Now Available In Paperback and Hardcover

Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American

In Red Sauce, Ian MacAllen traces the evolution of traditional Italian-American cuisine, often referred to as “red sauce Italian,” from its origins in Italy to its transformation in America into a new, distinct cuisine.

It is a fascinating social and culinary history exploring the integration of red sauce food into mainstream America alongside the blending of Italian immigrant otherness into a national American identity. The story follows the small parlor restaurants immigrants launched from their homes to large, popular destinations, and eventually to commodified fast food and casual dining restaurants. Some dishes like fettuccine Alfredo and spaghetti alla Caruso owe their success to celebrities, and Italian-American cuisine generally has benefited from a rich history in popular culture.

PUBLISHER

Rowman & Littlefield

Pages: 224 • Trim: 5½ x 8½

978-1-5381-6234-7 • Hardback • April 2022 • $32.00 • (£25.00)

978-1-5381-9096-8 • Paperback • November 2023 • $20.00 • (£14.99)

978-1-5381-6235-4 • eBook • April 2022 • $30.00 • (£22.95)

Subjects:History / Europe / Italy, Cooking / History, Cooking / Regional & Ethnic / Italian, History / United States / General

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What People Are Saying

Like a bowl overflowing with pasta on some nonna's table, there's more than enough goodness to go around in Ian MacAllen's loving tribute to the immigrant food that helped change America. You'll read Red Sauce and understand the history of a certain strain of Italian cuisine and how it shaped our palates, but most importantly, you'll be hungry for more.

— Jason Diamond, author of “The Sprawl" and "Searching for John Hughes”

There's nothing more American than pizza—so much so that Ladies Home Journal once compared it to eating an apple pie. This, of course, might come as news to its Italian creators. In this fascinating work, Ian MacAllen expertly unpacks how America fell in love with Italian food. Filled with humor and fascinating tid-bits, Red Sauce will give you something excellent to talk about over your next plate of spaghetti.

— Jennifer Wright, author of “Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes That Fought Them”

With this entertaining and appetizing cultural history, MacAllen, like a resourceful chef, offers his readers something entirely new: the compelling story of how Italian food entered the American kitchen, and how it evolved from a foreign oddity into a ubiquitous staple.

— Nicholas Mancusi, author of “A Philosophy of Ruin”

At a time when the food media seem to have forgotten the appeal and importance of Italian-American food, Ian MacAllen’s Red Sauce is a restorative whose diligent research and engaging writing puts everything in perspective and shows why Italian-American food continues to be a favorite both here and abroad.

— John Mariani, author, “How Italian Food Conquered the World” and “The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink”

Ian MacAllen’s Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American is a delightful read! Clear, entertaining, and insightful. Well researched and includes historical recipes. It is a significant contribution to understanding Italian American foodways. P.S. I love red sauce!

— Andrew F. Smith, author of “The Tomato in America: Early History, Culture and Cookery”

An entertaining and authoritative account of Italian-American cuisine and the restaurants that popularized it. The catalogue and description of sauces is by itself a work of art.

— Paul Freedman, Yale University

What the Press Is Saying

"Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American is the fascinating result, a well-researched look into how the cuisine of Italian immigrants made its way into the American mainstream,"

— New York Post

"As if Mark Kurlansky’s Salt and Ada Boni’s The Talisman Italian Cookbook had a lovechild, Ian MacAllen’s debut book Red Sauce combines a thoroughly researched history along with succulent recipes, and serves an entertaining and insightful book upon our plates."

Brooklyn Rail, May 2022

Let's Talk About Red Sauce

Radio: QKED San Francisco

On San Francisco's QKED Forum program, Alexis Madrigal hosted "Red Sauce to Cioppino" where Ian MacAllen discussed the history of Italian American food and Italian American cuisine in the bay area. Listen to the broadcast online .

Event: East End Books

East End Books hosted Ian MacAllen in Provincetown, MA on August 24 for a seaside discussion of lobster fra diavollo. Check out the event online here.

Event: Word Bookstore

Word Bookstore in Jersey City hosted the Red Sauce launch event with Ian MacAllen talking with Jonathan Corocran. The recording is available on SoundCloud.

Radio: WVOX 1460AM

Ian MacAllen joined John Mariani on the Almost Golden radio program hosted in Westchester County. Check out the radio broadcast online

Podcast: The Italian American Podcast

The Italian American Podcast hosted Ian MacAllen for a two episode discussion of the history of Italian American food. Check out Part I and Part II.

Now Available In Paperback and Hardcover

Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American

In Red Sauce, Ian MacAllen traces the evolution of traditional Italian-American cuisine, often referred to as “red sauce Italian,” from its origins in Italy to its transformation in America into a new, distinct cuisine.

PUBLISHER

Rowman & Littlefield

"Ian MacAllen expertly unpacks how America fell in love with Italian food."

— Jennifer Wright, author of “Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes That Fought Them”

What People Are Saying

What the Press Is Saying

"Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American is the fascinating result, a well-researched look into how the cuisine of Italian immigrants made its way into the American mainstream,"

"As if Mark Kurlansky’s Salt and Ada Boni’s The Talisman Italian Cookbook had a lovechild, Ian MacAllen’s debut book Red Sauce combines a thoroughly researched history along with succulent recipes, and serves an entertaining and insightful book upon our plates."

"Ian MacAllen’s Red Sauce is a restorative whose diligent research and engaging writing puts everything in perspective"

— John Mariani, author, “How Italian Food Conquered the World” and “The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink”

Let's Talk About Red Sauce

Radio: QKED San Francisco

Event: East End Books

Event: Word Bookstore

Radio: WVOX 1460AM

Podcast: The Italian American Podcast

Read More Food History on Red Sauce America

Read More Press!

Now Available In Paperback and Hardcover

Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American

In Red Sauce, Ian MacAllen traces the evolution of traditional Italian-American cuisine, often referred to as “red sauce Italian,” from its origins in Italy to its transformation in America into a new, distinct cuisine.

PUBLISHER

Rowman & Littlefield

"Ian MacAllen expertly unpacks how America fell in love with Italian food."

— Jennifer Wright, author of “Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes That Fought Them”

What People Are Saying

What the Press Is Saying

"Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American is the fascinating result, a well-researched look into how the cuisine of Italian immigrants made its way into the American mainstream,"

"As if Mark Kurlansky’s Salt and Ada Boni’s The Talisman Italian Cookbook had a lovechild, Ian MacAllen’s debut book Red Sauce combines a thoroughly researched history along with succulent recipes, and serves an entertaining and insightful book upon our plates."

"Ian MacAllen’s Red Sauce is a restorative whose diligent research and engaging writing puts everything in perspective"

— John Mariani, author, “How Italian Food Conquered the World” and “The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink”

Let's Talk About Red Sauce

Radio: QKED San Francisco

Event: East End Books

Event: Word Bookstore

Radio: WVOX 1460AM

Podcast: The Italian American Podcast

Read More Food History on Red Sauce America

Read More Press!

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