the classic Joy of Cooking.
Her book 1,000 Italian Recipes, was nominated for a 2004 James Beard Award and was a main selection of The Good Cook book club. Italian Holiday Cooking (Morrow) was chosen as one of the Top Ten Cookbooks of the year 2001 by Food & Wine magazine. Michele is also the author of Savoring Italy, published in 1999 by Williams Sonoma and Time Life. Pizza—Anyway You Slice It! was co-authored with her husband Charles Scicolone and published in 1998 by Broadway Books. The book received high praise in a New York Times review. A Fresh Taste of Italy was nominated for a Julia Child Award as the Best Italian Cookbook of 1997 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals and was chosen as one of the ten best cookbooks of the year by Amazon Books. La Dolce Vita, a collection of recipes for “life’s sweet pleasures” Italian desserts, has been released in a paperback edition from Harper Perennial. It was nominated as the Best Dessert Book of 1994 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Her previous book, The Antipasto Table, was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as Best Italian Cookbook of 1991. Michele is also the author of two books on fish cookery published by Harmony Books. Michele’s articles have appeared in Bon Appetit, The Wine Spectator, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Wine Spectator, The New York Times, Gourmet, Food Arts, and many other publications.
Television appearances include Emeril Live, The CBS Morning Show, Good Morning America, and Cooking Live, as well as many local television and radio programs. She has served as a judge for both the Julia Child and James Beard Foundation Book Awards. She teaches cooking at schools around the country including De Gustibus at Macy’s, Sur La Table, The Institute for Culinary Education, and Ramekins. Michele has been a spokesperson for Williams Sonoma and the Italian Trade Commission and has lectured on Italian culture and cuisine at The Smithsonian Institute, Hofstra, and Henderson State Universities.
Her book 1,000 Italian Recipes, was nominated for a 2004 James Beard Award and was a main selection of The Good Cook book club. Italian Holiday Cooking (Morrow) was chosen as one of the Top Ten Cookbooks of the year 2001 by Food & Wine magazine. Michele is also the author of Savoring Italy, published in 1999 by Williams Sonoma and Time Life. Pizza—Anyway You Slice It! was co-authored with her husband Charles Scicolone and published in 1998 by Broadway Books. The book received high praise in a New York Times review. A Fresh Taste of Italy was nominated for a Julia Child Award as the Best Italian Cookbook of 1997 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals and was chosen as one of the ten best cookbooks of the year by Amazon Books. La Dolce Vita, a collection of recipes for “life’s sweet pleasures” Italian desserts, has been released in a paperback edition from Harper Perennial. It was nominated as the Best Dessert Book of 1994 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Her previous book, The Antipasto Table, was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as Best Italian Cookbook of 1991. Michele is also the author of two books on fish cookery published by Harmony Books. Michele’s articles have appeared in Bon Appetit, The Wine Spectator, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Wine Spectator, The New York Times, Gourmet, Food Arts, and many other publications.
Television appearances include Emeril Live, The CBS Morning Show, Good Morning America, and Cooking Live, as well as many local television and radio programs. She has served as a judge for both the Julia Child and James Beard Foundation Book Awards. She teaches cooking at schools around the country including De Gustibus at Macy’s, Sur La Table, The Institute for Culinary Education, and Ramekins. Michele has been a spokesperson for Williams Sonoma and the Italian Trade Commission and has lectured on Italian culture and cuisine at The Smithsonian Institute, Hofstra, and Henderson State Universities.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 3, 2020
This book LOOKS amazing ... Unlike other "vegetable" cookbooks that just give recipes for side dishes, this one has lots and lots of meatless main dish recipes, including frittatas, pastas, tortas, stuffed veggies, pizzas, etc. The layout is great. There are so many exciting recipes I want to try!! Everything looks great in the photos!!!
But this is a case where literally the proof is in the pudding, and the pudding didn't always work out. But MOST of the time it worked out!!!
Recipes I tried
Bow Ties Baked with Cauliflower and Cheese
This seemed like a sure winner! The cheese in this case is ricotta with parmesan - I already have a recipe I love that is pasta with greens & ricotta, and another recipe that is cauliflower baked with pasta and cheese, so this looked like the perfect marriage of those two recipes! But ... no. Verdict: meh The flavor was a little blah, with too much onion, the pasta was too dry (maybe should have covered for baking, or added some pasta water), and there were far too many breadcrumbs. Also, holy cow the recipe called for cooking the onion & cauliflower in a QUARTER CUP of olive oil! I used half that and it was more than enough. We ended up not even eating the leftovers. Would not make again.
Two-in-One Penne with Mushrooms and Cream
Another sure winner, it seemed! I already have a "wing it" recipe that involves cooking mushrooms and adding pasta and cream, so I was happy to follow an actual recipe to see if it improved on my seat-of-the-pants method. It did not. Verdict: fail One cup of heavy cream was FAR TOO MUCH CREAM; combine that with 8 oz of fontina and I feel like my arteries are clogging as I eat it. I love cheese! I love mushrooms! I love cream! I found myself desperate for a fresh green salad as I ate this. Would not make again.
Orecchiette with Potatoes and Arugla
This recipe looks like another sure winner! But I'm wary, now, after two fails. I'm still willing to try, because it doesn't seem possible that potatoes and arugula could be bad. Verdict: Success! Finally, a recipe I enjoyed! It needed a little more flavor, maybe some more garlic & red pepper, salt & pepper, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice ... but I enjoyed it and I'll make this again.
Fusilli with Spicy Escarole
This looks simple, but the last time I cooked grape tomatoes, I didn't love it, and I've never cooked escarole before, always eaten it raw, so I'm not sure what to expect here ... Verdict: success! I would make this again! I used about 1/16 t red pepper (recipe called for "a pinch") and it wasn't spicy AT ALL, so it needs more. The only other change is to drain the escarole a bit better, I got some complaints about that.
Pugliese Style Zucchini-Potato Soup
I have never made soup from water before - I use water to make stock and then I use the stock to make soup. So I felt like I was making "stone soup" here! Eight cups of water, a clove of garlic, potatoes, salt, zucchini, add a little olive oil, black pepper, & parmesan, done. Wait that's it??? I was skeptical. And at first it was, well, watery. But the second bowl was better than the first, and the third bowl was better than the second! I think this is a recipe that has to sit for a bit to allow the flavors to meld. This tastes almost exactly like chicken noodle soup, except there's no chicken. Verdict: success! I would make this again (but not when my daughter is around, she hated it).
Bow Ties with Mushrooms and Tomatoes
This was another incredibly simple recipe: cook onion, add garlic, mushrooms, and a can of tomatoes, stir in cooked pasta with some butter and parmesan. Wait, that's it?? It was fan-fucking-tastic. Verdict: success!! I will DEFINITELY make this again!
Strascicata (Dragged Penne)
This was extremely easy, but not quite as amazing as I'd hoped. I think I overcooked the pasta a bit. Verdict: success! I would probably make this again.
Pasta con Sette (Seven P pasta)
I guess this is Six P pasta when vegetarian? (“Pasta con Sei”) The 7 P's are: pancetta, porro (leek), pomodoro, pepperoncino, panna (cream), parmigiano cheese, and penne pasta. Verdict: tbd
I'm feeling more confident about this book now, the first two recipes I tried were duds, but the next few were good, even excellent! Unfortunately, someone else put this on hold at my library, so I cannot renew ...
But this is a case where literally the proof is in the pudding, and the pudding didn't always work out. But MOST of the time it worked out!!!
Recipes I tried
Bow Ties Baked with Cauliflower and Cheese
This seemed like a sure winner! The cheese in this case is ricotta with parmesan - I already have a recipe I love that is pasta with greens & ricotta, and another recipe that is cauliflower baked with pasta and cheese, so this looked like the perfect marriage of those two recipes! But ... no. Verdict: meh The flavor was a little blah, with too much onion, the pasta was too dry (maybe should have covered for baking, or added some pasta water), and there were far too many breadcrumbs. Also, holy cow the recipe called for cooking the onion & cauliflower in a QUARTER CUP of olive oil! I used half that and it was more than enough. We ended up not even eating the leftovers. Would not make again.
Two-in-One Penne with Mushrooms and Cream
Another sure winner, it seemed! I already have a "wing it" recipe that involves cooking mushrooms and adding pasta and cream, so I was happy to follow an actual recipe to see if it improved on my seat-of-the-pants method. It did not. Verdict: fail One cup of heavy cream was FAR TOO MUCH CREAM; combine that with 8 oz of fontina and I feel like my arteries are clogging as I eat it. I love cheese! I love mushrooms! I love cream! I found myself desperate for a fresh green salad as I ate this. Would not make again.
Orecchiette with Potatoes and Arugla
This recipe looks like another sure winner! But I'm wary, now, after two fails. I'm still willing to try, because it doesn't seem possible that potatoes and arugula could be bad. Verdict: Success! Finally, a recipe I enjoyed! It needed a little more flavor, maybe some more garlic & red pepper, salt & pepper, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice ... but I enjoyed it and I'll make this again.
Fusilli with Spicy Escarole
This looks simple, but the last time I cooked grape tomatoes, I didn't love it, and I've never cooked escarole before, always eaten it raw, so I'm not sure what to expect here ... Verdict: success! I would make this again! I used about 1/16 t red pepper (recipe called for "a pinch") and it wasn't spicy AT ALL, so it needs more. The only other change is to drain the escarole a bit better, I got some complaints about that.
Pugliese Style Zucchini-Potato Soup
I have never made soup from water before - I use water to make stock and then I use the stock to make soup. So I felt like I was making "stone soup" here! Eight cups of water, a clove of garlic, potatoes, salt, zucchini, add a little olive oil, black pepper, & parmesan, done. Wait that's it??? I was skeptical. And at first it was, well, watery. But the second bowl was better than the first, and the third bowl was better than the second! I think this is a recipe that has to sit for a bit to allow the flavors to meld. This tastes almost exactly like chicken noodle soup, except there's no chicken. Verdict: success! I would make this again (but not when my daughter is around, she hated it).
Bow Ties with Mushrooms and Tomatoes
This was another incredibly simple recipe: cook onion, add garlic, mushrooms, and a can of tomatoes, stir in cooked pasta with some butter and parmesan. Wait, that's it?? It was fan-fucking-tastic. Verdict: success!! I will DEFINITELY make this again!
Strascicata (Dragged Penne)
This was extremely easy, but not quite as amazing as I'd hoped. I think I overcooked the pasta a bit. Verdict: success! I would probably make this again.
Pasta con Sette (Seven P pasta)
I guess this is Six P pasta when vegetarian? (“Pasta con Sei”) The 7 P's are: pancetta, porro (leek), pomodoro, pepperoncino, panna (cream), parmigiano cheese, and penne pasta. Verdict: tbd
I'm feeling more confident about this book now, the first two recipes I tried were duds, but the next few were good, even excellent! Unfortunately, someone else put this on hold at my library, so I cannot renew ...
April 9, 2014
For those of us who don't want meat to be the center of the meal, here are plenty of not-fussy, interesting, delicious recipes starring vegetables and grains, everything from arugula to zucchini.
The title says "Italian," but this is not a cliché cookbook of pasta and red sauce-- 200 recipes for antipasti, soups (my favorite section), pasta, main dishes, and desserts.
The dessert recipes focus on fruit, not vegetables. Although this isn't technically accurate, I appreciate the dessert section. If you get tired of chocolate cake, creme brûlée, tiramisu and apple pie, you'll like these dessert options. Plum crostata, apricot and mascarpone tart, raspberry poached pears....
Inspires me to break out of my usual routine and cook something new; and that's exactly what I want a cookbook to do.
The title says "Italian," but this is not a cliché cookbook of pasta and red sauce-- 200 recipes for antipasti, soups (my favorite section), pasta, main dishes, and desserts.
The dessert recipes focus on fruit, not vegetables. Although this isn't technically accurate, I appreciate the dessert section. If you get tired of chocolate cake, creme brûlée, tiramisu and apple pie, you'll like these dessert options. Plum crostata, apricot and mascarpone tart, raspberry poached pears....
Inspires me to break out of my usual routine and cook something new; and that's exactly what I want a cookbook to do.
September 5, 2018
Recipes collected from all over Italy that are guaranteed hits. Easy to follow recipes that are so hearty and satisfying you will never miss the meat as the main. Everything that I have tried from this book so far has been really wonderful.
May 30, 2019
I read every word of this book and have now ordered a copy for myself -- that makes it a 5 star book on my list. I'm not usually a fan of books about vegetables but know I need to focus on eating them more -- this book has inspired me to think about many of the recipes it contains and we will be eating them. I have other cookbooks by this author that I really like and use and am happy to add this one knowing it will contribute to an overall healthier way of eating for us.
September 2, 2019
I try and keep my personal library of cookbooks to a small(er) size but this was a book that I could not resist adding. being a vegetarian it is rare to come across a cookbook that reflects both my tastes and culinary needs. This is one of those books. It has excellent recipes, old style and new. A worthy resource. Highly recommend.
March 3, 2020
What a great selection of vegetable and fruit based recipes! The Cookbook Book Club at my library really enjoyed the selection tonight. I tried all ten recipes and they were all good. My husband made a spinach polenta soup and I did butternut squash pasta but there was also a fantastic clementine upside down cake that was awesome and some beautiful whole wheat biscotti! WOW!
December 7, 2017
Great vegetable recipes!
November 15, 2020
A useful book with mainly vegetarian recipes. Some great photos.
July 27, 2021
Perfectly adequate, but not ground-breaking.
March 24, 2014
I love Italian food, but often Italian cookbooks are a little complicated and mostly pasta (which I don't mind). This one is all vegetable recipes, but not just side dishes, there are also sandwiches, soups, pasta of course, sauces, side and main dishes, and desserts - all vegetable centered. There are a few recipes I'd like to try and overall I liked that it had a wide variety of recipes and dishes.
January 16, 2016
While I have yet to try any of these recipes, this is everything I enjoy in a cookbook. Incredibly readable, simple enough recipes, easily accessed ingredients, and gorgeous photos. On my list of must-makes are: orange beets and gorgonzola in endive leaves, spinach and polenta soup, holiday chestnut soup, risotto with pears and gorgonzola, fettuccine with lemon cream, carrots cooked in mill, and all of the eggplant recipes!
June 27, 2014
I'm hungry...looking at this book makes me more hungry...
March 5, 2016
So far the best vegetarian cookbook that I've read. Outstanding! The recipes are easy and the meals are delicious.
July 19, 2016
This cookbook is GOOD. The preparations are simple, but delicious. Scicolone reminds me of another one of my favorite Italian recipe writers, Biba Caggiano.
December 1, 2019
Super yummy vegetable cookbook. Love these recipes.
May 22, 2014
Lovely. No nutritional info. Photos are terrific, wish there were more!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews