Nigellissima by Nigella Lawson

Italian cuisine is near and dear to many of our hearts, and so I think we can all nod in understanding when Nigella Lawson says, “It was when I was sixteen or seventeen that I decided to be Italian.” Nigellissima is an ode to her younger self and to the food she fell in love with way before Nigella Lawson became a household name. These are simple, nourishing Italian dishes that are as satisfying to make as they are to eat. 

• Who wrote it: Nigella Lawson

• Who published it: Clarkson Potter

• Number of recipes: About 120

• Recipes for right now: Curly-Edged Pasta with Lamb Ragu, Quick Calabrian Lasagna, Sardinian Couscous with Clams, Lamb Cutlets with Mint, Chili & Golden Potatoes, Venetian Stew (pictured), Instant Orange-Chocolate Mousse (pictured), Italian Breakfast Banana Bread

• Other highlights: Every page of this book is infused with the kind of warm charm and quiet confidence we’ve come to know and love from Nigella Lawson. I love how each major step in a recipe is highlighted in bold, making it easy to skim a recipe for the key points while in the middle of cooking. The headnotes — besides being good couch-reading material — provide lots of helpful tips and serving ideas directed specifically at home cooks like us.

Fans of Nigella will not be disappointed in this book. However, I do need to admit that I felt a little let down by the recipes. Don’t get me wrong — they all look and sound absolutely amazing. It’s just that I feel like I’ve seen them all before in one form or another. Nothing truly stood out as particularly new or unique. I’d say that if you already have a few Italian cookbooks on your shelf, this one is worth a skim or a borrow from the library, but you probably already have most of these kinds of recipes covered.

• Who would enjoy this book? Fans of Nigella Lawson, people looking for good entry into Italian cuisine.

Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: Nigellissima by Nigella Lawson

• Visit the author’s website: Nigella Lawson

Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.

(Images: Emma Christensen)