what reviewers are saying about Pasta & Magic
"...such a beautiful, knowledgable book filled with passion for pasta..."
Giulia Crouch
author
"...full of exciting and inspiring recipes..."
Ursula Ferrigno
author
"...a heartfelt celebration of pasta, place and memories..."
Jon Watts
author
"deeply regional, inventive recipes, full of tradition... it’s not just a cookbook—it’s a culinary passport!"
DL, USA
the pasta cookbooks
you've never been
able to buy
Pasta & Magic: Oil Sauces is the first of a uniquely curated four-part pasta cookbook series from me, home cook Mark Gowen.
Pasta & Magic is designed to be the best pasta cookbook I've never been able to buy; a unique collection of Oil, Pesto, Dairy and Tomato pasta sauces that you won't find anywhere else.
Pasta & Magic is an Italian cookbook written by a home cook for other home cooks and all the photographs are pictures I've taken in my own home in South London.
No professional chefs or stylists, just me in a domestic kitchen, photographing the pasta I've cooked moments before eating it with my family.
If I can cook like this, so can you.
"...stunning food photography and captivating images of Italy bring the dishes and their cultural heritage to life. One of the most beautiful pasta cookbooks I’ve seen in years."
Jeffrey S Solberg, USA
you've never thought about
pasta like this before
The Pasta & Magic series of recipe books is based on the idea that the universe contains only 4 different types of pasta sauce. Honestly. Every pasta dish you could think of is built on either an Oil, Pesto, Dairy or Tomato sauce.
And thinking of pasta recipes in terms of what type of sauce they are makes it much easier to find inspiration for what to cook, with whatever ingredients you have.
"...you eat with your eyes first, and just looking at the mouthwatering photos makes you want to run into your kitchen and start cooking!!"
Linda Dangelo, USA
inspirational recipes
Pasta & Magic: Oil Sauces contains over 80 pasta recipes using different pasta shapes and including options for meat, fish and vegetable based sauces. Everything from easy weeknight meals to dinner party show-stoppers.
I've included many contemporary and traditional regional Italian recipes and I've also drawn inspiration from dozens of historical sources; from the pasta cooks of Medieval England and the Roman Empire to the 17th and 18th regional pasta recipes of the Italian City States.
But that doesn't mean that these are difficult dishes - many are incredibly easy pasta recipes to make, with variations and suggestions for budget meals too.
"...If you love cooking, you’ll love this. I’ve made a handful of recipes so far and they’ve been a huge hit with my whole family, including two young children!"
Lucy, UK
recipe videos and more
All the main recipes in the Pasta & Magic books appear alongside QR codes linking them to pages on the Pasta & Magic website. These contain additional details and information like nutritional data for each recipe, or links to retailers of food brands. Selected recipes also include videos of me preparing the dishes in my own kitchen.
From the best recipe for Carbonara to an Italian Nonna's secret recipe for Bolognese Sauce, an authentic Italian lasagne or pasta bake to traditional ravioli, you'll find them all, and more, in the Pasta & Magic cookbooks.
Taking over kitchens, one t-shirt at a time. Watch this space for the new merchandise we'll be adding in the coming months.
Pasta & Magic Shop
You've probably seen Fellini's quote in every other cookbook... but what does it mean, exactly? Find out here.