Italian Cuisine – tasty, healthy, light and one of the best in the world
When we consider Italian cuisine, most of us think of spaghetti or pizza. Yes, these are two main dishes, which came from Italy to our tables all around the world. But there is much more to what you can enjoy in this southern European country.
Italian cuisine is tasty, healthy, light and easy to prepare, and is also considered one of the best in the world. Italian cuisine differs considerably between regions. E.g. Sicily has certainly different dishes from those you get in Tuscany. Nevertheless, several ingredients are common in all of Italy. Meals are always prepared from high quality and fresh ingredients.
Oysters by Elliot
Italian lunch usually consists of several courses, it is very powerful and Italians spend a lot of time with it. It starts with an appetizer (antipasto), continues with the first course (primo piatto), usually a soup, pasta or risotto, followed by a second course (secondo piatto), which is meat or fish served with vegetable (contorno). Lunch cannot be completed without sweet dessert (dolci), fruit (fruta) and coffee.
The Italian cuisine reflects climatic conditions of the country, it is rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as geographic location – the sea that surrounds Italy is a rich source of fish and seafood.
Seafood restaurant in Venice by Jay Galvin
Fish is fried, grilled or baked, usually with the lemon sauce and with the typical spices. Fish soup is also very popular in Italy. From the seafood you can taste great oysters, crabs, crayfish, lobsters, squid, and cuttlefish. As for meat, most Italians like veal and chicken, which is most commonly prepared by grilling, boiling and stewing.
Among the most popular meat products known worldwide is dry-cured ham, whose most famous version – Prosciutto di Parma – comes from no other than the city of Parma. It has two types – prosciutto crudo (served uncooked) or prosciutto cotto (cooked ham). Another one is soft salami called mortadella which is originally from Bologna.
Prosciutto crudo di Parma by Haydn Blackey
But there are many other products that come from Italy, such as hundreds of kinds of excellent cheese including Parmesan (Parmigiano – Reggiano), Grana Padano, Gorgonzola, mozzarella, ricotta and mascarpone.
Grana Padano cheese by Annabelle Orozco
Thanks to the warm weather and fertile soil there are lots of tomatoes, peppers, olives, asparagus, aubergines, cucumbers and artichokes growing in Italy. Very popular are also capers.
Typical Italian landscape is characterized by endless orchards mainly citrus – oranges, tangerines, lemons, kumquat, and other. An essential part of the food is spice, such as oregano, basil, garlic, sea salt and savory. And this (spice) is the main reason why Italian food gets its characteristic taste and aroma.
Oregano / Photo by Julius
Italian cuisine could not be as good as it is without extra virgin olive oil, made of local Italian olives. Popular cooking ingredient are also flavored vinegars, from which balsamic one is best known.
We cannot forget pesto, which is the world-famous basil sauce for pasta. Canned products such as peeled and dried tomatoes pickled in oil and dried or pickled mushrooms are also often used.
Fresh pesto by Phyllis Buchanan
Pasta
Typical Italian dish is Pasta. There are about 400 different shapes of pasta currently in Italy. Pasta can be divided into two main types – fresh and dried. Fresh pasta contains eggs and thus can remain in the refrigerator for a few days only while dry pasta has a long shelf life and are made from durum wheat.
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is about 30 cm long and 2 mm thin tubular pasta, which is most often served with tomato sauce (Spaghetti bolognese) with herbs, minced meat, vegetables and Parmesan.
Spaghetti alla carbonara are the most common ones containing eggs, hard and salty cheese Pecorino Romano, guanciale (cured meat product prepared from pork jowl or cheeks) and black pepper.
Spaghetti / Photo by Julius
Macaroni
Oblong, about 5 cm long hollow pasta made from dough that does not contain eggs.
Macaroni by Toshiyuki IMAI
Penne
Hollow tubular pasta cut at acute angle. It can be smooth or with grooves and is served with sauce, but it is also a popular salad ingredient. The best known ones are Penne all’arrabbiata with sauce, tomatoes, garlic, chilli, olive oil and basil.
Penne Pasta with Kale & Sun-Dried Tomatoes by Jennifer
Fettucine
A thick flat noodles that are served with beef or chicken ragu (meat sauce). Favorite ones are fettucine Alfredo, served with butter, parmesan and possibly other additives. You can also get large and wide (2-3 cm) fettucine called pappardelle.
Fettucine by Ruth Hartnup
Tagliatelle
They are similar to fettucine but narrower and are served mostly with a variety of meats with bolognese sauce.
Tagliatelle Tartufo
Lasagne
Wide and flat sheets of pasta, interlaced with cheese, various sauces, ground beef, sausage, spinach, and other. In Southern Italy they are usually interlaced with tomato sauce or meat ragout, while in the north of the country are combined with Béchamel sauce (as the influence of French cuisine).
Lasagne by Lachlan Donald
Gnocchi
In fact Gnocchi are not pasta. They are dense soft dumplings made from wheat flour, potato and bread crumbs served with tomato sauce, pesto, spinach with melted butter or cheese.
Gnocchi by Andrew Malone
Ravioli
Ravioli are pasta filled with meat, vegetables or ricotta cheese. They can appear in a soup or sauce.
Ravioli by stu_spivack
Tortellini
Pasta in the shape of a ring filled with meat or cheese. Can be included in soups, or served in broth.
Tortellini by Robert Judge
Other Italian dishes
Pizza
The most famous Italian dish known worldwide is nothing else than pizza, its base is made from flour, yeast, salt and olive oil, baked together with any raw material according to the particular flavor – tomatoes, mozzarella, ham, spinach, and other.
Pizza / Photo by Julius
Risotto
This classic Italian dish is prepared from rice cooked in broth, and served with a meat or fish and vegetables, a mixture of onion or garlic and butter or olive oil.
White or red wine is often used during the preparation. There are many variations of risotto, one of the most interesting ones is the black risotto (risotto al nero), which is colored with ink from the cuttlefish.
Risotto by Paolo Piscolla
Polenta
Cornmeal boiled into a porridge. It is usually served as an accompaniment to meat, the vegetables, but it is also great with gorgonzola cheese and wine.
Polenta (yellow) with Cotechino Modena and lentils by J.P.Lon
Minestrone
A thick soup, with all kinds of vegetables, depending on the season. It may include tomatoes, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, beans and often also pasta or rice. It is usually prepared in vegetarian form, but can also contain meat.
Minestrone by Katrin Morenz
Carpaccio
Appetizer prepared from raw meat (beef, veal, venison) or fish (salmon, tuna) . The meat is cut into thin slices and served drizzled with lemon, olive oil or various cold sauces, parmesan cheese, etc.
Carpaccio by Larry Hoffman
Acquacotta
Thick and spicy soup originally from Tuscany, which is prepared from vegetables. Includes tomatoes, celery, carrots and mushrooms and cooked eggs.
Acquacotta soup by Giorgio Minguzzi
Saltimbocca
Veal cutlets or fillets with slices of prosciutto and sage, which are marinated in wine, oil or brine.
Saltimbocca alla romana by Katrin Morenz
Cakes and sweets
Italians are famous for producing delicious creamy ice cream, which is a great attraction for tourists. It does not contain any chemicals, it is made from cream or milk, sugar and fresh fruit (or hazelnut puree, cocoa and other natural ingredients). Ice cream is available in different flavors and sizes.
Italian ice cream by Yolanda
Tiramisu
This dessert comes from Tuscany, and already in the 19th century it was one of the best Italian deserts. Tiramisu is made of cream cheese mascarpone, egg yolks, sugar, strong espresso, butter and quality cocoa.
Dessert consists of layers of sponge cake soaked in coffee, covered with a mixture of egg yolks, sugar and mascarpone. Sponge cakes are sometimes extra soaked in rum, wine, brandy or spirituous liquors.
Tiramisu by Alexis Fam
Italian drinks
Coffee is the most popular Italian drink, espresso and other derivative coffee drinks, such as caffè latte, caffè macchiato, caffè mocha, caffè lungo or caffè corretto can be bought almost in every street. Very popular is also cappuccino containing espresso, hot milk and milk foam.
Ristretto by Marcelo César Augusto Romeo
Italians are also passionate winemakers and are among the largest producers of wine in the world. Their wines are of good quality and tasty.
It is produced in a lot of varieties, of which the most popular is Sangiovese, but there are much more world-known wines like Barbera, Chianti, Nebbiolo, Catarratto Bianco siciliano, Nero ďAvola, Montepulciano, Trebbiano Toscano.
Chianti by Arnaud 25
Grappa is the most popular alcoholic drink in Italy. It is aromatic brandy made from residue created by the pressing of wine (skins, stems, seeds). This clear drink contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume. When it is older, it has a darker yellow color.
Grappa by Ian McKellar