Cuisine Cookbook

10 Authentic Italian Chef Cookbooks & Recipe Books

When it comes to chefs and dishes cooked by them, most people think of deluxe food served in a luxury restaurant with fussy ingredients and meticulous skill.

However, for Italian cuisine which puts the simplicity but elegance on the top priority for specific, Italian chefs always find a way to make it simple and bring the most convenient method to anyone who wants to follow their recipes. Therefore, in this article, we will introduce 10 Italian Chef cookbooks to you. 

Lucinda’s Rustic Italian Kitchen

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“Your meatballs will be mistaken for your Italian grandmothers….” – Andrea Rose

Lucinda’s Rustic Italian Kitchen is a home-style Italian American cuisine book from Lucinda Scala Quinn, the Everyday Food cohost, Mad Hungry author, and Martha Stewart Living executive editorial director.

In this book, Lucinda presents 52 delicious, easy-to-prepare Italian recipes from her childhood and her extensive travels throughout Italy. Each writing is brought in itself the irresistible Italian flavor. 

Ranging from drinks such as the Aranciata Cocktail to Grilled Calamari appetizers and pasta dishes, including Rigatoni with Rapid Ragu, you just need to follow this book to have a mouth-watering meal. 

About the Author: Lucinda Scala Quinn is Senior Vice President and Editorial Director of food at Martha Stewart Omnimedia. She is the author of four books, including Lucinda’s Rustic Italian Kitchen, Lucinda’s Authentic Jamaican Kitchen, Mad Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys, and Mad Hungry Cravings. Her TV show Mad Hungry: Bringing Back the Family Meal is broadcasted worldwide, and she also is the SVP, Executive Editorial Director Food and Entertaining at Martha Stewart Living.

Quentin Bacon is a top food photographer whose work has appeared in magazines such as Food & Wine, Real Simple, and in many cookbooks. These include Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten, Holiday Food by Mario Batali, R.S.V.P. by Nan Kempner, Cakewalk by Margaret Braun, Our Latin Table by Fernando Saralegui, and Dinner After Dark by Colin Cowie. His website is www.quentinbacon.com.

Cucina of Le Marche: A Chef’s Treasury of Recipes from Italy’s Last Culinary Frontier

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“Fantastic book about the regional cuisine of one of the most interesting and least known areas of Italy.” – Salvador Bartera

Every chef is a product of a place and a tradition, and Fabio Trabocchi, whose soul in the Italian province of Le Marche, is not an exception. Location in the center of Rome and Florence, Le Marche is on the Adriatic coast, bordered to the north by Emilia-Romagna, to the west by Tuscany and Umbria to the south by Lazio and Abruzzo. This geography explains the abundant variety of Le Marche’s food traditions. 

By visiting mariners from Greece and North Africa, the first chefs of Le Marche grasped and adjusted recipes, ingredients, and techniques to show his signature style of cooking called “soulful and passionate—not pretentious”.

It combines traditional Italian cuisine elements with a modern European sense that draws on the many flavors he is experienced throughout his far and wide travels and techniques sharpen at worldwide restaurants.

About the Author: Fabio Trabocchi’s passion for cooking is inspired by his father’s love for food from his native region of Ancona, Italy. He soon discovered it as a young boy. When many same-age chefs are still sharpening their skills, he has already earned an impressive foothold in the culinary world. 

After winning the London Carlton Restaurant Award for Best New Chef in 1999, Fabio Trabocchi moved to Washington, D.C., to create his vision and concept for Maestro as a chef. Both he and the restaurant have won several loud praises, including Maestro’s being marked by Gourmet as one of the World’s Best Hotel Dining Rooms. He was also nominated for Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation and won Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2006.

The Chef of Greenwich Village: The immigrant story and secret recipes of beloved NYC chef, Pietro Mosconi as told by his daughter, Joanne Mosconi

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“I’ve personally been to Montes in NYC and I’m so happy I can bring this level of fine dining to my own kitchen! I’m drooling as I’m typing this, thinking of my favorite dishes! A MUST have in your cookbook collection!” – kajal

Chef Pietro Mosconi is the legendary chef of the Greenwich Village. He and his family’s two NYC restaurants, Monte’s Trattoria and Villa Mosconi, have been delighting guests for more than 40 years. Now, in this book, his daughter reveals long‐awaited and secret recipes that enjoy so many fans not even in Greenwich Village but all around the world.

In this unique cookbook, the magical story of a little boy from Italy with a big American Dream is told. From an immigrant coming to the U.S., Pietro Mosconi sacrificed so much and worked tirelessly for over 50 years to become a truly beloved, award‐winning chef.

Through his talent, endless passion, warmth, and sincere generosity, this Italian immigrant transformed a small corner of New York City into a home for all.

Recall and wrote father’s stories and recipes causes Joanne Mosconi challenging to chase the frenzied chef around his kitchen to capture his unwritten recipes. However, with four years in the making, The Chef of Greenwich Village is a real love letter to the chef from his daughter.

Readers will find a vibrant, humorous, and heartwarming stories to honor the love of family, community, and food that celebrates immigrant determination with the American Dream when turning each page beside a beautiful collection of most prized recipes.

About the Author: Joanne Mosconi is the daughter of the legendary Chef of Greenwich Village, Pietro Mosconi. She is an acclaimed Los Angeles and New York director, playwright, and acting coach to many stars. Chef Pietro is a forever purist when it comes to preparing fresh food.

Writing her father’s book has connected her to him in a way she has always longed for, so she will give it to anyone who wants to be touched by the story of a little Italian boy who became a chef that transformed a part of Greenwich Village into a home for all. 

Copycat Recipes: A Step-by-Step Cookbook Guide to make Italian Most Popular Restaurants Recipes at Home (Best Italian Restaurants Ranked)

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“Added to read” – Jean Clark

Copycat Recipes is a series of cookbooks contributed by a wide range of authors. This specific book is built thanks to the recipes of the four complete menu recipes of the Best Selected Italian Restaurants ranked in the US, including Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Olive Garden, Romano’s Macaroni Grill. Recreate all the menus of these restaurants at home is not something hard to reach for everyone.

Every recipe is very well-described by super easy step-by-step instructions to cook and recreate the exact dishes in the right way. You can recreate “Fettuccine di Alfredo”, “Tiramisù”, the iconic “Lasagna Fritta” and much more. More than that, a detailed list of ingredients, cooking and preparation times, number of servings, and nutritional information per serving are also mentioned. 

About the Author: Johnny Lina is the author of Copycat Recipes: A Step-by-Step Cookbook Guide to make Italian Most Popular Restaurants Recipes at Home, one of several cookbooks the family of Copycat Recipes. 

Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking: 150 Delicious and Simple Recipes Anyone Can Master: A Cookbook

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“Bought this for my mother (she’s almost 80) and she’s decided to stop poisoning my father with her food and has actually started cooking Lidia’s recipes. She LOVES the recipes and said they’re easy to make and follow -plus they’re delicious!” – Derby

As storyteller and chef, Lidia Bastianich tells about lessons learned from her mother and grandmother who inspired her. Lidia’s Commonsense Guide to Italian Cooking is a masterclass in creating delicious Italian dishes with grace, confidence, and love.

This cookbook is a beautifully illustrated collection of 150 simple, seasonal Italian recipes told with commonsense cooking tips and tricks from the cutting board to the kitchen table.

About the Author: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich ever wrote eight previous books before Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking. She also is the host of two public television series, Lidia’s Italian Table and Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen. She co-owns three restaurants in New York City, which are Felidia, Becco, and Esca, and gives lectures on Italian cuisine all over the country. 

Tanya Bastianich Manuali received her Ph.D. in Renaissance art history from Oxford University. In 1996 she set up Esperienze Italiane, a travel company that arranges food, wine, and art tours to Italy. Besides coauthor cookbooks with her mother, Lidia, she also manages Lidia’s product line and serves as the cultural and art consultant for the art series. She lives on Long Island, New York.

Classico e Moderno: Essential Italian Cooking: A Cookbook

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“The bible for elegant Italian oriented food.” – Maggie S

 Michael White is hailed by food critics as the next great hero of Italian gastronomy. In Classico e Moderno, White brings his passion for authentic Italian cuisine to the home kitchen with 250 recipes that cover both the traditional and contemporary dishes of the region. 

In the “Classico” portion, White shares such iconic dishes as Meatballs Braised in Tomato Sauce, Pasta and Bean Soup, and many more. The “Moderno” chapters feature recipes that have put White’s restaurants on the map, including Chicken Liver Crostini with Marsala-Braised Onions; Fusili with Red Wine–Braised Octopus and Bone Marrow and so much more.

Both Classico and Moderno sections offer ideas for your whole meal form first courses to salads, pizzas, and basic formulas for pesto, stocks. Including personal notes and stories about White’s early visit to Italy and his career, Classico e Moderno will give you all the tools, tips, and tricks you need to cook enticing Italian dishes with the confidence of a seasoned chef.

About the Author: Michael White, a Wisconsin native, began his award-winning culinary career at Chicago’s acclaimed Spiaggia and Ristorante San Domenico in Imola, Italy.

After eight years in Italy, he moved to New York City and cooperated with Ahmass Fakahany to form the Altamarea Group, the owner of many renowned restaurants. Michael White now lives in New York with his wife and daughter.

Andrew Friedman has collaborated on more than twenty cookbooks with some of America’s finest and most well-known chefs. Friedman is a two-time winner of the IACP Award for Best Chef or Restaurant Cookbook, and co-editor of the popular anthology Don’t Try This at Home. He is also the author of Knives at Dawn, the founder/chief contributor to the chef-focused website Toqueland.com. He lives in Brooklyn with his family.

Fabio’s Italian Kitchen

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“He is a celebrity chef for a reason; his book is entertaining while guiding you to create some delicious Italian recipes. This book was a perfect way to get started.” – D. Leunen

When Fabio Viviani was growing up in a housing project in Florence, Italy, the center of his world was the kitchen, where his mother, grandmother, and especially his great-grandmother inspired him to love cooking and good food. From that time, chef Fabio Viviani blends his incredible personal story with his favorite recipes from his home country.

In this book, Fabio shares the best Italian home cooking while telling the story of his own hard Italian childhood, especially the women in his life mother and great grandmother, who taught him to cook and inspired him.

The book feature countless photos and over 150 recipes with stories, including Viviani staples (Italian Apple Cake, 7 Flavors Meat), restaurant favorites (Gnocchi, the Perfect Tiramisu), and recipes from his travels and on-the-job training period across different regions of Italy (Braised Ossobuco from Piedmont, the Perfect Meat Sauce from Emilia Romagna).

About the Author: Fabio Viviani, born in Florence, Italy, began working at Il Pallaio, a Trattoria in Firenze, at the age of 14. Viviani thrived in the high-pressure environment and managed to become a sous chef two years later.

At the age of 27, he moved to Ventura County, California, and now works as the owner/executive chef of Cafe Firenze and Firenze Osteria, a famous Italian restaurant/eatery in Moorpark, California and Los Angeles orderly. He appeared on season 5 of Top Chef and earned a place among the final four contestants. Before he left the competition, he was named “Fan Favorite.” 

The Barbuto Cookbook: California-Italian Cooking from the Beloved West Village Restaurant

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“A culinary exploration of Barbuto’s menu—a unique blend of rustic Italian and modern California cuisine” – Midori

There are very few New York City restaurants that still have maintained their quality and charm as long as Jonathan Waxman’s Barbuto. For the first time, The Barbuto Cookbook invites home cooks into the history, culture, and cuisine of the Greenwich Village dining spot that became both a neighborhood favorite and a New York culinary destination. 

Jonathan and his team offer the essential tools for remake Barbuto classics, including the famous JW roast chicken, the otherworldly kale salad, specialty pizzas, gnocchi, spectacular desserts, and much more. Every recipe is a delicious restaurant signature simplified for straightforward preparation at home.

About the Author: Jonathan Waxman is the chef/owner at Barbuto in Manhattan’s West Village and Jams in 1 Hotel Central Park. He has made appearances on two seasons of Top Chef Masters. Waxman is the author of two previous cookbooks and lives in Manhattan with his wife and three children.

Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen: 150 Pizzas, Pasta, Pestos, Risottos, & Lots of Creamy Italian Classics

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“If I didn’t write a rave review for this awesome cookbook I would be a real jerk” – Shelby Coleman

If you think a healthy vegan diet means giving up pasta in a creamy sauce, cheesy pizza, and exquisite tiramisu, think again! You will find the surprising fact by following her hit cookbooks Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen.

With fresh vegan takes on classic Italian cuisine illustrated by full-color photographs throughout, chef Chloe takes readers to go to her family’s homeland to veganize its time-honored delicacies and add some uniquely delicious twists.

This book will let you show off your kitchen skill by superb mains like Butternut Ravioli with Brown Sugar or author’s inventive pizza creations such as Crumbled “Sausage” and “Mozzarella” Pizza as well as Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion.

Even vegans can enjoy comfort favorites with Chloe’s Potato Gnocchi, Eggplant Parmesan, and many favorite desserts. Chloe’s book got your classics covered with Chocolate-Dipped Almond Biscotti and Italian Wedding Cake while turning up with new delights like Mint Chip Gelato Sandwiches, Banana Coffee Cupcakes. No matter your diet, you can feast on all favorites thanks to her gluten-free recipes.

About the Author: Chloe Coscarelli recently won first place in the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars that makes her the first vegan ever to win on a Food Network competition. Chloe graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute of Health and Culinary Arts NYC and the University of California, Berkeley.

She has also completed Cornell University’s Plant-Based Nutrition program based on Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study and lives in Los Angeles.

Massimo Bottura: Never Trust A Skinny Italian Chef

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“I love this book. It’s best read as an exploration of Massimo’s philosophy behind different tasting dinners and less an instructional manual on recreating dishes from his restaurant.” – A. Brown

Massimo Bottura is the longtime chef of three-Michelin star restaurant Osteria Francescana for twenty-five years. It is rated as Italy’s most celebrated restaurant, and the number one in the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2016. During Massimo’s career, Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef is a tribute that contributes to the restaurant famous. 

At Osteria Francescana, chef Massimo Bottura (as featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table) takes inspiration from contemporary art to create remarkably creative dishes that play with Italian culinary traditions.

Divided into four chapters, each one highlights a different period. Fifty recipes featured in the book are accompanied by texts explaining Bottura’s inspiration, ingredients, and techniques. Stefano Graziani and Carlo Benvenuto conduct photography demonstrations, 

About the Author: Massimo Bottura the valued as the leading figure in modern Italian gastronomy and works as the chief patron of Osteria Francescana, a three Michelin star restaurant based in Modena, Italy. Massimo grew up in Modena and developed an interest in cooking at a young age after watching his mother, grandmother, and aunt prepare family meals.

In 1986, he dropped out of law program to open his first restaurant and subsequently nurtured his love for food with stages for Alain Ducasse at Louis XV in Monte Carlo and Ferran Adriá elbulli. He opened Osteria Francescana in 1995.

We hope you like this post and finally find out your favorite Italian chef cookbooks. Meanwhile, we welcome you to explore our site and discover more cookbook recommendations from the same cuisine below.

Doris Frasier

Hi. I'm Doris! I am a foodie that has traveled to 78 countries and loves trying cuisines from different countries. I try anything related to food and share my opinions on this blog. Send me a message with any requests!
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