Why did Lidia Matticchio Bastianich chose pasta as her first single topic cookbook? Because it's like a hug. Isn't she the wisest woman? "Nothing is more delicious, gratifying, heart-and soul-warming than a plate of pasta. It is versatile, easy to make and economical, and when shared it is like a hug of love," Bastianich writes in her dedication.
Lidia has written almost 20 books, many of them cookbooks, some of them companion volumes to her "Lidia's Kitchen" PBS television show and even a memoir. With "Lidia's The Art of the Pasta" (co-authored by daughter Tanya Bastianich-Manuali, she waxes poetic about what many consider the ultimate comfort food.
