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Lidia Bastianich has been cooking up something really special.

Between hosting her own cooking show, running her many restaurants, and launching new Eataly outlets around the globe, Bastianich somehow found time to release "Lidia's Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine." a 480-page tome featuring over 400 of her famously authentic recipes.

"This is kind of my opus magnum, if you will," the celebrated chef told FNC correspondent Michael Tammero. "[It's the] kind of that book that I want to stay in the libraries and people's kitchens for generations."

But make no mistake: This isn't your average cookbook. For starters, it's huge, and it contains an amazing glossary of cooking terms, ingredients and techniques. Lidia also tells FOX that she made the conscious decision not to include photos, mostly so readers wouldn't feel the need to compare their every dish to the photo.

"I want to encourage [home cooks], to give them the strength to go in there and cook like me," adds Bastianich, who demonstrates her simple-yet-scrumptious pasta alla norma for our cameras.

Watch the segment above for more about Lidia's book, then click here for Lidia's complete pasta alla norma recipe at Eataly.com.