Italian Cuisine
pasta dishes, risottos, pizzas, grilled meats, vegetables sautéed in olive oil, crusty breads dipped in olive oil and of course cheese, wine and the all important espresso.
Over and above all these heavenly dishes is the Italy’s greatest gift to the world, ice cream! Italian Gelatos are world famous and a popular finale to any meal.
Classic Italian Meal
Italian cuisine is known for its simplicity and flexibility and Pasto is the generic term used for meal. Pasta and pizza arguably, the national dishes of Italy have become an international phenomenon.
The food is known for its bold and delicious use of herbs, spices and cheeses and Spaghetti with tomato sauce, Ravioli and Lasagna are merely at the tip of Italian cooking. The Ingredients are bought on the day, and whatever looks most fresh from the variety of seasonal vegetables will be selected for the meal. Rice, herbs, olive oil, fresh fruits and vegetables are enjoyed every day. Different regions have different specialties depending on what fresh ingredients are available.
Breakfast
An Italian Breakfast is light and simple! A traditional Italian Breakfast menu or as they call it the Prima Colazione simply has hot coffee with milk, bread or roll with butter and jam. Fette Biscottate is a cookie like hard bread that is also commonly eaten at breakfast.
Another favourite is the Italian herb bread with a typical maraschino cherry marmalade. Marmellata or marmalades are delicious jams which can be made at home and often have chunks of the fruit throughout! They are delicious!!
Other breakfast breads to consider are Panini, a classic Italian fresh bread often made with a variety of stuffings and brioche, a puffy mouthwatering Italian breakfast pastry typical of any Italian breakfast menu.
A hot creamy and frothy cappuccino to wash down your breakfast! You’re in heaven!!!
Lunch & Dinner
Meals in Italy usually contain no fewer than 3-4 courses. Meals are seen as a time to spend with family and friends instead of immediate sustenance, as such the daily meals can be longer than in other cultures. During holidays, many family feasts last for many hours.
In many homes today the traditional Italian menu is kept for special events (such as weddings) while the everyday menu only includes the first and second course, the side dish and coffee.
The tradional Meal Plan
Aperitivo: Aperitif usually enjoyed as an appetizer before a large meal, includes Campari, Cinzano, Prosecco, Aperol, Spritz and Vermouth.
Antipasto: Literally “before (the) meal”, hot or cold appetizers.
Primo: “first course”, usually consists of a hot dish like pasta, risotto, gnocchi, polenta or soup
Secondo: “second course”, the main dish, usually fish or meat. Traditionally veal, pork and chicken were the most commonly used meat, at least in the North. Beef became popular since World War II. Wild game is very popular, particularly in Tuscany. Fish are those which are caught locally.
Contorno: “side dish”, may consist of a salad or cooked vegetables. A traditional menu features salad along with the main course.
Formaggio e frutta: “cheese and fruits”, the first dessert. Local Cheeses may also be a part of the Antipasto or Contorno as well.
Dolce: “dessert”, such as cakes and cookies
Caffè: coffee
Digestivo: “digestives”, liquors/liqueurs (Grappa, Amaro, Limoncello, Sambuca, Nocino) sometimes referred to as Ammazzacaffè (“coffee killer”)
Dessert
Once in Italy,it is impossible to say no to all the yummy desserts that await you. From assorted cookies and Gelato to truffles and Tiramisu, these Italian desserts will help you finish your meal in style.
Italian desserts range in flavour from slightly bitter to sweet and are often best served with a wine.
Biscotti– These crunchy, twice-baked cookies dipped in espresso are heavenly. They also keep well, making them great for gift-giving.
Cookies– A visit to any Italian bakery will show just how many flavours, shapes and colours of Italian style cookies are available. Many Italian cookies have a crumbly, slightly sweet flavour and texture similar (but not nearly as hard) to Biscotti. They are flavoured with nuts, candied fruits or light glazes. Some cookies are slightly bitter and are served with red wine.
Tiramisu– It just may be the most popular of the Italian desserts and contains lady finger cookies, espresso, liquor, eggs, cocoa and Mascarpone cheese, with the lady fingers dipped (but not soaked through) in strong espresso creating a delicious base for the other layers to be built upon.
Another famous Italian dessert, Amaretto Truffle is a chocolate based dessert that is mixed with egg yolk and rolled into small balls before being coated in almond flakes and chilled before serving.
Italy has an amazingly rich pastry tradition, from rich Sicilian Cannoli and Cassata to the yummy Orange-laced Ricciarelli.
A lot of Italians prefer fresh fruit after a meal, which is often just as abundant as the sweets.
Other Popular Dishes
Soups
In the past large parts of Italy lived on soup. And soups still play a major role in the diet, especially in the cooler winter months, when people add vegetables, meats, lentils and even pasta to vegetable or chicken/meat stock.
Pastas
Pasta (Italian for dough) is made from a simple combination of flour and water. Pastas come in a whole range of shapes and sizes. Try a different shape everytime, or stick with the one you or your family like best.
To prepare Pasta all you have to do is follow the instructions given on the pack. And in the time that it takes to boil the pasta you can cook up any one of these delightful sauces. Then all you have to do is toss the two together. And a satisfying meal is ready to be served.
The best accompaniments with Pastas are a light salad, cheese, or grilled vegetables and meats.
Delightful sauces
• Pesto
• Ragù Alla Bolognese (meat based sauce)
• Amatriciana
• Carbonara
• Spicy tomato, garlic, and olive oil
Rissotos
A risotto is best described as rice cooked with broth and sprinkled with grated cheese. Making risotto is much easier than people think: You sauté the flavourings and the rice and then add boiling water or stock a bit at a time until it’s delightfully creamy and the grains are cooked through. You do have to watch the pot, but rice cooks quickly so it doesn’t take long.
Pizza
The best way to describe Pizza is as a shallow bread like crust covered with toppings such as seasoned tomato sauce, cheese, sausage, vegetables, or olives.
Most important ingredients
• Olio Extravergine (olive oil)
• Pomodoro (Tomato)
• Parmigiano Reggiano (aged cow’s-milk cheese), in the North
• Pecorino (aged sheep’s-milk cheese), in the Middle and South
Other common ingredients
• Acciughe (Anchovies, preserved in olive oil, or in salt)
• Asparagi (Asparagus)
• Bresaola (Air-dried salted beef)
• Capperi (Capers, preserved in vinegar or, more frequently, salt)
• Cetrioli (Cucumber)
• Fagioli (Beans)
• Funghi (Mushrooms)
• Lenticchie (Lentils)
• Melanzane (Eggplants)
• Peperoni (Bell peppers)
• Piselli (Peas)
• Seppie (Cuttlefish)
• Spinaci (Spinach)
• Fragole (Strawberries)
• Tartufo (Truffle)
• Tonno (Tuna)
• Zucchine (Zucchini)