The Classic Italian Cookbook

Upon a visit to her apartment, Harper and Row editor Peter Mollman signed her to write The Classic Italian Cookbook "on the spot.

[1][3] The Classic Italian Cookbook has received largely positive reviews for its accessible format and high-quality recipes.

David Sipress of The New Yorker credits the book with teaching him how to cook,[4] while Fergus Henderson of The Guardian praises Hazan saying she "single-handedly changed food as I knew it at home.

"[5] Mark Bittman of The New York Times calls the book "a door into the wonders of Italian regional cooking" and likens Hazan's ubiquity in food discourse following the publication of The Classic Italian Cookbook to Julia Child, but noting that "Hazan was the more important author.

Hazan notes that she hoped to include microwave cooking in Essentials but could not find a place for it in Italian cuisine.