We all know well what Russian pies and an American burger are, but we are starting to swim in more complex terminology. Korean, Spanish, Japanese, French and Vietnamese cuisines - we have not absorbed knowledge about them since childhood and begin to master these parallel gastronomic worlds as adults. It’s good if this happens while traveling and our first Pho Bo is cooked by an old man in a crumbling shack, but more often we start our journey in Moscow national restaurants. And here, in order to figure it out and not order something that you will never eat in life, you need theory and examples. The Village decided to compile dictionaries of different cuisines, starting with Italian.

Paste

Pasta of various shapes, often popularly called macaroni. Most of the paste is extruded, that is, squeezed out through small profiled holes - dies. These are spaghetti, bocattini, bigoli, all kinds of curly pastas. The smaller part is pasta, the dough for which is rolled out by hand or by machine and then cut with a special knife. For example, fettuccine, pappardelle. But these types of paste can also be extruded industrially. Moreover, extruded paste, all other things being equal, is more interesting for the cook, since during the extrusion process, a slight roughness appears at the place where it comes out of the dies. These bumps and rough spots help hold the sauce.

Semolina

A very important component of Italian cuisine is durum wheat flour, which has a consistency similar to semolina and is mainly used to make pasta. It differs from other types of flour in its high gluten content. Made from organic wheat Triticum Durum. Semolina is just a crumb; it is not ground into the finest powder.

Paste made from semolina has a recognizable, pronounced taste of wheat, which is why it is used to produce most types of this product. Where a slightly softer and stickier texture is needed, fine wheat flour is used, called in Italian farina.

First of all, semolina is used to make pasta, secondly - bread, especially in the south, for example in Sicily. Semolina is added to the dough, and because of this, the bread crumb turns out to be denser and bright yellow in color (due to the decent amount of carotene contained in semolina). Semolina is also used to make pudding of varying consistency, from liquid to very dense in different countries.

Semolina is used to make paste, bread and pudding. Also her can be used instead of semolina for brewing porridge

Stew

A fundamental concept in Italian cuisine, which does not mean the same thing here as in French. The word "ragout" is written in French ragoût, in Italian - ragù. In the French tradition, stew is a kind of hodgepodge made from everything that is in the refrigerator. For Italians, ragu is a pasta sauce, usually containing meat. There are two canonical stews: Neapolitan and Bolognese.

Neapolitan classic stew

A very complex product that ideally takes about six to seven hours to cook from different types of meat. The technique and base of this stew is one of the cornerstones of Italian cuisine. Typically, this stew is made from deli meats like neck and pancetta, with the addition of beef. In addition, the composition includes sofrito, wine and tomato paste. By gradually adding all the ingredients during the cooking process, the dish boils down and caramelizes, and the meat literally melts. The stew has a winey, sweet, vegetable, meaty and slightly smoked spirit at the same time. This is the perfect accompaniment for pasta.

Bolognese stew -
"Bolognese"

This is a stew that cooks much faster than the Neapolitan one, and at the end, milk or cream is usually added to the tomato-meat base. Outside of Italy there is terrible confusion about this dish - most likely when ordering spaghetti "Bolognese", you will get pasta with minced meat stewed in tomato puree.

Osso buco

A classic example of recycling cheap meat. A shank, sawed across along with the bone and then stewed. Osso buco means “hollow bone”; muscle and bone marrow are visible in the cut. Pieces of shank are stewed with sofrito and sauce for quite a long time, so the end result is a very pleasant, melting, fatty and satisfying product. In Russia, shanks are hardly cut this way anywhere; they rarely appear in stores (they happen in "Ashane").

Good osso buco in Moscow for now only
import

Sofrito

The aromatic vegetable base of a huge number of Italian dishes is a mixture of finely diced onions, celery and carrots.

The ratio of components can be varied, something can be added to them, but these three remain unchanged. A huge number of Italian dishes start with the sofrito being cooked and fried, and then the main ingredients are added. For example, osso buco is a great example of using sofrito.

Gremolata

A spice mixture, finely chopped and mixed with salt, which is sprinkled on prepared foods to impart a bright, fresh flavor.

Essentially, it is a very aromatic seasoning. The classic version of gremolata is a mixture of citrus zest, garlic and parsley, chopped into tiny crumbs, with a little salt added. But the classic composition is not a dogma. A creative cook might use tarragon and black garlic, for example. Osso buco is also a great example of using the mixture here.

Passata

Roughly speaking, this is boiled tomato sauce. This is tomato puree made from fresh sweet tomatoes with the addition of all kinds of spices, sugar, salt, wine - a variety of ingredients; steamed quite heavily to caramelize the tomatoes and get rid of their sour taste. Passata can be used in its pure form, but, as a rule, it is used as a base for sauce. This is a universal seasoning.

Lasagna

Paste in the form of sheets. This word also refers to dishes that are composed of layers of lasagna, layered with ragout, sprinkled with cheese and baked. In the traditional version, between the layers of lasagna there is bechamel - “roux”, flour lightly fried in butter, brewed with milk. The filling for lasagna can be not only meat stew, but also vegetables, mushrooms and even sometimes fish.

Ravioli

Filled pasta. This is, in fact, a neat and very refined version of the dumplings and dumplings that we know well, simply executed in the Italian spirit. But the meaning is the same: between two pieces of dough there is a filling. There are ravioli, both small and giant. Not to be confused with tortellini, as well as with a dozen other types of Italian stuffed pasta.

The most popular ravioli - with filling
from ricotta and spinach, cooked and served
with butter and sage

Risotto

Rice dish. The classic version - just without everything (but with onions, vegetable broth, white wine and butter) and Milanese risotto (aka yellow) - with saffron. By the way, for that matter, yellow risotto is a classic side dish for osso buco. However, risotto can be prepared with anything: truffle, mushrooms, green peas or pumpkin. It is quite difficult to make this dish well, and even chefs in the best restaurants make mistakes. If they bring you good risotto, you're probably in the right place. This also implies the opposite - don’t even try to order risotto in a dubious place. This dish can be considered a measure of the quality of an Italian restaurant.

Barley, spelled and other grains are also prepared using a similar technology. And to make it easier for consumers to understand, these dishes are often called on the menu, for example, “Barley Risotto.”

The key component of risotto is rice. Risotto can be made from essentially nothing, and if you use good rice, the dish will taste wonderful. For all its simplicity, rice has a pronounced taste, quite subtle, delicate and different from variety to variety. Arborio rice, the most popular and famous variety of Italian rice, is less suitable for risotto than others due to its size: it is very large and produces a huge amount of starch. According to experts, vialone nano and carnaroli are ideal for risotto. Both varieties are grown in northern Italy.

Consistency of risotto

The second important point is consistency. The condition of the final product is determined by the Italian term all"onda, which is translated as “wave”. The correct risotto, poured onto a plate, spreads slightly, but is held in the form of a mound, and by patting the plate from below it can be distributed over the entire surface. This consistency is considered optimal. That is, risotto laid out in a ring must be returned to the kitchen. So did the risotto, which spread across the plate like porridge. These are two extremes, both indicating that the dish failed.

Mozzarella

The original is a soft cheese made from buffalo milk, originally from the Campania region. In practice, all over the world mozzarella is also called cheese made using the same technology, but from cow's milk - in Campania it is called Fior di latte. These cheeses are similar, but their taste is different. It is in Campania that buffaloes are raised, from whose milk mozzarella is made Di Bufala, which differs from cow's mozzarella in the same way that wine from a thoroughbred vineyard differs from wine from a plastic bag. However, Nancy Silverton, a famous American chef and baker, advises, in the absence of high-quality buffalo mozzarella, to prefer good cheese made from cow's milk to its industrial type.

Burrata and stracciatella are cheeses related to mozzarella, made from the same cheese dough. Burrata is a pouch of mozzarella filled with cream. Stracciatella is mozzarella torn into fibers, immersed in cream and aged for some time.

Nudie

(Gnudi - Italian)

Something like our lazy dumplings. The name "nudi" comes from the Italian word for "naked" and refers to the fact that, in fact, nudi are the classic filling for ravioli (ricotta with the addition of egg, cheese and a little flour), cooked in its pure form. Nudi is either steamed or gently boiled. Traditionally, the dish is served with meat, tomato stew or cream sauce.

Gnocchi

(Gnocchi - Italian)

Formed either by hand or by machine into oblong lumps, boiled pieces of dough often contain a substantial amount of potato for softness.

This dish is from the same series as nudi. You can add dumplings, dumplings and spaetzli to the same list.

Supernudie

Nudi became popular in the West about five years ago, from the moment April Bloomfield began preparing them in her restaurant. Spotted Pig. April makes amazing nudies - they are kept overnight buried in a layer of semolina, which creates a natural coating of flour around each piece.

The result is something like ricotta dumplings, capsules made from the thinnest layer of dough with melted curd filling inside. Textural contrast is created. This trick allows, for example, to make the nudi inside more liquid than usual, even spreading.

Pizza

A dish of dough, cheese and filling, with many variations. Nowadays pizza is known both at home, cooked in the oven, and at restaurants - mainly from a wood-burning oven (in high-quality places). Pizza can also be cooked on the grill or in the oven - different types require different dough and filling. As for the world's varieties, we can start with the origins - Neapolitan pizza. It is made from long-fermentation dough and baked at extreme temperatures - in a wood-burning oven heated to more than 300 degrees. The most popular types: “Marinara” (with tomato sauce) and “Margherita” (with tomato sauce and mozzarella). It is symbolic, by the way, that pizza was born in Naples, since mozzarella from buffalo milk was produced there.

Pizza in Rome is not round in shape and is made from very fluffy dough. And in Chicago, where the dish is considered a national product, it is called Deep Dish and is prepared almost palm thick - very far from its Italian counterparts. All this speaks to the variety of product types. The main thing in pizza is the flatbread and cheese, the rest is an experiment. That is, this dish may be of interest to chefs as a canvas for self-expression.

Almost every nation has dishes with toppings laid out on the dough, but it was Italian pizza, invented in Naples, that gained worldwide fame. There are two main reasons. First, pizza was discovered through America; it is largely perceived as a dish of this particular cuisine. In turn, America learned pizza from Italian emigrants who rushed to the United States in huge numbers, which inevitably led to the transformation of Italian food into everyday life for Americans. The second reason is the simplicity and clarity of the dish, which contribute to its spread.

Salumi

This is both what we call gastronomy and a specific dish - an assortment of sausages, ham (dried and boiled), dried meat, bresaola, copa (cured pork neck) and the like. Not to be confused with salami - this is a type of sausage. In Italy, there are salumerias - shops that sell a variety of meat products.

Bresaola- This is a dried beef fillet. Used mainly raw as a delicacy, carpaccio is made from it. An analogue can be considered, for example, Spanish sesina - beef cured using jamon technology.

Balsamic vinegar

Vinegar aged for a long time in a barrel. There are several producers in Modena that age vinegar for even 50 years. During this time, the vinegar is concentrated, fermented and tarred to a fairly thick syrup, acquiring an absolutely incredible bouquet of aromas: berries, grapes, leaves, spices, tannin. This vinegar goes through a large number of cooling and heating cycles, because it is not stored in a room with special conditions, but, roughly speaking, in the attic. In summer the barrels are heated, in winter they are cooled. Thanks to these transformations, the vinegar is enriched, and its acidic part evaporates. It turns out to be a real balm, and this is the same balsamic vinegar, and it would be nice if it was on every table, but, unfortunately, it is very expensive.

When buying balsamic vinegar, it makes sense to look if there is a mark on the bottle "Invecchiato"- that is, “seasoned”, real. Even most restaurants do not use real balsamic vinegar, but an inexpensive, high-speed infused product. That is, vinegar that may not have been in the barrel. A good balsamic contains no more than 6% acetic acid itself, and often less. Aged in an accelerated way, that is, roughly speaking, a diluted concentrate - up to 9%. Even though such a product is called balsamic vinegar, its taste characteristics are seriously inferior to noble representatives that have been aged for a long time.

Polenta

Corn porridge, the closest relative of hominy. The dish is especially typical for the north of Italy, where at one time corn won its place in the diet, replacing buckwheat, barley, spelled and rice. Despite all its simplicity (corn is boiled in salted water), there is an important point around which everything literally revolves: you need to cook the cereal for an hour, and all this time you need to stir it. The process is labor-intensive, so the Italians resorted to tricks. The first option is instant polenta, pre-steamed. It is far from traditional in taste, but in a fire emergency it will do. And the second option is the miracle device polentamatic - a special slow mixer installed on a pan with polenta. This stirring prevents sticking and helps dissolve the starch.

Polenta is eaten hot, literally just cooked, or allowed to cool until it turns into a dense mass that can be cut with a knife. These pieces can be grilled or deep-fried. Historically, polenta may have been made from buckwheat (polenta nera), millet, chickpeas, chestnuts - from any starchy cereal.

Parmesan

(Parmigiano Reggiano - Italian)

Aged Italian cow's milk cheese. Produced strictly in certain areas of Emilia-Romagna. Parmesan usually matures from one to three years. Aged cheese is characterized by the presence of white grains, or rather crystals (the amino acid tyrosine) - this is precisely an indicator of aging. The more there are and the harder they are, the longer the cheese is likely to age. The uses of Parmesan are very diverse, but the most famous, of course, is in the form of crumbs on the surface of pasta. You need to grate the cheese immediately before eating. You shouldn't buy it in the store already grated.

Pesto

The sauce, the traditional version of which is prepared from garlic, salt, nuts and basil ground in a mortar until smooth, to which olive oil and grated Parmesan or Pecorino are added. This sauce recipe is more than 150 years old, and its modern versions can contain not only basil, but also other herbs: parsley, tarragon, and so on. Each region of Italy has its own pesto, despite the fact that the sauce officially originates from Liguria.
The word itself comes from "pestare", which means “to rub” - everything is simple here. The bright salty mass can decorate almost any dish: from salad to pasta and boiled potatoes.

Italian sandwiches

A soft wheat flatbread, into which any filling is placed, ranging from banal ham, cheese and tomatoes to stewed vegetables or chopped steak. The flatbread is folded and baked with the filling until the cheese melts. One of the few examples of street food in Italy, but also served in restaurants.

A relative of piadina, only instead of flatbreads they use bread, usually ciabatta, cut lengthwise. The fillings are the same.

Tramezzini

It differs from panini in that the filling is placed between two slices of bread.

Illustrations: Nastya Grigorieva

Very popular all over the world national dishes of Italy, thanks to spaghetti and pizza. Traditional cuisine is very diverse and regional. Each region has its own original dishes. The basis of Italian cuisine was laid by historically established traditions with the cultural trends and taste preferences of the Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Lombards and other peoples who once inhabited the peninsula.

How to choose a restaurant in Italy?

Locals know where the food is really tasty. You need to focus on them.

Expert advice! Restaurant owners aren't always looking to make expensive renovations, so don't judge the food by the decor of the space. It’s better to take a closer look at lunchtime, where there are more local visitors - and go there.

The waiter will lead you to your table and present you with a menu. While the national dishes of Italy are being prepared, they order something to drink (wine or water).

Usually they first ask for antipasto (literally “before pasta”). From a wide variety you can choose smoked meats, olives, pickled vegetables, capers, cheeses, herbs, seafood or fresh fruit.

A common version of antipasto bruschetta is toasted bread with tomatoes, garlic, pepper, salt and olive oil.

Expert advice! You shouldn't order a lot of antipasto so as not to ruin your appetite. It's better to leave room for other dishes.

National dishes of Italy - first and second courses

The choice of first courses (il primo piatto) is huge. This includes pasta, lasagna, risotto, ravioli, soups, etc.

The second course is traditionally meat, fish or seafood with side dishes. For example:

• Beefsteak (bistecca).
• Chicken cutlets or meatballs (polpette).
• Salmon (salmone).
• Seafood (frutti del mare).

Advice from an expert! Tips range from 5% to 10% of the order. In addition, the cost of serving is included, which usually ranges from 2 to 8 euros.

Products typical of Italian cuisine

Italian cuisine is distinguished by the abundance of fresh Mediterranean ingredients. Typical products include:

• Cheeses (parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta, gogonzola, mascarpone).
• Vegetables (eggplant, tomatoes, lettuce, zucchini).
• Wheat flour (all kinds of pasta and dough products).
• Olives (olive oil).
• Beef and poultry.
• Almond.
• Spices (garlic, basil, rosemary, capers, oregano, pepperoni).
• Legumes (lentils, beans).
• White mushrooms.
• Wine, grappa (40-55% strength).
• Fruits (oranges, lemons) and berries.

Many of these products can be brought home from your trip. Read more about this in our article -. Various sets of the mentioned products are the hallmark of a particular area. Let's take a closer look at the national dishes of each region of Italy.

What dishes are the regions of Italy famous for?

Rome

Based on seasonal ingredients and fairly simple preparation. Therefore, traditionally it contains vegetables (beans, peas and artichokes), cheese (ricota, pecorino Romano) and meat (goat, lamb). A must-have winter product is lard (strutto). Natural fats are widely used in cooking, and olive oil is used for raw vegetables.

Abruzzo and Molise

These regions are united by a common history, and therefore their national cuisines are very similar. Abruzzo and Molise are located in the north-west of Rome and are famous for their smoked meats and cheeses. Their residents often eat lamb, and closer to the coast - seafood and fish. Peperoncino hot peppers are grown in Abruzzo.

Basilicata

The region is located on the “height of the boot” in the most mountainous area (2/3 of the territory is mountains), so the development of agriculture is difficult. Basilicata's cuisine consists mainly of very hearty dishes: rich soups, smoked meats, beef. Basilicata is the birthplace of provolone cheese.

Calabria

The “toe” of the Italian “boot” Calabria borders a mountain range in the north and is washed by seas on three sides. The national dishes of Italy here are represented by fish and seafood, especially tuna and swordfish. Vegetables and fruits (olives, eggplants, lemons, oranges) are widely used. The dessert menu consists of dishes made from almonds, figs and honey.

Campaign

Naples (the region's capital) is home to world-famous pizza and sun-dried tomatoes. In this area, first place is given to fish and seafood, second to hearty stews with lots of garlic and seasonings, third to fruit desserts and locally produced confectionery.

Emilia-Romagna

The medieval regional capital of Emilia-Romagna, Bolnier, has some of the best restaurants in the country. This is where Parmesan, Parma ham, mortadella (pork sausage), balsamic vinegar and all kinds of pastas come from.

Expert advice! In the famous dish Spaghetti alla Bolognese, despite the name, they do not use spaghetti, but long flat noodles (tagliatelle) or short types of pasta.

Local cuisine is well flavored with butter, cream and other dairy products. On New Year's Day in Modena they stuff pork feet (zampone).

Lazio

On this land stands the capital city of Rome, which is home to the best restaurants and famous ice cream parlours. The region's cuisine is rich in lamb and veal (saltimbocca schnitzel). Its characteristic feature is fresh, high-quality products, quite simply prepared. A typical national dish of Italy is Suppli al telefono, which is rice balls (risotto) stuffed with mozzarella cheese and deep fried.

Lombardy

The region borders Switzerland and is the richest. In the southwest there are corn and rice plantations. From here came: polenta, risotto alla Milanese, sweet pie pentone, amaretto and campari liqueurs, gorgonzola cheeses, mascarpone and grana padano. The local population prefers meat stewed in wine (osso buco) and various filled pastas (tortelloni, ravioli).

Liguria

The Primorsky region is famous for its seafood and fish dishes. The port of Genoa is one of the first cities to gain access to Asian spices. Spicy spices are still very popular here. Liguria produces the best basil in the country and is where the pesto sauce made from basil, olive oil and cheese comes from.

Marche

National dishes of Italy in the town of Marche are prepared from game caught in the mountains and seafood. Pork, olives and pasta, intricately prepared, are also common.

Piedmont

The region's cuisine has adopted some culinary trends from Switzerland and France as it borders them. Typical dishes are polenta (porridge made from corn flour), gnocchi (dumplings), and risotto. Viticulture and winemaking are developed in the Padan Valley. This is where Barbaresco is produced. Piedmont produces white truffles and the best garlic and onions. One of the popular dishes is vitello tonato (marinated veal) and panna cotta dessert (cream pudding).

Apulia

In addition to mussels and oysters, the signature dish in the region is the closed calzone pizza. Puglia produces excellent fruits, vegetables, herbs and olives.

Sardinia

The main roles in Sardinian cuisine are played by tuna, lobster and eel. A traditional holiday dish is suckling pig on a spit. The locals' favorite dessert is Pecorino sardo (a type of pecorino).

Sicily

Different cultures dominated the island at different times, so the dishes combine elements of Spanish, Greek, and Arab cuisine. They introduced a craving for spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), bell peppers, sweets and fruits (citrus fruits, melons, apricots) into Italian cuisine. Main dishes are fish and pasta.

Trentino – Alto Adige

The gastronomy of the region has been influenced by neighboring Austria, which is why dumplings and smoked sausages are traditional dishes. Winemaking is also well developed here.

Tuscany

The fertile land allows you to grow excellent fruits and vegetables, and the large pastures allow you to raise livestock. Beef, pork and game dishes are popular. The most famous: Florentine steak, cacciucco (seafood soup), ribollita (bean soup), panzanella (salad of vegetables and croutons), crospini (appetizers on toasted bread). In Florence - lampredotto (made of rennet).

Umbria

The region eats pork, lamb, game, and river fish, all very simply prepared. Umbria supplies high quality olive oil and black truffles. A typical dish is a thick stew of lentils, green beans and chickpeas.

Veneto and Friuli

Produced here 20% of all Italian wine. Characteristic dishes include fish and seafood; risotto and polenta. The signature dish is rice with peas (risi e bisi).

Traveling through different regions of the country, you can become more familiar with the national dishes of Italy, prepared from high-quality products and spices, taste delicious desserts and enjoy a variety of wines.

The daily food assortment of the average Italian consists of pasta, rice, black bread, cheeses, corn porridge, butter, cream, meat, sauerkraut and wine. However, speaking about Italian cuisine, it is important to emphasize that gastronomic preferences and tastes in different regions of the country can vary very significantly. Italians themselves do not understand the term “Italian cuisine”, since they always divide it into regions - Tuscan, Lombard, Sicilian, etc.

For example, in the coastal regions of Italy, the palm always belongs to fish and seafood - cod, shellfish, crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. In northern Italy, on the contrary, meat dishes are much more popular - especially beef and veal. In some regions of the country pasta is more popular, in others - risotto. However, some basic gastronomic principles are characteristic of Italian cuisine as a whole.

Italians tend to have a variety of traditional dishes, but they always adhere to the same diet. In the morning - a light breakfast (in villages they have bread and cheese for breakfast, city dwellers drink coffee and buns for breakfast), at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon - a slightly more filling lunch (for example, salad and pasta), and in the evening - a very hearty dinner (antipasti, pasta, main dishes). fish, seafood or meat dishes, dessert and, of course, a glass of dry wine).

Italian dishes can be divided into several important categories. The first category is called antipasti - this is either a soup (usually vegetable, although sometimes with rice or pasta) or some cold appetizers (for example, carpaccio). Next comes pasta - these are a variety of dough products (usually pasta prepared in some interesting way). Following the pasta, the main dish is served on the table - usually fish, meat or poultry. The meal ends with a delicious sweet dessert. The invariable attributes of the refectory table in Italy are clean, settled water, fresh white bread, a salt and pepper shaker, vinegar and olive oil. Almost any meal is accompanied by a glass of dry wine - as a rule, Italians do not deny themselves it even during their work lunch break.

Overall, Italy is a real paradise for foodies. In addition to delicious wine, Italy is famous throughout the world for its cheeses, of which there are about 400 varieties. Dozens of ways to prepare pasta, numerous delicious meat and fish hot dishes, fantastically tasty fresh vegetables and salads made from them, unique desserts, the most delicious ice cream in the world invented by Italians, perhaps the best coffee in the world - all this makes up the daily diet of ordinary Italians.

It is very difficult to list the most popular traditional dishes of Italians, since just listing them would take a lot of time, and each region of Italy is famous for something of its own. However, it is definitely worth mentioning such signature Italian dishes as minestrone (vegetable soup), stracciatella (broth with eggs), tiramisu (dessert made from mascarpone cheese and sponge cake), pasta prepared in many ways (Bolognese, carbonara, amatriciana, alfredo and many others), lasagna, polenta (corn porridge), pizza, risotto (rice dish), ravioli (small Italian dumplings), gnocchi (dumplings), zuppa di peshce (fish soup), osso buco (veal stew). But this is only a hundredth, or maybe a thousandth, part of the richest and most diverse Italian traditional cuisine.

There is no such thing as popular Italian dishes, since Italian cuisine is common throughout the world. Italian cuisine is heavily influenced by local tradition and history, as well as local and seasonal ingredients.

Some of the most famous and exquisite Italian delicacies, such as the white truffle, can only be found in certain regions of Italy. This suggests that Italian food tends to be structured. Throughout Italy you can find antipasto, primo, secondo, and various desserts, but each region of Italy prepares them differently.

However, in order to answer the most frequently asked question, which Italian dishes are the most popular, we want to present you with this list.

Paste

Pasta can be divided by composition (wheat flour and water only, or wheat flour, water and eggs only), by shelf life (fresh or dry pasta), and by production method, shape, or cut.

There are many forms of pasta, but Italians usually prefer to group pasta into short and long, regular or stuffed.

A certain type of pasta goes with a certain sauce, depending on the shape of the pasta. Some types of pasta are found only in a certain region. The name of the paste varies depending on the region.

Pizza

Oven-baked pizza is a thin, round-shaped bread topped with tomato sauce, cheese, olive oil and other ingredients.

There are actually two types of pizza: Neapolitan, which is thicker and more like a flat bread, and Roman, which is a thinner, flat-crusted pizza. Neapolitan pizza is similar to American pizza.

Also, Italians divide pizza into red (with tomato sauce) and white (usually called "focaccia" or a flatbread made without tomato sauce, but with other ingredients).

There is not a wide variety of spices in Italian cuisine, but they are almost always used together with herbs to add flavor.

Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Parmesan (or sheep's milk cheese), black olives, pine nuts are all commonly used to add flavor as a seasoning (the latter ingredients are used in some regions of Italy). Olive oil is considered the main ingredient in cooking.

Risotto

Risotto is a rice dish. Risotto is served as the main dish and can be flavored with various ingredients. The rice is cooked in the broth until thickened. The broth can be meat or fish, depending on the ingredients with which the dish will be seasoned.

Almost all risotto recipes include ingredients such as parmesan (with the exception of fish risotto), butter (no cream!) and onions. Some of the most famous risottos are alla Romana (risotto with chicken liver sauce) and alla Milanese (bright yellow risotto with saffron and spices).

Other famous Risotto: Risotto with mushrooms, Risotto with white Piedmontese truffles or with black truffles, Risotto with seafood, Milanese risotto flavored with saffron.

Minestrone (vegetable soup with beans)

A type of thick soup with vegetables, beans, pasta, rice or tomatoes. Served as a main dish. Minestrone is a good alternative to pasta or risotto.

Fish soup

Stewed fish seasoned with fresh ingredients.

Meat and fish dishes (and other main dishes)

The main Italian dishes (depending on the region) are: steak Florentine, beef stew, egg-dipped or fried veal chops, schnitzel with saffron and spices, boiled meat, osso buco, eggplant casserole with Parmesan and saltimbocca alla Romana.

Ossobuco

Veal shin fried in olive oil. This dish has thousands of interpretations, for example with lemon, capers, marsala, etc. The most famous dish is “Milanese” (alla Milanese).

Neapolitan style mussel soup

Despite the name, this is not really a soup, but rather the classic way of serving and cooking mussels with a tasty sauce and white wine, garlic and Italian parsley. Bean and vongolo soup, mussels and gurnards are prepared in a similar way.

Depending on the type, Italian cheeses can be served as an appetizer for first courses, or when serving third, fourth courses and desserts. The most famous Italian cheeses: Parmesan, sheep cheese, and of course Mozzarella made from buffalo milk.

Parmesan

In Italy (and the rest of Europe), the name "Parmesan" is a designation for the hard, granular cheese from Parma. The generic name for this cheese in other parts of Europe is Garna.

Famous Italian desserts: Tiramisu, Sicilian festive cake and Neapolitan Easter cake.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is the most famous dessert. This is a sponge cake soaked in coffee and mascarpone cheese.

Other sweet dishes: Italian ice cream, pasterella (Sfogliatelle, Maritozzi, Aragoste) and pasticini (cookies).

Italian cuisine has many advantages. Among them are bright, unusual combinations of products, simplicity, and loyalty to tradition, but the main thing is that Italian cuisine is not overloaded with meanings, which makes it accessible and understandable to everyone. Frankly, I can’t even imagine a person who might not like Italian cuisine, with its bright Mediterranean flavors and ability to squeeze the most out of seemingly simple products. Along with the French one, it made a huge contribution to the formation of the world culinary heritage, and you can now find an Italian restaurant or a modest pizzeria anywhere in the world.

In this collection, I decided to collect 10 of my favorite Italian recipes, and I had to rack my brain wondering which ones to include in this list and which ones to cross off. As a result, the list was still incomplete, because it did not include a single recipe for risotto or pizza, there are no desserts or fish dishes, but there are three classic pasta recipes and several vegetable hits. Nevertheless, I hope that you will appreciate this collection of recipes, despite some of its one-sidedness, because Italy is invariably delicious - in any form and in any execution!