A Passion for Pasta : Distinctive Regional Recipes from the Top to the Toe of Italy

Learn how to make your own pasta. In A Passion for Pasta, everyone can take a delicious trip down Italy, from top to toe, led by ''pasta queen'' Carmela Sereno - your guide to making speciality pasta dishes from each Italian region.

With stunning photographs throughout, these recipes include:

· Mandilli di Seta, handkerchief pasta with creamy pesto, from Liguria and the Italian Riviera. Liguria''s capital, Genoa, is birthplace of the well-known basil pesto.

· Orecchiete con cime di rape, which combines the speciality pasta of Puglia, orecchiete (translated as ''little ears''), with the humble turnip to produce a dish full of flavour and yet typical of Puglia''s unique style of cooking, cucina povera.

· Ziti with sardines, chicory and breadcrumbs. Ziti pasta come in many sizes from the length of small maccheroni to that of spaghetti. Originating from Sicily, this dish has strong Middle Eastern and North African influences, acknowledging these two regions'' involvement in Sicilian history.

Serano shows us how to make even the most basic pasta dough into a variety of shapes and stunning designs using stripes, spots and delicate herbs. Even those who are already great pasta enthusiasts will be amazed at the range of pasta explored in this book, with dishes selected to delight not only with their exquisite taste but also by their beautiful and varied appearance.

From the ''Polenta Gnocchi'' of the Aosta Valley to Tuscany''s ''Pancake Pasta'', A Passion for Pasta has a dish for every occasion, and all tastes.