Instant Italian

Bring the slow-simmered flavors of Italy to your kitchen table with Anna Francese Gass’s 100 homestyle, comforting dishes you can serve in less than an hour.

If you’re in the mood for a Sunday sauce but don’t have the time to let it simmer for hours, Instant Italian is for you. Italian food expert and cookbook author Anna Francese Gass believes Italian cooking doesn’t have to take all day: Everyday dishes can be easy to make and crave-worthy, too. This beautifully photographed Italian-American cookbook inspired by her television show, Instant Italian with Anna Gass, serves up 100 ingenious takes on traditional Italian dishes that she makes on repeat for her busy family.

Upgrade your morning standard with Pesto Fried Eggs, elevated with a sprinkle of Parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Take pizza dough on an adventure with Bubble Bread, a crisp dough with a cheesy center, or bake up a Hippie Pizza with a colorful swirl of sauces. Fry Nonna’s Chicken Cutlets and serve them with a zippy lemon sauce. Transform the beloved Sicilian fried rice ball snack into a cozy bake with Baked Arancini Casserole. Anna also shares her favorite low-lift desserts like make-ahead Cannoli Icebox Cake and fudgy Tiramisù Brownies.

With both red-sauced and cheese-pulled favorites and fresh and flavorful spins, Anna transforms accessible ingredients into favorites in no time.

• “Anna’s food is FUN, and no matter your background it will make you an instant Italian with ease. Don’t miss the Cannoli ‘Nachos.’ Mangia, mangia!"
  Rachael Ray, New York Times bestselling author and television host
• “Perfect for today’s lifestyle, these simple, nutritious, and delicious Italian recipes will make every meal rewarding. This cookbook is for all that love to eat well, feed their family and friends well, and enjoy good Italian traditions and flavors—and still keep up with a busy life.”
  Lidia Bastianich, Emmy award–winning television host, bestselling cookbook author, and restauranteur
• “Anna Francese Gass is a master storyteller of modern Italian cuisine. Her recipes are delicious, doable, fresh, original, and fun! In Instant Italian, you will find the recipes you remember and long for, with easy-to-follow instructions. The center of life in Anna’s kitchen is family. From starters to dessert, lovingly prepared for a party of one or twenty (and beyond), you will find the perfect dish to create the perfect meal for those you love. Mangia!”  
  Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The View from Lake Como
• “I’m crazy about Anna’s recipes! I love her style and how she thinks about food. She has a remarkable gift: She takes food that’s deeply rooted in Italian tradition—classics that have been treasured for generationsand shapes them into dishes we can slip easily and deliciously into our time-crunched lives. Think of it as wizardry!”
  Dorie Greenspan, James Beard award–winner and New York Times bestselling author
• “If you are always looking for an answer to the question ‘What’s for dinner?’ or ‘Is it done yet?,’ then you’ve hit the jackpot! Anna Francese Gass has combined her professional skills and Italian-American roots to create 100+ recipes that are ready in a flash. Instant Italian is all about ditching the kitchen stress and enjoying cooking great meals to share with your favorite people. These soulful dishes skip the complicated prep and fussy steps without losing an ounce of delicious, complex flavor. Anna is basically your personal mentor in the kitchen, making it super easy to whip up amazing meals anytime.” 
  Ayesha J. Nurdjaja, James Beard award–nominated chef