Pasta by Design - Tapa dura

'Of all the pasta taxonomies ever conceived, George. L. Legendre's is certainly one of the most original and poetic' - Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, Museum of Modern Art ''Pasta by Design' not only examines the hidden genius of what makes great design but also embodies the explicit intention of what makes a great design book - a thoughtful cross section of art, science, and pragmatism delivered' - designersandbooks.com 'Playful proof that immense variety and seeming complexity can be reduced to simple mathematical beginnings' - New Scientist 'Fun, quirky and sure to become a cult food and design publication ... utterly unique - and beautiful' - Dezeen.com

This is not a cookbook; this is an entirely fresh and idiosyncratic look at the world’s most popular food. Architect George L. Legrande has compiled and profiled 92 different kinds of pasta, classifying them into types using the science of ‘phylogeny’ (the study of relatedness among natural forms). Opening the book is a pasta family tree, revealing unexpected relationships between pasta shapes, their usage and common DNA. Each subsequent spread is devoted to a single pasta, and features a short text that explains the food’s geographical origin, its process of manufacture as well as its etymology – alongside suggestions for minute-perfect preparation. Next the pasta shape is rendered as both a mathematical equation and a line diagram that displays every distinctive scrunch, ridge and crimp with loving precision. Photographs by Stefano Graziani complement these meticulous renderings, showing the elegant contours of each pasta shape. Finally a gatefold features a ‘Pasta Family Reunion’ diagram, reassembling the pasta types and grouping them by their mathematical and geometric properties.