Six Seasons of Pasta
A New Way with Everyone's Favorite Food
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Named a Best Cookbook of the Year by the New York Times, The New Yorker, Real Simple, and more * Libby Book Award Finalist * Pacific Northwest Book Awards Shortlist
In the follow-up to Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, James Beard Award–winning author Joshua McFadden teaches home cooks how to use storebought dried pasta to create seasonal, restaurant-quality dishes at home. Named a Best New Cookbook of 2025 by Bon Appetit, Eater, Epicurious, Publishers Weekly, Saveur, The Strategist, The Week, and more.
In Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, Joshua McFadden's approach to seasonal produce revolutionized the way we cook with vegetables. Now, he's back to transform the way we cook and eat pasta. In Six Seasons of Pasta, noodles become the perfect showcase for each season's bounty of produce. There are more than 125 recipes organized by season, plus the Italian classics that everyone should have in their repertoire, from Cacio e Pepe to Pasta Fagiole (three ways!). Artichokes with Tomato and Mint celebrates the fresh, delicate flavors of spring; Fall's warming notes are reflected in Mushrooms with Onion, Pancetta, and Cream; and a classic Winter dish like Baked Ziti with Broccoli Rabe is hearty and nourishing. And the best part? These recipes are all made using storebought dried pasta. Six Seasons of Pasta does so much more than pair noodles with seasonal produce. The book teaches us how to intuitively cook a perfect pasta dish from scratch using McFadden's no-fail “build-the-sauce-in-the-skillet” method. McFadden's time-tested technique will always result in a satisfying and delicious bowl of pasta.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
McFadden follows his James Beard Award–winning Six Seasons with this substantial and highly informative treatise on pasta. He opens with a detailed dive into pasta fundamentals, listing sensory cues that can help determine when noodles are cooked ("the closer they are to al dente, the more water they absorb, and the quieter they become," he notes) and tips for ensuring that they are then fully coated in a smooth, unified sauce (he recommends adding a bit of pasta water and gently tossing with tongs). Sauce recipes range from rich ragus—including one with pork, beef, kale, and chile, and another with green lentils—to "build-in-the-skillet" options like aglio e olio and cacio e pepe. Most are organized by season, with summer divided into three parts, taking advantage of peak vegetable ripeness. In spring, there's leek alfredo with shrimp. Early summer brings fennel, mascarpone, and arugula; midsummer features a broccoli fra diavolo; and late summer offerings include eggplant with garlic, capers, raisins, and herbs. For fall there's mushrooms with sausage, spicy chiles, and burrata, while winter offerings include charred cabbage with pork shoulder ragu and lemon. While McFadden's guidance is meticulous, his detail-dense prose demands careful reading before readers break out any pots or pans. Still, this encyclopedic resource is sure to become an essential tool for home cooks looking to elevate their pasta skills.
