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The Quanto Basta Digest

Ciao and welcome! We're so glad you're here. This little corner of our website is where a lot of magical (and delicious) stuff happens. Whether it be a recipe for an obscure Sardinian pasta dish, a tutorial on how to use one of our bestselling pasta tools, or a story about the legendary Marcella Hazan, the q.b. Digest is all about inspiring you to cook all'italiana. Check out the latest below!

Italian Recipes

We see a pasta salad with rigatoni pasta, thinly sliced zucchini, cubes of mozzarella, pine nuts, and fresh chopped herbs. The pasta is sitting in a green splatterware bowl, on top of a marble counter. Bird's eye view.

Silky Marinated Zucchini Pasta Salad

Rigatoni gets tossed with thinly sliced marinated zucchini, fresh mozzarella, and pine nuts in this summer-time pasta salad inspired by a Roman Jewish dish.

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Corzetti Stampati with Seared Mushrooms, Marjoram & Pine Nuts

Corzetti Stampati with Seared Mushrooms, Marjoram & Pine Nuts

I’m a huge fan of Ligurian food. The flavors are, typically, light and refreshing—think Genovese pesto and focaccia, of course, but also vegetables and herbs,...

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A hand kneading pasta dough.

Basic Pasta Dough, Two Ways

Your pasta dough 101 guide, covering the basic ingredients and techniques for making fresh egg pasta dough and semolina pasta dough.

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Italian Gin & Tonic - bird's eye view of a blush-colored cocktail in a clear glass. We see a slice of lemon on top and a sprig of rosemary. There is ice in the glass. In the background, we see a bottle of spirits poking through the corner.

Italian Gin & Tonic

Sweet vermouth and Italian red bitters give this gin and tonic an Italian twist that's both refreshing and complex.

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We see a bowl of spaghetti coated in a red tomato sauce. There are a few orange and red cherry tomatoes resting around the spaghetti. A warm sunlight hits the pasta dish, creating dramatic shadows. There is a fork dipping into the spaghetti.

Spaghetti Chitarra alla Puttanesca

With cherry tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, capers, and chili pepper flakes, this classic Neapolitan pasta dish is unapologetic about its intense flavor.

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A teal low-bowl holds a heaping of golden tortellini with a creamy yellow sauce. We see a fork picking up a single tortellino. There is grated parmesan cheese on top.

Tortellini with Parmesan Zabaglione

Homemade tortellini are served with a luscious sauce of egg yolks, grated Parmesan, and heavy cream.

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Italian Cooking Tips

We see a rectangular wooden board with a ridged surface in the center. Around the board are various shapes of pasta, arranged in small piles.

Five Pasta Shapes You Can Make with a Gnocchi Board

Gnocchi boards aren’t just for gnocchi. Here are 5 other pasta shapes you can make with this beloved ridged board.

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Two hands are stretching a ball of straw-colored pasta dough on a light wooden surface.

Pasta dough gone wrong? Here's how to fix common issues.

Read our pasta dough troubleshooting guide, which addresses common problems like what to do when your pasta dough is too dry, too sticky, or too...

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We see two nests of fresh egg taglitelle pasta, a metal bench scraper, and a bag of pasta flour resting on a large, light-colored wooden pasta board.

Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Pasta Boards

If you’re keen to elevate your pasta-making game, a key tool to consider is the pasta board—a staple in any serious pasta maker's kitchen. Here...

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Italian grandma making gnocchi

Embracing La Cucina Povera: Sustainable Living Starts with Using What You Have

Gillie Roberts, the founder of Ware, a sustainable essentials shop that specializes in low-waste home and body care, shares her thoughts on Italian resourcefulness in...

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Cooking tagliatelle pasta

How to Cook Pasta: Our Most Frequently Asked Questions

We unravel the secrets to cooking and serving pasta so that you can ensure each bite is flavorful and full of life.

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There is a blue splatterware bowl on a wooden surface holding three cracked eggs. Above the bowl we see a metal spoon holding a single orange egg yolk.

The Science Behind the Eggs in Your Pasta

They say pasta is an art, but it can be a science too. Here's an in-depth explanation of how eggs play a role in your...

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Italian Stories

Skyler Mapes of EXAU Olive Oil sitting in front of wooden french doors. Her hand is reaching out to touch a potted olive tree.

Interview with EXAU Olive Oil co-founder, Skyler Mapes

Skyler Mapes, co-founder of EXAU Olive Oil, shares the vision and mission for the family-owned olive oil company and gives us tips for buying, using,...

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Father's Day Gift Guide for Pasta Dads

Father's Day Gift Guide for Pasta Dads

Not sure what to get your pasta-lovin papà for Father’s Day this year? We reached out to a few of our favorite “pasta dads” and...

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Old black and white photo of Marcella Hazan stirring a pan over a stove. She's looking up at the camera and smiling. Photo taken by a student, of a class taught by Marcella Hazan in Venice in the 1980s.

Uncovering the Life of Marcella Hazan through Film

Get a sneak peek at a soon-to-be-released documentary that reveals the story of the beloved Italian cookbook writer, Marcella Hazan.

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An elderly woman in a red bandana and apron looks to her left towards Vicky Bennison, a tall woman with curly hair. Vicky is holding a video camera with a microphone. The two women are smiling at one another.

The Story Behind Pasta Grannies: An Interview with Vicky Bennison

The following is a partial transcript of our interview with Vicky Bennison. It has been lightly edited for content and clarity. Sarah Ubertaccio (S): Most people...

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Chef Joe Sasto

An interview with Chef Joe Sasto: Mastering the art of pasta from unexpected places

Chef Joe Sasto shares his Michelin-star advice for making better pasta and finding culinary inspiration in unusual ways.

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Pasta et Al - Father and son making pasta

This Father and Son Make Pasta Together Every Sunday: An Interview with Pasta et Al

Every Sunday, Alec Morris and his son, "little Al," make homemade pasta together – and it's adorable. We interview Alec to learn more about his...

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