American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Handmade Pasta

by Evan Funke, Katie Parla, Eric Wolfinger (Photographer)

*THE JAMES BEARD MEDIA AWARD WINNER FOR BEST PHOTOGRAPHY*"Evan Funke's respect for tradition and detail makes American Sfoglino the perfect introduction to the fresh egg pastas of Emilia Romagna. It's bold in its simplicity and focus." — Missy Robbins, chef/owner of Lilia and MISIForget your pasta machine and indulge in the magic of being a sfoglino with the help of the rich imagery and detailed instructions provided by Evan Funke and American Sfoglino.A comprehensive guide to making the best pasta in the In this debut cookbook from Evan Funke, he shares classic techniques from his Emilia Romagna training and provides accessible instructions for making his award winning sfoglia (sheet pasta) at home. With little more than flour, eggs, and a rolling pin, you too can be a sfoglino (a pasta maker) and create traditional Italian noodles that are perfectly paired with the right sauces.Features recipes for home cooks to recreate 15 classic pasta shapes, spanning simple pappardelle to perfect tortelloni.Beginning with four foundational doughs, American Sfoglino takes readers step by step through recipes for a variety of generous dishes, from essential sauces and broths, like Passata di Pomodoro (Tomato Sauce) and Brodo di Carne (Meat Broth) to luscious Tagliatelle in Bianco con Prosciutto (Tagliatelle with Bacon and Butter) and Lasagna Verde alla Bolognese (Green Bolognese Lasagna) in this treasure trove of a recipe book.Includes stories from Italy and the kitchen at Funke's Felix Trattoria that add the finishing touches to this pasta masterclass, while sumptuous James Beard-award winning photographs and a bold package offer a feast for the eyes.Evan Funke is a master pasta maker and the chef owner of Felix Trattoria in Venice, California. Katie Parla is a food writer and IACP award winning author whose work has appeared in numerous outlets, including the New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur. Eric Wolfinger is a James Beard Award winning food photographer.Makes an excellent gift idea for any pasta aficionado or avid Italian cook.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Italy, Italian Literature

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2019

About the author

EVAN FUNKE is a two-time James Beard-nominated chef based in Los Angeles. After working for six years with Wolfgang Puck at the iconic Spago in Beverly Hills, Funke departed for Bologna where he apprenticed with master pasta maker Alessandra Spisni at La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese. Under Spisni's tutelage, Funke honed the time-honored techniques of making pasta by hand and acquired skills that would change his approach to cooking for good. Upon his return to the U.S., Funke took on the role of Executive Chef of Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, where he solidified a "return to terroir" approach to cooking and cultivated enduring relationships with California's best farmers and ranchers. In 2013, Funke's Bucato opened to immediate critical acclaim as one of L.A.'s top restaurants and set a new standard for handmade pasta in the city. Felix, Funke's current venture, opened in 2017 and is a collaboration with Toronto-based restaurant group GUSTO54. Situated on famed Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice in L.A., critically-acclaimed Felix embodies Italian cooking sensibilities with a menu reflecting season- ality, expert craftsmanship, and genuine hospitality.
Funke was a semifinalist for James Beard "Rising Star Chef" at Rustic Canyon in 2009 and finalist for "Best New Restaurant" at Felix in 2018. FELIX continues
to garner national recognition and was named to Esquire's "Best New Restaurants in America 2017," Eater's "12 Best New Restaurants in America 2017," Bon Appétit's "The Best Pasta We Ate in 2017," was short-listed for Bon Appétit's "America's Best New Restaurants 2018", featured on Thrillist's "25 Best Italian Restaurants in America 2018" as well as the Los Angeles Times "101 Restaurants We Love 2018." The documentary Funke (Tastemade) chronicles Funke's journey to open Felix and debuted at the
Los Angeles Film Festival in 2018

Reviews

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Handmade Pasta
By Evan Funke with Katie Parla
Photography by Eric Wolfinger

Having watched my Italian neighbor make pasta by hand when under four while living in Los Angeles I believe I fell in love with her and the pasta she made. I have made pasta with my daughter using a simple mechanical rolling device and found it an interesting experience BUT when I saw this book up for review I couldn’t resist.

This book is indeed a master class in the art of handmade pasta. Evan Funke’s journey to Italy and his study of the craft is fascinating as are the many interesting shapes of pasta he demonstrates making in the book. The four master dough recipes are shared: flour + water, egg, spinach and gnoocchi di ricotta. Many sauces recipes are given along with what pasta to serve them with. The tools and ingredients used to create the pastas are detailed. The photography was exquisite and I felt I could taste the food by reading the recipes and through the beauty of the photographs.

I don’t know that I would ever make pasta from scratch by hand on a regular basis as I do believe it would be labor intensive. That said, It was fascinating to find out how tubes are put into pasta, designs are put onto pasta and how fillings are done for a variety of shapes. There were shapes of pasta I have never seen and that was also a treat.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I buy this book for myself or a friend? Yes

In the links below there is a YouTube video showing the author making pasta as well as an event one can attend and information about the restaurant where this homemade pasta can be eaten.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

[Emmalita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evan Funke and Katie Parla’s American Sfoglino: A Masterclass in Handmade Pasta is a book you will want to have as a hardcopy and maybe also as an ebook. It is an aspirational cookbook, with it’s beautiful photography. If you aspire to make pasta at home without a pasta maker, it is also a very practical cookbook. Through photography and description, Funke shows how to make some of the master doughs and pasta shapes of Bologna. If all you want to do is dream and look at beautiful pictures of food, this book has you covered too.

Funke is a two time James Beard Award winning chef and the co-owner of Felix Trattoria. He is also known for #fuckyourpastamachine on Instagram. His Instagram is great. If you are into pasta. Which I am.


Sfoglia is a pasta from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It’s rolled out by hand until it’s paper thin and then can be cut into a variety of shapes. If you look at the Instagram post below, you will notice that you can SEE THE WOODGRAIN THROUGH THE PASTA. While making Sfoglia does not require a pasta machine, it does require some tools. Funke walks through them and states what you need if you want to make pasta regularly and what you can use if you are an occasional pasta maker. A wine bottle and a regular counter top are fine. He explains why you need that 00 flour and not all purpose.


Even with a very good book, it takes time and practice to get good at pasta making. If you love to cook, it’s worth practicing. American Sfoglino may encourage and inspire you to try and try again.

[Jacqui Huntley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a book. I love pasta and do sometimes make my own, albeit with a "f**ing pasta machine". This takes you so much further into the history and techniques to make the real deal. The details are entrancing, the recipes look delicious yet simple - just use fresh ingredients ideally picked half an hour before you use them. I totally go for that. Photos of making dough and forming shapes are especially helpful and I'm so glad we have digital images now - the first 5000 photos for the book! Can you imagine converting that to rolls of film. I shall take time, occasionally only I admit, to have a go at the more straightforward types from scratch and think that it would be a while before I came anywhere near to feeling confident with cestini or other filled shapes. But you never know. A book like this might just get the juices going. Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Yaaresse]

This is a beautifully photographed book and is probably a the definitive book on making pasta by hand. It probably deserves the high ratings here on GR, but I'm not the right audience for it.

Funke is fully dedicated to a very specific way of doing things that likely leads to an excellent product, but can suck the joy out of Christmas. At this point in my life, I prefer to cook for enjoyment and to be creative, not to stress over attempting a level of perfections that can only be achieved through ten thousand hours of practice and uncompromising adherence to The Process.

I realized about a quarter of the way in that I'll never cook anything from this. As the saying goes, the perfect is the enemy of the good.

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was planning for months to buy this cookbook but I waited and grabbed it from my library. I’m kind of glad I didn’t buy it because I don’t think there’s much in this cookbook for me. The pictures are beautiful and the recipes might be great but in general it all seemed like too much for me. I don’t love nested recipes, of which there are many.

[S Vanorse · Rating 2 out of 5]

2:5 stars, what I liked, his passion for his craft, beautiful photography. What I didn’t like, reading made me feel like his way, the 00, and pasta machines suck, or don’t try my recipes. I understand the premise of sfoglino is hand rolling, but us that are getting older do a pretty darn good job with the pasta machine.

[roxi Net · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great book! I was tempted to gloss over The Basics (um, I dunno why I would since I've made pasta less than a handful of times in my life) but catching the subtitle 'F**** Your Pasta Machine' I realized I need to read this book word for word. It helps that it's such a beautifully designed book - gorgeous photos, great layout, easy-to-follow recipes, all of which make for a great cookbook (to me). Being an office worker, and seeing instructions 'thickness of approximately 4 Post-It Notes/7 Post-It Notes/9 Post-It Notes' just made me laugh out loud. It's a perfect measurement for me! Seeing lasagna made with whole pasta sheets versus store bought strips was a REVELATION. While I'm grateful to have been approved to review this book, I'm slightly sad that it was too large for a Kindle -- I would love to have this book as a reference book in my cookbook library.

[Sally Wilsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to begin by telling you that I love to cook and make things from scratch, so I look for books in cooking on how to do this. This book did not disappoint me at all. The book tells the history of the pastry, has a basics section on tools and ingredients you will need to make your own pasta. It is complete with pictures and I have decided I want the long wood rolling pin they have. These are pasta craftsmen who take you step by step on making your own pasta from start to finish. I like the fact the ingredients are in metric and measurements which helps not having to look it up. It also tells you how to store it and the length it will stay fresh.
Part one is the pastas and different types from Flour and Water Dough, Egg Dough to Spinach Dough.
Part two is the Pasta Shapes and Dishes from Lasagna Verde Alla Bologonese, Tagliatelle to Tortelilni and Gnocchi Di Ricotta.
Having made my own pasta before (not to this extent) I can tell you the difference in the taste and texture will make you never go back to boxed pasta. I recommend this book for any cook, if not for the recipes for the lessons it teaches.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've heard it said that a three-star rating means the reviewer wishes you'd written a different book. That's certainly true here.

See, the thing about this book is that it isn't written for me. I'm a casual, leisure-time cook who wants to know simple ways to make tasty food I'll enjoy. What's more, I use cookbooks as inspiration towards this goal, not as precise sets of instructions to be followed to the letter.

This book is all about reproducing exactly the traditional cuisine of the author's Italian mentor (even though he concedes that, without the exact fresh produce of her region, that's not possible). He sets out the traditional techniques in exacting detail, with no shortcuts; he's famous on Twitter for his contempt for pasta machines, for example. He takes a very American approach to achieving this traditional effect, giving precise weights for every ingredient.

Meanwhile, I haven't tasted his mentor's food and almost certainly never will, and I don't care about producing exactly that effect (or something as close to it as possible without actually being in Bologna with access to local ingredients).

The result is that I was put off from trying anything in the book until I had plenty of time to do so - which didn't happen until after the ridiculously aggressive DRM on the review copy I received via Netgalley had rendered it inaccessible to me.

So I looked up how to do it on the internet, which told me that making hand-made pasta is simple and forgiving, and I don't need to use special flour or weigh my eggs on a digital scale in order to get a result I'm happy with.

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning photos; clear and concise recipes - well edited, and a beautiful, wholesome block of a cookbook. My favourite recipes from the book are :

GNOCCHI DI RICOTTA CON TARTUFO BIANCO
(I fully appreciate that he doesn't fuck with 'potato gnocchi' aka warm balls of play-dough of an ungodly texture and unsatisfactory taste that I cannot bear. It's got to be either ricotta or parisienne [literal tiny pillows of joy] for me.)

CARAMELLE WITH ARTICHOKE FILLING
(I love artichokes so much that I almost always have them in fridge (those from the deli), and this recipe consists of pasta with an artichoke filling served with baby artichokes - yes, yes, yes.)

BALANZONI WITH BUTTER AND HAZELNUTS
(This one is just so simple and wonderful.)

STRICHETTI
(I've never seen anyone made strichetti/farfalle as beautiful and proper as Funke - so I had to highlight this one.)

PAPPARDELLE WITH DUCK RAGÙ
(I made this one a few days ago - and it was fab. The recipe consists of 'offals'! Gizzards and heart - which makes my very heart flutter with excitement. Although taste wise - totally different - but the concept reminds me of 'Hainanese Chicken Rice' [from Malaysia - which I would aggressively argue that that is where it originates from (and far more superior flavour and experience that the ones made in other places)]. The 'Hainanese Chicken Rice' from Penang/Ipoh in Malaysia comes with a side of gizzards/livers doused in garlic oil, and a bowl of soy-braised chicken feet. Always eat your offals.)

Just because he's an American and practising a craft that is quintessentially Italian, it doesn't make it any less good. If anything it makes it better because I feel like if you're trying to master a thing that's not really of/from your 'own culture', you try that much harder to make it even better. And I love that he trains with not only Italian chefs but also Japanese ones. I enjoy and love the technical side and also the experimental side of it all. After reading it, it's obvious that this book took a lot of effort and time to create - and it leaves you with that feeling of like - 'I feel like I should pay more for this book?' which for me always indicates that this was a great read.

Also, I'm sure that Funke is probably a better pasta-maker than many nonnas; his commitment to his craft is impressive. I'd like to think of it as the difference between a 'Twinkie' and a 'Tokyo Banana'. A 'Tokyo Banana' is definitely a far more superior cream sponge than a 'Twinkie' even though the 'Twinkie' came first. And another example is of how an egg sandwich from a Japanese convenience store (7-11 has the best ones - I've tried them all in 2k19) is just without a doubt a far more superior egg sandwich than any egg sandwich from Tesco's/Sainsbury's/etc..

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"American Sfoglino" explains how to mix, roll out, and shape pasta by hand (no pasta machine). Plus some pasta-related stories from Italy and the author's life. The author explained how to make hand-rolled sheet pasta and provided 4 master dough recipes for making pasta. He also explained how to use those recipes to make 15 different pasta types, from strands to shaped pasta to stuffed pasta. The pasta types were: Lasagna Verde Alla Bolognese, Pappardelle, Tagliatelle, Maltagliati, Strichetti, Garganelli, Triangoli, Tortelloni, Balanzoni, Tortellini, Sorpresine, Cestini, Caramelle, Strozzapreti, and Gnocchi de Ricotta. Included were step-by-step photos that clearly demonstrated how to roll out and to shape the pasta.

There were also recipes for pasta sauces, fillings, and dishes. He mainly talked about using the pasta when freshly made, but he did explain how you can best keep it for later use. He gave tips on making tasty, evenly-cooked pastas. He kept the equipment you need to a minimum and even gave some make-shift ways to do things without needing specialized equipment. However, he sometimes used ingredients in the pasta dishes (not the pasta but the finished dishes) that might not be easy for the average person to find. He also sometimes suggested easier-to-find alternatives. If you don't mind the work of making pasta by hand, then this book should be very helpful in learning how to hand make and use sheet pasta.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Ann Hupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good grief! Doesn't some reviewers know that the standard ragù CAN have up to seven types of protein in it? I was great friends with this American-Italian (or is it the opposite? I don't care!) family who had a wonderful tiny café that made fabulous sausages by hand, homemade ravioli and lasagna. All of these wonders were held together by a wonderful Sunday Gravy that HAD about seven proteins in it. Why? You fill a pot with your favorite tomato sauce and canned tomatoes and a HUGE glug or two of vino. Then you threw into it whatever leftovers you had. Like the big spicy meatball that fell apart. You can't sell a broken meatball. Into the POT!! More vino, you say? Put some in the next time you walk passed the vat slowly simmering on the back burner. You dip out what you need, add some more tomatoes and maybe the last two or three Italian sausages that didn't sell that evening. Wonderful sauce. Well, it's hard to duplicate that wonderful, slow-simmered flavor without different proteins, so NO COMPLAINING! Remember: A recipe is a SUGGESTION unless otherwise indicated (like in pastries and French macarons).

Good recipes. I like the pictures associated with rolling out the pasta dough on a long wooden dowel. NOW I understand. I like the recipes I haven't had yet, but now I will. I also like the intro to new pasta shapes I haven't tried yet.

This is definitely worth the $2.99 I paid for it. Believe me, I've flushed down more $$$ down the toilet on less appealing cookbooks. This one was SO WORTH IT!

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Handmade Pasta from Evan Funke far exceeded my expectations, and I had fairly high expectations.

I approached this as something just barely more than simply a recipe book. So many books claim to be in depth or a "master class" but basically cover a few tips and procedures then offer a bunch of recipes. I don't really have a big problem with that as long as the recipes are reasonably put together and, hopefully, tasty (not the recipes themselves, the results, but you knew that). So I was blown away when this really did offer the depth and breadth one would expect from an in-person master class.

The information in general, the tips on handling and what tools to use, how to use those tools, what to expect and what unexpected results likely means you did wrong. I almost felt like I should raise my hand when I had a question. Fortunately, since I was actually alone, those questions were usually answered as I read on.

I would obviously recommend this to anyone who wants to create their own pasta. I would also highly recommend this to those who enjoy reading about food, its history and variations, and also enjoys reading recipes almost as short stories. I know people like that and they would love this book even if they never tried to make their own pasta. Me? Well, I'm going to give it a try, probably several.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Tree Hearts' Rim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started the book to get a better understanding of how to roll the dough after seeing a demo by Funke on YouTube. I haven't tried following the written instructions but it should be a good reference for someone "self-teaching" at home. This book is filled with detailed descriptions and photos to help me comprehend what the dough and pasta shapes should look like. The sticky note method is smart! While nothing beats learning in person and by mimicking, I can see how much work Funke put into his writing to make this book the next best thing. I love learning about how some pasta shapes came to be and the fact that all recipes are authentic. What I most appreciate is actually the stories Funke sprinkled across the book: his trip to Italy, the two masters he learned from, restaurants and pasta workshops, people he came across and their generational ties with pasta making. If he write another book just about his personal journey and experience in Italy, I'd read it!

[Tina Izguerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an honest representation of what it means to be a Sfoglino. I love how Evan Funke captured the real art of pasta making. The recipe methods are clearly defined and very easy to follow. His candid remarks about pasta making are both serious yet hilarious enough that it makes you heed all of his advice. Above all, you see, his passion reflected in this book. The photographs beautifully depict the artistry of pasta making and the heart that goes into every single dish. I was excited to review this book mainly because I closely follow Funke on social media. You know you can trust his recipes and I had no reservations when trying them. By the way, his method of measuring the thickness of pasta sheets (by post-it note thickness) is the highlight of this book. This guy is amazing.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molto bene, grazie! Adrienne and/or Vanessa, this totally needs to be a next project for us. That beautiful dough! I’m just in it for the “easy” recipes like the Lasagne Verde Alla Bolognese or the Pappardelle or even (especially?) the Maltagliati! Looks heavenly! On second thought, let’s get Scott to take this on—he’s our pasta man.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've made a handful of these pastas so far, and I've loved every recipe. I found the recipes easy enough to follow, bringing classic Chef Funke dishes from the BOH at his restaurants to the home kitchen.

[Greg Shim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing - and I’m vegan! Plus the book saved me $50 by telling me to make a mattarello with a 2” dowel from a big box store - cost me $12 😂

Great explanations and recipes that I’ve been able to veganize. If you want to delve into noodles, this is your book!

[Riegs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book, definitely not for beginners.

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a crafty cook book with a devoted master to the pasta making craft.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned something!

[C. Brian Batey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly beautiful and informative book.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous book with beautifully done illustrations and instructions. I would love to eat in his restaurant!

[Helene · Rating 5 out of 5]

handmade pasta

The recipes are fabulous. The instructions (and accompanying pictures) are easy to follow. A must have for your cookbook library.

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is there anything better than fresh pasta? Okay it may be tied with bread. American Sfoglino is full of recipes for making your own pasta. Each recipe is accompanied by beautifully shot photos showing all the steps that are described. This makes the process easy to follow for even the complete newbie to pasta making. A good troubleshooting section is also included. Following the basic pasta dough recipes, the book moves into the various shapes of pasta and recipes to use your pasta. As with the dough recipes, there are multiple photos to walk you through the shaping process. This was a fun book to peruse though as someone who chooses a vegan diet, many of the recipes aren't usable for me as they contain various animal products.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[giovanni pellegrino · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a keeper

Incredible book, he is a master of the craft. To all restaurant owners or home cook passionate chefs, this one’s for you.