Four Seasons Pasta

Book excerpt: In a world where everyone seems to be trying to eat more healthfully and seasonally, nothing makes more sense for dinner than pasta with vegetables. In Four Seasons Pasta, best-selling author Janet Fletcher follows the harvest to create more than 50 seasonal recipes for this wholesome combination. Inspired by the southern Italian pasta repertoire, Fletcher has unearthed many little-known gems--authentic, unfussy regional recipes that even novice cooks can make. From a spring fava bean stew with fusilli to summer's spaghetti alla Palermitana (with zucchini, tomatoes, anchovies and capers), peak-season produce paired with pasta makes a totally satisfying meal. Autumn brings radicchio to braise with pancetta and onions--a savory sauce for tagliatelle. Even winter provides produce for the pasta kitchen: beans for hearty bean-and-pasta soups and kale for a winter pesto. With guidelines for choosing dried pasta, making fresh pasta from scratch, and equipping the pasta kitchen, Four Seasons Pasta offers readers a delicious and sensible way to eat for life.