Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking

p The bestselling author of iItalian Grill/i and iMolto Italiano/i delivers a gorgeous collection of mouthwatering recipes to bring some Italian favorites home. /p p Chef Mario Batali's zest for life infuses the casual Italian fare that has made his restaurant Otto Enoteca Pizzeria a perennially popular New York City destination. Now you can have the flavors of Otto at home, with iMolto Gusto/i, a collection of recipes for everyone's favorites, from pizza, pasta, and antipasti to gelati and sorbetti. /p p Mario has written the definitive book on great pizza making for the amateur, the novice, the foodie, and the gourmet cook, teaching how to make really great pizza at home without any fancy equipment. Here too are recipes for classic pizza, Otto's special pizzas, and even kids' pizzas. /p p Looking for something a little lighter? Try the antipasti. Based on seasonal vegetables, with a few recipes showcasing seafood and meat, these dishes can make up an entire, healthy meal. Also included are many of Mario's favorite simple pasta dishes, and to finish it all off, fantastic recipes for gelati, sorbetti, and copette. /p p Filled with Mario's infectious personality and love of robust flavors, and illustrated with luscious full-color photos, iMolto Gusto/i makes it easy to spend a night on the town without leaving home. /p

span class="h1"strongRecipes from emMolto Gusto/em/strong/span span class="h3color"strongbr /br /Summer Caprese Salad br /Serves 6br //strong/span pimg align="right" border="0" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/books/aplus/summer_caprese_salad.jpg" / 10 ounces fresh mozzarellabr /1½ pounds assorted ripe tomatoes (choose a combination of colors, types, and sizes), such as Brandywine, purple Cherokee, cherry, pear, peach, and/or Green Zebrabr / 2 tablespoons champagne vinegarbr /6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilbr /1 small bunch basil (Genovese, lemon, Thai, or fino verde), leaves removed, or about 1 cup mixed fresh basil leavesbr / Maldon or other flaky sea saltbr //p pWith a sharp knife, cut the mozzarella into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a serving platter, reserving any milky liquid from the cheese in a small cup./p p/p pIf using cherry or grape tomatoes, cut them in half; reserve the juices. Core the remaining tomatoes and slice them, reserving the juices. Arrange the tomatoes on the cheese./p pWhisk the vinegar, reserved tomato juices, any liquid from the mozzarella, and the olive oil together in a small bowl./p pTear the basil leaves over the salad. Pour the vinaigrette over it, sprinkle with salt, and serve./p span class="h3color"strongSpaghetti alla Carbonara br /Serves 6/strong/span p img align="right" border="0" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/books/aplus/spaghetti_carbonara.jpg" / pKosher saltbr / 5 ounces sliced pancetta, cut into ½-inch-wide stripsbr / ¼ cup extra virgin olive oilbr / 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepperbr / 6 fresh large eggsbr /1 pound spaghettibr / ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for servingbr / ¼ cup grated pecorino romanobr //p pBring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons kosher salt./p pMeanwhile, combine the pancetta and oil in another large pot and cook over medium-high heat until the pancetta has rendered some of its fat and is lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the pepper and remove from the heat./p pSeparate the eggs, being careful to keep the yolks intact, putting the whites in a small bowl and the yolks in a shallow dish./p pDrop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain, reserving cup of the pasta water./p pAdd the reserved pasta water to the pan¬cetta and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the egg whites and cook, whisking furiously, until they are frothy but not set, about 1 minute. Add the pasta, stirring and tossing well to coat. Stir in the cheeses./p pDivide the pasta among six bowls, making a nest in the center of each portion. Gently drop an egg yolk into each nest and serve immediately, advising your guests to stir the yolk into the pasta so it will cook. Pass additional grated Parmigiano on the side./p