“Proper, old-school classics to use up every scrap”

– —Jamie Oliver

“The Amalfi Coast is known for extra-sweet, thick-skinned lemons, and native Contaldo digs into the area’s flavor in a collection as bright and cheerful as its subject … Whether codifying the 17-day process for crafting limoncello or explaining how friends at a hometown pastry shop candy citrus peel, Contaldo evokes joy.”

– —Publishers Weekly on Gennaro’s Limoni

“With each recipe, Contaldo brings joy and dazzlement.”

– —Publishers Weekly on Panetteria

“What a fantastic book – delicious Italian food, fast.”

– —Jamie Oliver on Gennaro’s Fast Cook Italian

“‘[An] excellent cookbook … fun to read …This delightful cookbook will educate and inspire.”

– —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Gennaro’s Pasta Perfecto!

“Italian master-chef Contaldo, who famously taught Jamie Oliver to cook Italian, recounts his childhood in exquisite detail, matching his recollections to the subject on point … Artfully arranged photographs and some well-worn and much-needed tips round out what will soon be an oft-referred-to classic.”

– —Booklist (starred review) on Passione

“Italian chef Contaldo, who has authored over a dozen books, comes quite close to an all-vegetarian cookbook with this celebration of all things verdure … Contaldo introduces each of the 28 vegetables he dubs most commonly found with quick fun facts plus good, sensible advice on cookery, prepping, cultivating, and similar topics. One to five dishes appear for each vegetable, from artichokes and asparagus to radicchio and tomatoes, categorized by color: green, red, sunshine, and purple … Contaldo ensures that all facets of the traditional menu are covered, particularly the main dishes and the sides. A rainbow of verdure.”

– —Booklist

“Celebrated author, YouTube channel host, and culinary pal of Jamie Oliver and Stanley Tucci, Contaldo (Gennaro’s Limoni) knows a thing or two about Italian cooking. Now Contaldo wants to show the rest of the world the way Italians do vegetables. First grouped by color such as green, yellow, and red, vegetables are then arranged by botanical family. A short but pithy introduction that covers everything from its botanical history to its place in Italian kitchens introduces each vegetable while recipes showcase the culinary possibilities of the vegetable itself. Recipes range from simple, such as green beans with tomatoes, to more challenging, such as pea polpette served with spicy tomato sauce. While not strictly a vegetarian cookbook, the focus is on plant-forward cooking with inventive dishes such as la Genovese “Scapatta” con ziti, in which onions take the place of meat in the traditional Bolognese meat sauce. VERDICT: Even with the bumper crop of excellent plant-based cookbooks available like Nick Sharma’s Veg-Table, readers will want to consider making room for this exuberant, enthusiastic guide to cooking vegetables with a bit of Italian flair.”

– —Library Journal

“Celebrated author, YouTube channel host, and culinary pal of Jamie Oliver and Stanley Tucci, Contaldo knows a thing or two about Italian cooking. Now Contaldo wants to show the rest of the world the way Italians do vegetables … [R]eaders will want to consider making room for this exuberant, enthusiastic guide to cooking vegetables with a bit of Italian flair.”

– — Library Journal