The author of More Than Pasta is a woman of high spiritual moral valves. She believes the following to be true: when she cooks, she cooks with love. That loving energy flows through her hands, and that same loving energy nourishes the depth of one’s soul. Renee Pepino currently resides in Phoenix with her husband, Rocco, and has been happily married for fifty-one years.

Renee Pepino was born in the Campania region of Italy, which the ancient Romans called Campania Felix. Under the guidance of her mother, who was an excellent cook, at an early age, Renee found her love and passion for the kitchen.

In 1969, Renee and her husband, Rocco Pepino, opened their first restaurant in Brindisi, Italy. In this first restaurant, Renee worked side by side with Italian chefs, honing her craft and sharpening her skills. She knew and realized then that cooking would always be one of the most integral parts of her life. Indeed, it proved to be! The restaurant in Brindisi was very successful, but due to a twist of fate, the violent political climate of the times threatened Renee’s life and her family’s, predominantly by the criminal hoods who hated Americans. To save their lives, the Pepinos decided to return to the States. Heartbroken, financially crippled, and with three children, they came back to New Jersey to start over again.

In 1977, Renee and her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona. She opened another restaurant, Livia’s Fine Cuisine, and then the Roman Table in 1997. Renee’s awarded-winning restaurants were known for serving high-end traditional, delicious authentic Italian food. Through the years, many Hollywood stars, statesmen, TV personalities, and sports celebrities became regulars in her family restaurants. Renee’s appearances on local shows in the Phoenix area have given her another venue for sharing her love of the kitchen with the zest, charm, and style of a true Italian chef. She shared her love of food with all who tuned in to see her prepare quick, uncomplicated recipes.

Now Renee, with her thirty-plus years of restaurant experience, has captured through this cookbook the simplicity of traditional Italian cooking: dishes made in thirty minutes or less, which burst with fresh flavors that create a symphony of aromas and nostalgic atmospheres of the goodness of Italian country cooking.