Book review:

The Geometry of Pasta is a book that adds deeper meaning to our love affair with this Italian staple.

The Geometry of Pasta by Caz Hildebrand and Jacob Kenedy.

THERE’S MORE to pasta than penne. Spaghetti? Too simple. Fusilli? Don’t be silly. Each shape has its own unique history and in The Geometry of Pasta, you’ll not only discover the sheer variation of pasta out there, but also the perfect way to make it and eat it.

Italy’s staple food varies from region to region, so whether you’re looking at a basic semolina dough or something more extravagant incorporating refined flour and expensive egg yolks, there’s an (almost) infinite amount of noodle knowledge to learn from this book.

The Geometry of Pasta begins with the basics – salt, fat, quantity and method. You’ll learn how to achieve ‘al dente’ (‘to the tooth’, or ‘with a little bite’) and how to avoid mush. While there are a variety of pasta recipes and three tomato sauces (subtly different in the making but quite different to eat), this coffee-table cookbook is all about the shape of pasta. There aren’t any photographs, but instead beautifully detailed drawings by none other than the award-winning designer Caz Hildebrand. The words are by well-known London chef Jacob Kenedy.

Starting at agnolotti and working its way down to ziti, you’ll discover a perfect sauce, soup or broth, why it works for the shape and the origin. Tortellini, for example, is the pride and joy of Bologna along with tagliatelle. They require a certain skill – and a whole lot of patience – to get right, something Bolognese women have been perfecting for decades. The history of tortellini is a little unsettling. As the story goes, Lucrezia Borgia (a SpanishItalian noblewoman and daughter of Pope Alexander VI) stopped at an inn. The innkeeper was so besotted by her belly button that he created the pasta to commemorate its beauteous shape. The sauce for this elite pasta must match – the book suggests Parmesan, white-truffle shavings and double cream.

Far more than just a simple cookbook, The Geometry of Pasta is an encyclopaedia of food, design and Italian history. It took five years from concept to print, and will teach you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Italy’s most mathematically perfect food.

‘Every cook – from the novice to the seasoned chef – will learn something from this exquisite and delightful book.’

– Jack Monroe

The Geometry of Pasta by Caz Hildebrand and Jacob Kenedy (Pan Macmillan) is now available in most good bookstores, and online.