Breaking the Rules: A Fresh Take on Italian Classics (A Cookbook)

(Hardback)

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Description

A bold, fun, and daring collection of recipes that break the rules of Italian cooking from Top Chef and Food Network star Joe Sasto.

Its time to ditch the same boring recipes and get creative in the kitchen. Known for his signature curled mustache and dynamic presence on shows like Bravos Top Chef and Food Networks Tournament of Champions, Joe Sasto brings his culinary expertise and passion for pasta to your kitchen. Breaking the Rules is a celebration of Italian cuisine, reimagined with Joes unique flair, playfulness, and creativity.

Dive into a world of pasta with step-by-step techniques that guide you through creating dishes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. From classic Italian recipes like meatballs and focaccia to innovative creations such as Corn Cacio e Pepe, Marinated Tomato Amatriciana, and Pesto Pinwheel Pull-Apart Bread, Joes recipes are designed to inspire both novice and experienced cooks. Each recipe begins with a simple version, perfect for beginners, and offers variations to elevate the dish for those ready to break the rules and take their skills to the next level.

With stunning full-color photographs and pro tips throughout, Breaking the Rules is more than just a cookbookits an invitation to embrace creativity in the kitchen. Whether youre a fan of Joes many television appearances or a home cook looking to expand your repertoire, this book is a must-have for anyone passionate about Italian cuisine and culinary innovation.

Reviews

This has quickly become one of my favorite cookbooks! Joe makes food that isactuallydelicious, not just made to look delicious.Joshua Weissman,#1New York Timesbestselling author
With that quintessential Joe Sasto style,Breaking the Rulesis a vibrant collection of recipesand tips that should give every home chef the confidence to cook with their instincts. Packed with inventive twists on familiar dishes and thoughtful anecdotes, this book is a guide to having fun in the kitchen.Kristen Kish, host ofTop Chef, restaurateur, and author
Even after years of practice,Breaking the Rulescan prove to be one of the most difficult concepts to grasp in cooking. Joe Sastos book, however, deliciously displays the myriad ways in which you can have some fun at conventions expense. By looking at Italian cuisine through his unique, playful lens, he makes you want to get in the kitchen and start screwing around already.Andrew Rea,New York Timesbestselling author ofBasics with Babish
Joe SastosBreaking the Rulesis a bold manifesto for unleashing creativity in the kitchen. The pasta man goes beyond pasta, pushing boundaries and breaking rulesall with a perfectly curled mustache. With recipes that whip up gusto like pesto, Joe makes the intimidating approachable and proves its way more fun to cook outside the lines. Plus, with a pink cheetah print spinenowthatsa book I can get behind.Alix Traeger, author ofScratch That: Embrace the Mess, Cook to Impress
Among the many things I love about Joe Sasto is seeing the joy that cooking brings to his face. He takes his craft seriously, but hes able to share his breadth of knowledge in the kitchenin a way that is invitingrather than intimidating. Every recipe and photo and word truly sings Sasto, which is a tune youre happy to get stuck in your head.Stephanie Izard, chef, restaurateur, author, and TV personality
Joe Sasto is many things: confident, fun-loving, an enthusiastic teacher, and a passionate chef. But what makes him so successful in the kitchen is his ability to push the boundaries of tradition and redefine what great food can be, grounded firmly in the knowledge and experience to back it all up. His deliciously unconventional recipes will draw you in, charm you, and empower your everyday cooking.Gail Simmons, food expert, TV host, and author ofBringing It Home
Bright, cheery, festivea perfect description of Joe Sasto and this book. Every recipe in here will make you want to invite your friends over and entertain for days. Joes cooking is rooted in Italian American cooking, but hes not afraid to make it his ownor, as he says, to break the rules. Joes hope is clearly that you have as much fun in the kitchen as he does.Missy Robbins, chef and owner of Lilia, Misi, and MISIPASTA
In this superb book, Joe Sastos sacred dishes all get shot through his stylish prism. Stellar pastas, great shareable showstoppers, and simple weeknight family meals are all here; but its the craveable intensity thats the rarity. Calabrian hot pepper becomes the perfect marriage with orange for shrimp, clams casino becomes an easy rice dish, and cacio e pepe dresses sweet corn. You will be cooking out of this book every week. Count on it.Andrew Zimmern, chief curiosity officer

Author Bio

Celebrity chef Joe Sasto found his love for cooking and Italian classics as a child at his mothers side, and it was at the Michelin-starred Quince in San Francisco that Sastos passion for pasta truly began. In 2018, Sasto forged his own path and dreamed of opening his own restaurant. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020, he pivoted his career by teaching virtual pasta-making classes. With more than 100 million likes and countless viral social media videos, Sasto has become a recurring judge and chef personality across multiple shows on the Food Network. Hes also competed and appeared on Food Network shows such as Guy FierisTournament of Champions,Guys Grocery Games, andChopped, as well as BravosTop ChefandTop Chef All Stars. In 2022, Sasto made the Food Networks first-ever Hot List. Aside from his career as a chef, Joe Sasto has developed a high-end customizable pasta and pizza tool line, and he is the creator of Tantos, the first puffed pasta chip which launched the summer of 2024. He lives in Chicago and enjoys spending time with his pup, Tito.