classic italian cooking for the vegetarian gourmet

Classic Italian Cooking for The Vegetarian Gourmet (Beverly Cox with Dale Whitesell) was published in 1984 and is indeed a classic full of great Italian meatless recipes from antipasti to pasta to pizza, risotto, egg dishes, breads, salads and sweets.  The pasta and sauces offerings range from the more creamy dishes of the northern parts of Italy to the spicier and/or sometimes (but not always) simpler cuisine of the south.  The pizza recipes also tend to be regional.  Pizza alla Siracusana, for example, includes olives, eggplant, red peppers, tomatoes and zucchini, all representative of the noted "influences of Greek cooking" found in Sicily.  Pizza Veneziana, on the other hand, has asiago baked into the crust with a fennel and tomato topping.

My mom bought this cookbook years ago and I happily appropriated it, and you truly could just make a point of using only this collection of recipes for a whole month and the variety would be delicious.  You'd also learn quite a bit about the diversity of Italian cooking and never miss the taste of chicken, beef, pork or fish.  Just some sample offerings beyond pizza and pasta are Caponata (or eggplant caviar as we call it), Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes, Tuscan Bean Soup, Grilled Vegetable Polenta, Fontina Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing, and Olive Oil & Herb Bread,   Then for dessert are Almond Macaroons, Pears Stuffed with Gorgonzola and Hazelnuts, Cheesecake, Biscotti and Sambuca Sherbet, plus many more. There's a glossary of Italian cheeses as well and a basic overview into what to have on hand for a well-stocked Italian kitchen.  And here's a fairly easy but memorable recipe for Green Beans with Mint:

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint
2 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra virgin
2 pounds green beans
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Crush garlic and mint in a mortar or finely chop them together.  When you have a fine paste, add to the tomatoes, stir in the olive oil, and reserve.  Trim the ends from the beans and cook in several quarts of salted boiling water, or steam over salted boiling water, for 3 to 4 minutes until just tender yet still firm.  Drain the beans and toss them with the mint sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and serve. (Serves 6).