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Breaking the Rules: A Fresh Take on Italian Classics
A bold, fun, and daring collection of recipes that break the rules of Italian cooking from Top Chef and Food Network star Joe Sasto.
It’s time to ditch the same boring recipes and get creative in the kitchen. Known for his signature curled mustache and dynamic presence on shows like Bravo’s Top Chef and Food Network’s Tournament of Champions, Joe Sasto brings his culinary expertise and passion for pasta to your kitchen. Breaking the Rules is a celebration of Italian cuisine, reimagined with Joe’s unique flair, playfulness, and creativity.
Dive into a world of pasta with step-by-step techniques that guide you through creating dishes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. From classic Italian recipes like meatballs and focaccia to innovative creations such as Corn Cacio e Pepe, Marinated Tomato “Amatriciana,” and Pesto Pinwheel Pull-Apart Bread, Joe’s recipes are designed to inspire both novice and experienced cooks. Each recipe begins with a simple version, perfect for beginners, and offers variations to elevate the dish for those ready to “break the rules” and take their skills to the next level.
With stunning full-color photographs and pro tips throughout, Breaking the Rules is more than just a cookbook—it’s an invitation to embrace creativity in the kitchen. Whether you’re a fan of Joe’s many television appearances or a home cook looking to expand your repertoire, this book is a must-have for anyone passionate about Italian cuisine and culinary innovation.
It’s time to ditch the same boring recipes and get creative in the kitchen. Known for his signature curled mustache and dynamic presence on shows like Bravo’s Top Chef and Food Network’s Tournament of Champions, Joe Sasto brings his culinary expertise and passion for pasta to your kitchen. Breaking the Rules is a celebration of Italian cuisine, reimagined with Joe’s unique flair, playfulness, and creativity.
Dive into a world of pasta with step-by-step techniques that guide you through creating dishes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. From classic Italian recipes like meatballs and focaccia to innovative creations such as Corn Cacio e Pepe, Marinated Tomato “Amatriciana,” and Pesto Pinwheel Pull-Apart Bread, Joe’s recipes are designed to inspire both novice and experienced cooks. Each recipe begins with a simple version, perfect for beginners, and offers variations to elevate the dish for those ready to “break the rules” and take their skills to the next level.
With stunning full-color photographs and pro tips throughout, Breaking the Rules is more than just a cookbook—it’s an invitation to embrace creativity in the kitchen. Whether you’re a fan of Joe’s many television appearances or a home cook looking to expand your repertoire, this book is a must-have for anyone passionate about Italian cuisine and culinary innovation.
- GenresCookbooks
288 pages, Hardcover
Published October 21, 2025
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 23, 2025
If you’ve watched “Mustache Joe,” Joe Sasto, on Top Chef or Food Network shows, you know that he seems pretty laid-back. And in his new cookbook, Breaking the Rules, he explains why. He grew up with a mother who cooked. He spent a lot of time in her kitchen before going on to restaurant kitchens, and he learned that cooking is fun. He worries that home chefs worry about cooking. They worry about getting everything right and following the recipe exactly and having leftovers that will just get throws out. And he’s here to change all that. He wants cooking to be fun for everyone.
Breaking the Rules is a mix of Sasto’s favorite home recipes and scaled-down recipes from his professional gigs. He offers up simple recipes full of potential and adds in creative ideas to break the rules and to use up leftover ingredients. His recipes go from snacks and appetizers through
He starts with Crispy Crunchy, which I can’t be mad at. He offers up an assortment of fried dishes, like his Rice Paper Cacio e Pepe Chips, Santorini-Style Tomato Fritters, Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, and Crispy Churros and Fonduta. He then goes on to Fresh and Light, like the Grilled Short Rib Lettuce Wraps or Kale Salad with Blueberry and Lemon Dressing. Then it’s on to Breaking the Bread, with recipes ranging from Rosemary and Blackberry Focaccia with Whipped Mortadella to Sesame Semolina Flatbreads, Staff Favorite Cornbread to Garlic Knots.
In Sharing Is Caring, the chapter on larger meals to be shared with family and friends, Sasto brings out his recipes for Risotto, Mom’s Meatballs, Black Garlic Butter Branzino, and Pork Chops with Mustard Berry Jus. In On the Side, he shares recipes that can be used as side dishes or small plates, like Carrots with Spicy Yogurt and Carrot Top Pesto, Blistered Shishitos and Dashi Mayo, Sweet Potato Wedges and Lemony Ranch, and Fresh Corn Polenta with Butter and Chives.
And after all that, we finally get to the pastas. First, in Dried Pasta Is Your Best Friend, Sasto offers up Sasto Bolo (his version of a Bolognese sauce), Butternut Mac N Cheese, Corn Cacio e Pepe, and Pasta alla Mezcal. In Made By Hand, he brings his Grano Treiso Dough to make any number of filled pastas, from Mezzaluna to Tortellini to Agnoletti. These can be paired with the filling of your choice, like the Brown Butter and Potato, Braised Pork and Roasted Pepper, or Chicken Parm. Then he brings the Potato Gnocchi and Ricotta Gnocchi. He finishes with Sweet Treats, like his Absolute Best Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies, Pistachio Calzones, Sweet Potato Pie, Matcha Tea-Ramisu, and Mom’s Crepes.
Throughout are important recipes that can be used to add flavor and elevate many dishes, like Fancy Mayos, Mom’s Red Sauce, Garlic Streusel, Classic Pesto, “Quick and Dirty” Pizza Dough, Fonduta, Whipped Cheese, Pickle Liquor (his pickle brine), Green Herb Oils, And at the end, there is a chapter of essential recipes, including Basic Pie Dough, Tomato Raisins, Garlic Confit, and Burnt Strawberries.
I loved the whimsy in this book and the many colorful photos. I’ve been a fan of Sasto for many years, and this book fits well with the big personality he shows on-screen. But I think the best thing about Breaking the Rules is the versatility he provides for home cooks wanting to build confidence. For him, cooking is about family. It’s about experimenting with flavors you love and finding what works best for you. Sasto has taken his years of cooking with his mother and his experience in professional kitchens and puts it all in these recipes, so home cooks can learn to have fun with their own cooking and share that with those they love. And is there a better reason to cook than that?
Egalleys for Breaking the Rules were provided by S&S/Simon Element through Edelweiss, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.
Breaking the Rules is a mix of Sasto’s favorite home recipes and scaled-down recipes from his professional gigs. He offers up simple recipes full of potential and adds in creative ideas to break the rules and to use up leftover ingredients. His recipes go from snacks and appetizers through
He starts with Crispy Crunchy, which I can’t be mad at. He offers up an assortment of fried dishes, like his Rice Paper Cacio e Pepe Chips, Santorini-Style Tomato Fritters, Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, and Crispy Churros and Fonduta. He then goes on to Fresh and Light, like the Grilled Short Rib Lettuce Wraps or Kale Salad with Blueberry and Lemon Dressing. Then it’s on to Breaking the Bread, with recipes ranging from Rosemary and Blackberry Focaccia with Whipped Mortadella to Sesame Semolina Flatbreads, Staff Favorite Cornbread to Garlic Knots.
In Sharing Is Caring, the chapter on larger meals to be shared with family and friends, Sasto brings out his recipes for Risotto, Mom’s Meatballs, Black Garlic Butter Branzino, and Pork Chops with Mustard Berry Jus. In On the Side, he shares recipes that can be used as side dishes or small plates, like Carrots with Spicy Yogurt and Carrot Top Pesto, Blistered Shishitos and Dashi Mayo, Sweet Potato Wedges and Lemony Ranch, and Fresh Corn Polenta with Butter and Chives.
And after all that, we finally get to the pastas. First, in Dried Pasta Is Your Best Friend, Sasto offers up Sasto Bolo (his version of a Bolognese sauce), Butternut Mac N Cheese, Corn Cacio e Pepe, and Pasta alla Mezcal. In Made By Hand, he brings his Grano Treiso Dough to make any number of filled pastas, from Mezzaluna to Tortellini to Agnoletti. These can be paired with the filling of your choice, like the Brown Butter and Potato, Braised Pork and Roasted Pepper, or Chicken Parm. Then he brings the Potato Gnocchi and Ricotta Gnocchi. He finishes with Sweet Treats, like his Absolute Best Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies, Pistachio Calzones, Sweet Potato Pie, Matcha Tea-Ramisu, and Mom’s Crepes.
Throughout are important recipes that can be used to add flavor and elevate many dishes, like Fancy Mayos, Mom’s Red Sauce, Garlic Streusel, Classic Pesto, “Quick and Dirty” Pizza Dough, Fonduta, Whipped Cheese, Pickle Liquor (his pickle brine), Green Herb Oils, And at the end, there is a chapter of essential recipes, including Basic Pie Dough, Tomato Raisins, Garlic Confit, and Burnt Strawberries.
I loved the whimsy in this book and the many colorful photos. I’ve been a fan of Sasto for many years, and this book fits well with the big personality he shows on-screen. But I think the best thing about Breaking the Rules is the versatility he provides for home cooks wanting to build confidence. For him, cooking is about family. It’s about experimenting with flavors you love and finding what works best for you. Sasto has taken his years of cooking with his mother and his experience in professional kitchens and puts it all in these recipes, so home cooks can learn to have fun with their own cooking and share that with those they love. And is there a better reason to cook than that?
Egalleys for Breaking the Rules were provided by S&S/Simon Element through Edelweiss, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.
October 22, 2025
Fans of "Top Chef" may recall Joe Sasto as the season 15 finalist who was passionate about all things pasta.
But mostly, they remember him for his incredible mustache.
I'm joking. He does have a fantastic mustache, but I became enamored with Sasto because of his passion for food and family and his belief that recipes are starting points and kitchen rules are meant to be broken. When he wasn't talking about his late mother, Claudette, and how she instilled in him a great love for food and family, he was busy showing us how to use every part of a particular food item. (He's very cognizant about food waste.)
In between appearing on "Top Chef: Colorado" (he finished third on the 2017 show) and "Top Chef: All-Stars L.A." (which kept many of us sane during the pandemic lockdown), Sasto stepped away from his role at the Michelin-starred kitchens of Lazy Bear and Quince in San Francisco to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant. That pursuit had him touring the country, hosting private dinners, teaching pasta classes and appearing as a contestant and guest judge on multiple Food Network programs. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Sasto, like so many of us, was forced to pivot. He began teaching virtual pasta classes, cultivating his social media profile and developing recipes. He's since developed a high-end pasta and pizza tool line, created Tantos, a puffed pasta chip which launched summer 2024, and co-founded Ripi Foods, a gourmet frozen pasta company, his website says is "soon to be available nationwide."
He's also just released his first cookbook, "Breaking the Rules: A Fresh Take on Italian Classics," now available from Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. In it, you'll find just what you expect: stories of how his mother influenced his culinary journey; pasta; recipes that use leftover portions of other recipes and eliminate food waste and Sasto's signature style of "breaking the rules."
Read the rest of my review: https://www.berkshireeagle.com/arts_a...
But mostly, they remember him for his incredible mustache.
I'm joking. He does have a fantastic mustache, but I became enamored with Sasto because of his passion for food and family and his belief that recipes are starting points and kitchen rules are meant to be broken. When he wasn't talking about his late mother, Claudette, and how she instilled in him a great love for food and family, he was busy showing us how to use every part of a particular food item. (He's very cognizant about food waste.)
In between appearing on "Top Chef: Colorado" (he finished third on the 2017 show) and "Top Chef: All-Stars L.A." (which kept many of us sane during the pandemic lockdown), Sasto stepped away from his role at the Michelin-starred kitchens of Lazy Bear and Quince in San Francisco to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant. That pursuit had him touring the country, hosting private dinners, teaching pasta classes and appearing as a contestant and guest judge on multiple Food Network programs. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Sasto, like so many of us, was forced to pivot. He began teaching virtual pasta classes, cultivating his social media profile and developing recipes. He's since developed a high-end pasta and pizza tool line, created Tantos, a puffed pasta chip which launched summer 2024, and co-founded Ripi Foods, a gourmet frozen pasta company, his website says is "soon to be available nationwide."
He's also just released his first cookbook, "Breaking the Rules: A Fresh Take on Italian Classics," now available from Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. In it, you'll find just what you expect: stories of how his mother influenced his culinary journey; pasta; recipes that use leftover portions of other recipes and eliminate food waste and Sasto's signature style of "breaking the rules."
Read the rest of my review: https://www.berkshireeagle.com/arts_a...
June 28, 2025
I love Joe Sasto & I love pasta, so this book was basically always going to be a win for me. I will now be cooking everything in here for the next few months.
November 14, 2025
I love this book. Has beautiful food and delicious food in it!!
November 26, 2025
There are seven bookmarks in “I am going to make this” pages.
If there were bookmarks in pages for food I wish someone would make for me, there would be at least 20 more.
If there were bookmarks in pages for food I wish someone would make for me, there would be at least 20 more.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews