On Top of Spaghetti...: ...Macaroni, Linguine, Penne, and Pasta of Every Kind 
On Top of Spaghetti . . . is an invitation to join Johanne Killeen and George Germon, the renowned chef-owners of Providence, Rhode Island's legendary restaurant Al Forno, on a sensory journey to pasta paradise.
No other food offers the unique, tangible, sensuous enjoyment of pasta. And with a few fresh ingredients, a little imagination, and a lot of love (for cooking and for each other), Johanne and George have been making pasta magic for years. Now, with On Top of Spaghetti . . . , they offer their experience cooking pasta in Italy, in their restaurant, and in their home kitchen. All of the lessons, the techniques, the secrets, and their special pasta affinity are on display for you to achieve perfect results for perfect pasta.
On Top of Spaghetti . . . is a versatile collection of recipes that proves the ingenuity of pasta. The chapters are devoted to pasta with vegetables, legumes, and herbs; tomato sauces; seafood; poultry, meat, and rabbit; and eggs and cheese as well as baked and fresh pastas, ravioli, and lasagne. You will find authentic dishes here, such as Ricotta Ravioli, Linguine with Classic Ligurian Pesto, and Pasta Shells with Spicy Sausage Red Sauce, as well as innovative new dishes such as Zucchini Flower Lasagne, Saffron-Sauced Pasta and Osso Buco, and the superspicy Spaghetti La Bomba.
In down-to-earth style, Johanne and George include a guide to specialty ingredients that add a whole new understanding to capers, anchovies, and pine nuts, as well as to traditional meats and cheeses—prosciutto di Parma, prosciutto cotto, pancetta, Pecorino Romano, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, including instructions for making homemade ricotta—that are essential to the true taste of Italian pasta. There is also a section devoted to helpful, sensible tips: why you should always reserve some of your pasta cooking water, which pasta dishes are better served without cheese, how to know when your spaghetti is perfectly al dente, and how to gauge portion size. Topping it all off are sixteen pages of luscious color photographs of the finished dishes.
For utterly simple, fun, fresh, and flavorful recipes that are perfect for a leisurely lunch, an elegant feast, or a midnight spaghetti snack, nothing tops On Top of Spaghetti . . .
Reviews
Prime pasta. Perfect pasta - that's the only kind served by the authors in their Providence restaurant, Al Forno. Billy Joel claims their pizza is the best in the world. While I wouldn't argue with him, for me the easy to follow recipes offered in this imaginative, enormously satisfying cookbook are among the best to be found.
The author's love and enthusiasm for the type of food they prepare is obvious on every page as they experiment, create, and enjoy. Explaining that work nights end late for them, they add that they're hungry so together they prepare what they call "midnight spaghetti." It's really a fun-loving competition between the two of them with simple rules: "Prepare a delicious sauce in the time it takes for a pot of water to boil and the pasta to cook."
Among the dishes favored for these nocturnal feasts are Spaghetti with Fresh Spinach and Gorgonzola, Pantry Spaghetti, Vintner's Spaghetti, Pappardelle with Olives, Thyme, and Lemon. Recipes for these and other mouth-watering pasta dishes, whether appetizers or main courses, are found in this temptingly illustrated book.
Of enormous help are the hints offered by this couple who have cooked tens of thousands of pounds of pasta at their restaurant. For instance, a good rule of thumb is four ounces of pasta per person as a main meal and half of that for a starter. Plus, a list of must-haves for your pasta pantry is indispensable, and saves hasty runs to the super market.
Couldn't possibly choose a favorite from the many recipes offered but high on my list is Jo's Fast "Cheater's" Lasagne. Granted, I'm biased as pasta has always been a favorite dish, and I tend to heartily agree with the authors' admonition: "Don't trust people who don't like pasta."
Highly recommended - enjoy!
- Gail Cooke