Italian cuisine at home. What is the national cuisine, traditional dishes and food in Italy? Where to buy groceries in Italy

Traditional Italian dishes have long been recognized worldwide. And yet I would like to note that Italian food is not only pasta and pizza. National Italian dishes are not limited to tiramisu, lasagna and spaghetti. In our article we will talk about the cuisine of Italy, tell you about the most delicious dishes and simple recipes for their preparation.

lasagna

Italian dishes, the recipes of which we want to consider in the article, have gained worldwide recognition due to their taste. One of the most famous is lasagna.

To prepare it, you will need the following products:

1. Minced meat - 0.6 kg.
2. Butter - 70 g.
3. Bolognese (sauce) - 650 g.
4. Two tablespoons of olive oil.
5. Flour - 3 tbsp. l.
6. Milk - 760 ml.
7. Hard cheese - 0.7 kg.
8. Dry lasagna leaves - 10 pcs.

Italian dishes are not so difficult to prepare, so they can be easily made at home. The main thing is to find the right products or replace the missing ones with something acceptable.

In a saucepan, put butter and a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. Gradually add the flour and do not forget to stir constantly so that no lumps form. Now you can reduce the heat and simmer the mixture until a sour cream consistency is obtained.

We warm up a clean frying pan, adding vegetable oil, and fry the minced meat on it. It is preferable to take a mixture of pork and veal. Minced meat must be fried until half cooked and pour bolognese sauce into it, after which you can pepper and salt. Italian dishes are prepared with spices.

In the meantime, turn on the oven and heat it up. We take the form, grease it with butter, put a little bechamel sauce on the bottom, it should only slightly cover the bottom. Then we put dry sheets of lasagna (not boiled). Put a layer of minced meat on top and sprinkle it with grated cheese. Drizzle again with bechamel sauce. You can put it in as much as you see fit. Italian dishes are simply hard to imagine without all sorts of sauces and seasonings. Bechamel will add juiciness to the lasagna. Put another layer of sheets on top of the sauce. Add the sauce again and sprinkle generously with grated cheese on top of the dish. We send the form to the oven and bake for about half an hour. What is good about Italian cuisine is that they are prepared quite quickly and are very satisfying.

Risotto

Considering Italian dishes (recipes are given in the article), it is simply impossible not to think about risotto. For cooking, prepare the products:

• Rice - 0.4 kg.
• Butter - half a pack.
• Two sweet peppers.
• One bulb.
• A couple of cloves of garlic.
• Sherry - 120 ml.
• Vegetable broth - 1.6 l.
• Cream 35% - 120 ml.
• Salt.
• Ground black pepper.
• Thyme.

Melt the butter in a deep frying pan and fry the onion in it until a translucent soft state. Next, pour the rice and fry it for several minutes, without stopping stirring. Add chopped garlic, mix and simmer all the ingredients. As soon as the garlic begins to emit its aroma, pour the sherry into the pan, mixing it with the food. Next, on a very low heat, we evaporate the alcohol, without ceasing to stir.

As soon as only the aroma remains from the sherry, pour the third part of the broth into the pan, mix the ingredients and cook the rice over low heat. The broth must be constantly topped up as it evaporates.

Fry finely chopped peppers in butter (butter) until soft. Then we shift the pepper into the risotto, add pepper, salt, add the rest of the broth. When the rice is ready, add cream to the pan, mix everything thoroughly until a creamy consistency is formed and turn off the heat. Serve risotto, like many Italian dishes, with herbs. Chopped thyme is sprinkled on top of the finished dish.

An Italian rice dish must be prepared with high-quality cereals, otherwise the risotto may turn into porridge. Therefore, when purchasing products, carefully choose rice, since the taste and texture of the whole dish largely depends on its quality.

spaghetti carbonara

Italian pasta dishes have become no less popular with us than in their homeland. Let's cook spaghetti carbonara.

To do this, take the following products:

1. Spaghetti - 170 g.
2. Hard cheese - 75 g.
3. Pancetta - 125 g.
4. Two egg yolks.
5. Ground pepper.
6. Salt.

Boil spaghetti in salted water. While the pasta is cooking, heat the pan, fry the pancetta on it (it should acquire a golden hue). In a small bowl, beat two yolks with a whisk and mix with grated cheese. We return the frying pan with pancetta to the fire, add the broth that remained after cooking the pasta, put the spaghetti and wait. When the liquid boils. Remove the dishes from the fire and put the cheese with yolks into it. Mix the mass very quickly until the yolks thicken. If you think the sauce is a little thick, you can add a little more broth. At the end of cooking, add salt and pepper to taste.

spaghetti amatriciana

Italian pasta dishes are everyday food, but they are not ordinary pasta. During cooking, spices and grated cheese are used, thanks to which spaghetti turns into an amazingly tasty meal.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti - 370 g.
• Bacon - 125 g.
• A few tablespoons of oil (olive).
• Garlic.
• One bulb.
• Pelati tomatoes - 0.8 kg.
• Ground pepper.
• Grated parmesan - 35 g.
• Chili pepper flakes - half a teaspoon.
• Salt.

Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Cut the bacon into strips and fry until golden brown. Add chili and black pepper, mix the ingredients. Next, finely chop the garlic and onion, add them to the bacon, fry and do not forget to stir. The onion should become translucent and soft.

Then put the tomatoes in the pan and mash them with a spatula. Cook the dish over low heat until the sauce thickens. In the meantime, boil spaghetti: put water and throw pasta into it as soon as it boils. Combine the finished pasta with the sauce and mix well. Add half a glass of water and continue cooking. If you think the sauce is too thick, you can add a little more water.

Pasta is sprinkled with cheese on top and only after that it is served on the table. Many Italian dishes are made with parmesan or other hard cheeses. Pasta is no exception, which is simply impossible to imagine without Parmesan.

Pizza Margherita: ingredients

There are other popular Italian dishes. Recipes with photos are given in the article. And now it’s just impossible not to remember everyone’s favorite pizza. We offer you a Margherita pizza recipe.

Ingredients:

• Flour - 1.9 kg.
• Mozzarella - 210 g.
• Tomato sauce - 130 g.
• Parmesan - 80 g.
• Basil - 60 g.
• Olive oil - 120 ml.
• Sugar - 15 g.
• Semola - 320 g.
• Salt.
• Dry yeast - 16 g.
• Water - 720 g.
• A kilogram of pelatti tomatoes.
• Milk - 210 ml.

Pizza Recipe

Delicious Italian dishes have long been included in our menu. Perhaps the most popular of them is pizza, which all children adore. Therefore, it is she who is most often prepared by hostesses. The recipes used in home practice are more adapted to our conditions and slightly simplified. But how is real Italian pizza prepared?

Let's start cooking with the dough. Pour the Italian flour (semola) and ordinary wheat into the bowl of the mixer. We also add sugar, salt and mix all the ingredients. Dissolve yeast in a glass of water. Knead the dough by adding half a liter of water to the flour. Then add milk and knead the dough until it becomes elastic. At the end of the kneading process, it is worth adding fifty grams of olive oil. We cover the basin with the dough with a towel or cling film and leave it to infuse at room temperature. After an hour, you need to knead it and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. And only after that you can work with him.

Now let's start making the tomato sauce. For this we need pelati tomatoes. They need to be crushed with a blender. Add olive oil, pepper, salt and chopped basil leaves to the sauce.

We roll out the dough into a layer and spread it on the bottom of the mold, greased with olive oil. The workpiece must be left for a while. After that, turn on the oven and put the mold in it to dry the dough a little.

In the meantime, you can start preparing the filling. We cut the mozzarella into cubes, but we rub the parmesan. We distribute the tomato sauce over the dried cake, lay out the mozzarella, and sprinkle with parmesan on top. We put the basil leaves and sprinkle everything with oil (olive). Put the pizza in the oven for five minutes. Here is a real Italian dish.

rice balls

Stuffed balls are another Italian rice dish. It will take us about two hours to prepare it.

Ingredients:

• Turkey breast - 120 g.
• Minced beef - 120 g.
• Celery stalk.
• Ice cream or fresh green peas - 60 g.
• Bunch of basil.
• A bunch of parsley.
• Grated parmesan - 60 g.
• Rice - 0.3 kg.
• Two tablespoons of tomato paste.
• Hot meat broth.
• Two eggs.
• Butter - 2 tbsp. l.
• Three tablespoons of olive oil.
• Two tablespoons of flour.
• A pinch of chili pepper.
• Breadcrumbs.
• One bulb.
• A pinch of saffron.
• Black pepper, salt, bay leaf.

Italian dishes (recipes with photos are given in the article) are not only tasty, but also satisfying. But stuffed balls also have an unusual appearance. To prepare them, chop half a bunch of parsley and onion. Celery and turkey breast must be cut into cubes.

Pour olive oil into a frying pan and add a tablespoon of butter. Fry the onion in this mixture. Then add minced meat and turkey breast, they also need to be fried. A little later we put parsley, celery, pepper, salt and green peas. The resulting mixture is simmered over low heat.

We put half a pot of water on the fire and boil the rice. During cooking, it must be constantly stirred so that the cereal does not burn. Before turning off the fire, you need to add saffron soaked in water. Rice should not be digested, it is better to remove it from the heat in advance. Add butter, grated parmesan and one egg to it, mix everything thoroughly.

Cut the second half of parsley and basil, add herbs to the filling.

Beat the egg in a bowl, adding pepper and salt. All rice is divided into ten equal parts. From each we form a ball. Make a hole in the ball with your finger and put the stuffing in it. Then we close the hole with rice, roll the ball in flour, then in the egg and breadcrumbs. Finished products must be fried in a deep fryer (you can use a pan with vegetable oil). It is advisable to put the balls on paper towels to remove excess fat. The finished dish is served with fresh bay leaves.

Original Italian dishes (their names, by the way, are often very pleasant to hear) are prepared from products that are not always found here. Therefore, some components have to be replaced. Instead of Italian rice, you can take Mistral arborio. This product is of good quality and not very expensive. Italian cheese can be replaced with Lithuanian parmesan.

baked pasta

Italian cuisine (photos of dishes are given in the article) is the most popular in the world. Of course, she gained fame thanks to pizza and pasta, but she has many more wonderful dishes in her arsenal. One of them is pasta baked with tomatoes and cheese. To prepare such a dish, we need:

1. Pasta - 0.3 kg.
2. A clove of garlic.
3. Cheese - 120 g.
4. Peppercorns.
5. One tomato.
6. Mayonnaise - 160 g.

For cooking, you need to take Italian pasta. Pre-boiled, they are laid out on the bottom of the form. Spread thinly sliced ​​tomatoes on top. Sprinkle the dish with grated cheese, add garlic and grease with mayonnaise. We send the baking sheet to the oven and bake until cooked (10-20 minutes). It is recommended to serve the dish hot, decorating with greens on top.

Italian noodles

Pasta dishes of various shapes and colors can only be found in Italy. The local population absorbs an incredible amount of pasta, but at the same time does not lose harmony. The secret of this phenomenon is that local pasta is produced exclusively from durum wheat. And they just don't get better. Every self-respecting Italian housewife has her own original noodle recipes.

To prepare the test we need:

1. Flour - 0.5 kg.
2. Salt.
3. Vegetable oil.
4. Five eggs.

Pour the flour in a slide on the table, add salt, eggs, butter and a glass of water. We knead the dough for ten minutes, sometimes we beat it on the table. It should become smooth, elastic and not sticky to your hands.

Roll up a ball of dough, wrap it in cling film and cover with a saucepan. It should be infused for about half an hour. After that, it can be rolled out and cut into noodles. To do this, knives of various shapes are sold in Italy, with the help of which housewives sometimes cut curly products. Dry the finished pasta on a towel.

Homemade noodles are dyed in different colors. Colored pasta is very popular in Italy. For its manufacture, various dyes are used, which are added to the dough at the kneading stage.

Ravioli

Ravioli is an incredibly popular dish in Italy. As a rule, it is made with meat filling. But mushrooms can also be used. To prepare the filling, they are cut and fried with shallots, garlic and parsley.

Delicious are ravioli stuffed with cheese with spinach leaves or with cottage cheese and spices.

In Italy, ravioli is either a type of pasta or small dumplings. In addition, in the Italian cuisine of different regions there are also dumplings such as agnolini, agnolotti, tortellini. Each region prepares them differently. But ravioli is consumed throughout the country. They are cooked with different fillings, and then fried or boiled, adding olives and grated cheese. Fried ravioli are put in soups or broths.

Features of Italian cuisine

Italian dishes (recipes are given in the article) are real works of art, prepared by the hands of masters of their craft. All Italians are excellent cooks, and men often surpass women in their skill. Each region of the country has its own secrets and peculiarities of cooking. Many Italian dishes, the names of which we mentioned in the article, are prepared using the following products: olive oil, tomatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, celery, potatoes, greens. Italians make extensive use of rice and pasta, which is commonly referred to as "pasta" here. They are served with mussels, oysters, meat, mushrooms and shrimps.

Italy is the birthplace of the world famous cheeses: mascarpone, mozzarella, parmesan, gorgonzola and many others. All Italian dishes (photos of the most popular of them are given by us in the article) are prepared on their basis. Cheese in general can be called an important component of all the cuisines of this amazing country. It gives dishes a unique taste and aroma.

No less popular in Italy is tomato sauce, which is cooked over very low heat with the addition of basil and marjoram. Italian cuisine uses an incredible amount of all sorts of spices: rosemary, oregano, sage, cumin, red pepper and many others. They give the dishes a unique taste and aroma.

An indispensable product of Italian cuisine is olive oil. It is fried on it, salads are seasoned with it. Unlike us, Italians do not use sunflower oil at all. They are considered true masters in the manufacture of sausages, ham and ham. Moreover, such products can boast of high quality and natural composition.

The first place in the country in popularity is occupied by pasta-based dishes. Pasta is served with all sorts of sauces, the recipes of which are so numerous that it is difficult to count them. We have taken root one of the types of Italian pasta - spaghetti. No less popular are small ravioli served in tomato sauce with cheese.

Italian food is incredibly delicious. All of them are very tasty. It is hard to imagine that you will order food in a restaurant and remain hungry, as this is simply impossible.

Instead of an afterword

Food is an important part of people's daily lives, it is part of the country's culture. And Italians can be called real gourmets who know a lot about this issue. No wonder Italian dishes are so popular all over the world. In any country you can find restaurants and establishments specializing in the preparation of such food. Even in Asian countries, Italian cafes are popular. The national cuisine of Italy has received such a wide distribution, thanks to the incredible taste and satiety of fragrant dishes.

If you find yourself in an Italian restaurant in Italy, where there is no menu in Russian or English, and you don’t have an Italian translator with you, then the description of Italian dishes below may be useful to you. Italian cuisine is very rich, so I only list the most typical dishes that I have personally tried and are worth trying.

It is difficult to systematize Italian cuisine, because. Italians are individualists and dreamers, they specifically try to make it different from their neighbor. But I will try.

ITALIAN MENU

Coperto (compulsory tips)

The amount depends on the level of the institution. An average of 1.5 euros per person. If this word is not in the menu, then it will be mandatory in the bill. It translates from Italian as "covered". This is not food, but an analogue of a tip, but only fixed. Includes bread and delicious crispy sticks" grissini", which are already on the table and you can and should crunch with them, waiting for the ordered dishes. You must pay, but there are no additional tips, see.

Menu del giorno, Menu fusso, Menu turistico - Set lunch

Menu del giorno (literal translation: menu of the day)- This is a complex lunch for ordinary Italians. Also called menu fisso (literal translation: fixed menu). Usually this includes two courses (for example, first and second, or appetizer and second), a bottle of water and coffee, sometimes 1/4 liter of wine is included. The price, depending on the configuration, varies from 10 to 15 euros.
Menu turistico (Russian translation: tourist menu)- it's the same complex lunch as Menu del Giorno, but in tourist places, where there are many tourists, it is called Turistico, so that people who cannot translate from Italian can understand it better. In this case Copperto not paid.

Al buffet

[Ál Buffé] - translated as "Buffet".

For example: Colazione al buffet= Breakfast Buffet. If breakfast is at the hotel, the number of approaches is unlimited, you can apply with a slide. Italians are already used to Russians.

Or, another example, the menu of an Italian restaurant says " Antipasto al buffet". This means "Snack Buffet". That is, you are given a plate, or you take it yourself, and impose it to your liking from the laid out dishes. The number of approaches is 1 (one, in Italian Uno)! To impose with a slide - it is impossible! (otherwise you might hear Italian swear words.)

This is an article with photos about Italian dishes that you must eat in Italy. Italian cuisine is considered one of the best in the world, but you need to know what to choose from the menu.

After a couple of days in Italy, eating pizza, pasta and panini, I ran into a problem. What exactly to order in Italian restaurants so as not to be disappointed (or God forbid to lose weight :)) for 3 weeks of rest?

My dear readers, friends and subscribers in the social came to the rescue. networks that generously shared their advice, for which many thanks to them. Below is a list of Italian dishes, compiled by a joint effort, as well as the average price of food in Italian establishments. I had a chance to try 90% of the list, I left 10% for the next time.

Seafood in Italy

• Mussel Tomato Soup(Zuppa di cozze al pomodoro) is the best thing I have ever eaten in Italy. I also ate mussels in Sicilian style, I was not delighted. It all depends on the restaurant. Price 8-13€

• king prawns grilled or in sauces (Gamberoni alla griglia). The most delicious shrimp were in. Price 10-15€

• Sicilian swordfish with tomatoes (Pesce spada alla siciliana). Price 12-13€

• Swordfish Grilled(Pesce spada alla griglia). Price 12-13€

• Grilled dorado(Dorado Griglio). Price 50-60€ for 1 kg. Dorado is on the market 15€ per kg .

• Octopus in different variations (Polpo). For example, Sicilian-style octopus with garlic and thyme. “Nothing tastier in Mediterranean cuisine has yet been invented,” is a quote from the traveler and gourmet Sergey Kormilitsyn. 12-18€ for a hot meal

• Octopus with potatoes(Polpo con patate) is a specialty on the Amalfi Coast. Keep in mind that octopus in Sicily and southern Italy is often served as a cold appetizer. Price 7 —8€

• Shrimp cocktail(Cocktail di gamberi). Popular cold food. For an amateur. Served in a glass where shrimps are mixed with salad and sauce. If you spread shrimp on bread, it turns out delicious. 7-10€

Other Italian dishes

• eggplant, baked with tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan (Melanzane alla parmigiana)

• Grilled vegetables(Verdure alla griglia) - always delicious. Price 6€

• Lamb meat on skewers(Arrosticini di pecora). This dish is prepared only in the Abruzzo region and nowhere else. To cook this lamb kebab in the Marche region, you had to order meat online from Abruzzo. I didn't eat sheep, but the guys said it was delicious

• Spaghetti with clams and parsley (Spaghetti con le vongole). This dish was prepared by friends from shellfish collected on the seashore near the house. You need to collect shellfish early in the morning (at 6-7 o'clock) in order to get ahead of other fishermen. 12-15€

• carne kruda(Сarne cruda) - raw beef of a certain breed of bulls, a minimum of spices. A native of Piedmont. Have not tried. 15-20€

• Pizza(Pizza) - a real pizza is cooked in a charcoal oven. You can talk about pizza for a long time. From 2€ for a bite at a street eatery before 12€ for pizza with seafood in a restaurant.

• Paste(Pasta) is a traditional Italian dish. Pasta with various sauces. For our taste, pasta in Italy is undercooked. They specially cook pasta for a very short time. The version of pasta served in our restaurants will be tasteless and overcooked for an Italian. 7-15€

Be sure to read mine, where I tell you how much a vacation in this tasty and warm country will cost

• minestroni(Minestrone) - vegetable soup

• Panini(Panini) - Italian flat white wheat bread sandwich, price 5€

• Risotto(Risotto) is a rice dish. Prepared with seafood, meat, vegetables. 8-13€

• lasagna(Lasagne) is a popular Italian dish made from stuffed pasta sheets, 9-12€

• Ravioli(Ravioli) is an Italian analogue of dumplings made from stuffed pasta sheets. Often, restaurants serve boiled store-bought ravioli - they are mediocre. When twisted by hand, it turns out very tasty.

• Polenta(Polenta) - porridge made from cornmeal

• Caprese(Caprese) - Italian appetizer of tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and olive oil

• Gnocchi(Gnocchi) - Italian dumplings

• Provola and Caciocavallo cheeses

Italian desserts

Desserts and sweets are usually sold in cafes or establishments called Pasticceria

• Tortuffa(Tortuffa) - a divinely delicious scoop of ice cream with chocolate inside. It is better not to order chocolate ice cream, because chocolate with chocolate is too sweet. Costs 4-5€

• granite(Granita) is a Sicilian dessert. Crushed ice with sugar syrup of different colors and tastes. Price 3-4€

• Cannoli(Cannoli) is a Sicilian dessert. Wafer tube filled with mascarpone cheese, whipped cottage cheese or ricotta with syrups or wine. Sold everywhere

• Tiramisu(Tiramisù) is a cake made by Italian students because it does not need to be baked. Made with savoiardi biscuits, mascarpone cheese, coffee, eggs and sugar. I thought that I had eaten Tiramisu many times, but it turned out that before my trip to Italy, I had never tried Tiramisu.

• Ice cream(Gelate) sold in Gelateria - from 1€ for the ball. Average - 2 € for a small box 4-5€ for the big one. On the tourist streets they ask for 4-5€ for one small ball.

• Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee! Even if you don't drink coffee, it's worth a try. 1-4€, average 2€

Where to eat in Italy?

Institutions in Italy are divided into several types:

• Ristorante— high prices and level of service.

• Trattoria- often a family-run establishment with a homely atmosphere, regular clientele and menus in Italian. Prices in trattorias are lower than in restaurants.

• Taverna- This is a tavern where you can not only drink, but also eat.

• Osteria- also a simpler establishment with food and wine.

• Pizzeria- usually there are only pizza and snacks on the menu, less often - other dishes.

• Gelateria- they sell ice cream

• Pasticeria- they sell cakes, pastries and desserts

Where can I buy products in Italy?

There are many chain supermarkets in Italy: Lidl, Auchan, Carrefour and others. Also, in every, even the smallest town, there will definitely be a small Supermercado, where products of primary and secondary necessities are sold at inflated prices.

If you want to cook your own food, then you can also buy food in Italy in special shops. I do not know if they are in the north, but in the south of Italy they are still popular. We mostly rented apartments with a kitchen and sometimes cooked our own meals.

• Macelleria- Butcher shop

• Pescheria or Mercato del pesce- a seafood shop or market. Markets usually open in the morning

• Panificio— bakery

What you need to know before going to an Italian restaurant in Italy?

• In Italy, expensive does not = tasty. More often the opposite. If possible, always ask the locals where they eat and go to places for the locals.

• If you want to have a normal tasty meal in Italy, then it is better to learn the name of the main dishes and products in Italian.

• Cafes and restaurants that have a menu in English or Russian are designed for tourists. There is a good chance that the food there is so-so

• We have experienced that the prices on the Italian menu were lower than on the same dishes on the English menu.

• Check the final invoice amount. There was a precedent when we added a couple of euros to the price indicated on the menu. When they pointed out the error to the waitress, they returned the money. It's minor, but still annoying.

• In some restaurants, the amount of the bill depends not only on what exactly you ate, but also on where exactly you were sitting: at the bar, at a table by the window, on the terrace. This is rather rare, but it can happen that breakfast will cost as a full meal due to the fact that your table was with a good view.

• If you are served Italian palm oil sticks before a meal, do not rush to eat them. This is not Mexico, where they give free tacos, and not even Georgia with its pita bread at the expense of the institution. Somehow, for joy, we ate one stick each, each costing 3€ .

• Bread is often served with meals. Sometimes they take money for it, sometimes they don't. Italians themselves pour bread with olive oil (it is always present on the table) - it tastes better

• Restaurants also charge for water 2-3€ , but they can bring it without asking.

• Drinks in restaurants cost 2-4€ for a small can of cola or beer, 2-3€ for a bottle of water.

• Tips in Italy are included in the bill in most restaurants and cafes and are 10% of the amount

• If you want to eat in a small town, be prepared for the fact that most establishments are open from 12.00 to 14.00, after which they close for a siesta from 14.30 to 18.00, then open until 21-22 hours. A place open in the middle of the night is hard to find. Italians dine clearly from 13.00 to 14.30, and have dinner only in the evening, so if the city is not popular among tourists, restaurants and cafes will be closed in 90% of cases during the day for several hours.

• Italians drink coffee around the clock, but cappuccino only in the morning. If you plan to pretend to be local, do not drink cappuccino during the day and in the evening - sleep :)

Menus in Italian restaurants

The menu in Italian restaurants usually consists of several sections.

Italian cuisine is not only traditional pasta, lasagna and pizza. Italian dishes are varied and exquisite, mostly containing many herbs and other spices. In each region of the country there are differences in the preparation of traditional dishes, the recipe has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries, constantly improving. Below you will learn about popular Italian dishes specific to the Piedmont region.

The sophistication of the traditional Italian cuisine of Piedmont is due to the fact that it was formed at the junction of the influence of different cultures: there is something French, Austrian, German, but with a welcoming Italian soul.

Piedmont was part of the Duchy of Savoy for a long time, so its "noble" cuisine, which could be found in the rich houses of Turin and Alessandria, was strongly influenced by the French. But today the peasant cuisine is of the greatest gastronomic interest, the recipes of which have become a living expression of this land.

The famous Italian appetizer dishes in Piedmont are striking in their diversity: only the number of antipasti can reach up to a dozen, on average from three to six. Among them, of course, there are purely Piedmontese chips. Below are photos of Italian cuisine of all directions - from soups and appetizers to meat dishes and desserts.

Traditional Italian cuisine of Piedmont

carne kruda (carne cruda)- This is an Italian dish, which is raw minced meat (finely chopped by hand) from the meat of a local breed of cows (razza bovina piemontese), which in Italy is valued on a par with Tuscan chianina.

bagna cauda (bagna cauda)- a dish of the national cuisine of Italy, known since the Middle Ages. This peasant dish has become a symbol of Piedmontese cuisine. Bagna in the local dialect means broth, cauda is warm: it is a sauce of salted anchovies, garlic and butter with herbs. The sauce is served almost boiling, and fresh vegetables are dipped in it. According to legend, the dish was invented by local winemakers many centuries ago, inventing a simple and tasty treat for the feast of young wine.

Taiyarin (tajarin)- an Italian dish, which is a local variety of pasta made from egg dough (traditionally used eight egg yolks per pound of flour). This is the thinnest kind of "flat" paste: strips 1.5 mm wide. Tajarin is often served with meat or game sauces, or simply parmesan, butter and white truffle.

Agnolotti del plin(agniolotti del plin)- local ravioli with different fillings.

Rice is grown in Piedmont, although its distribution area is not so large: local truffle risottos and risottos with barolo and chestnuts deserve attention in the first place.

fonduta (fonduta)- a type of fondue for which the local fontina cheese is used.

Bollito misto (bollito misto)- stew of several types of meat: beef, pork legs, calf's head, chicken, etc. Different sauces are served with bollito: red bagnet ros - from tomatoes, carrots and spices, and green bagnet verd - from parsley and garlic.

Brasato al barolo (brasato al Barolo)- a dish of Italian national cuisine, which is beef marinated in barolo with spices for about 12 hours, and then stewed in the same sauce. Served traditionally with polenta.

The region is famous for its fruit and hazelnuts (Tonda Gentile delle Lange was awarded IGP status in 1993). The local “Saracenic” asparagus began to be grown in the vicinity of Vinchio relatively recently right in the vineyards between the rows of vines (it got its pirate name thanks to the legend of a skeleton in decayed rags of a marine uniform found at excavations nearby).

Cheeses of the national cuisine of Italy

Many of the Piedmontese cheeses trace their history back to the mountain villages of the region from the 11th-14th centuries.

Sconce (bra)- semi-hard cheese of the national cuisine of Italy of a cylindrical shape made from cow's milk with the addition of sheep or goat. Bra d'Alpegio - "mountain sconce", the hardest.

Castelmagno (castelmagno)- cow cheese with blue mold, akin to Gorgonzola.

Murazzano (murazzano)- soft sheep's unaged cheese.

Tom (toma piemontese)- semi-hard or soft uncooked cheese made from cow's milk. Cylindrical in various sizes, aged from 2 weeks to 6 months. One of the most famous examples of "alpine" cheese, the delicacy of its aroma is associated with the special diet of alpine cows.

Rusker (raschera)- a kind of volume, differs in shape: a half-barrel or a flattened pyramid.

Robiola (robiola)- fresh, without aging, cow's cheese of a cylindrical shape.

Traditional Italian cuisine: desserts

Bachi di lady or bachi di Cerasco (baci di Cerasco) is the most famous Piedmontese dessert. This traditional Italian dish (Italian kisses) is made from chocolate, almonds and candied oranges.

Look at the photo of Italian sweet table dishes:

vanilla lemon cake;

Novara crispy biscottini biscuits (biscottini);

San Pedar cake, chestnut ice cream (gelato di marroni)– from one glance at the photo there is a sweet taste.

Italy's national dish: Roman artichokes

Ingredients: artichokes, mint, garlic, olive oil.

Roman artichokes are a simple vegetable appetizer popular not only in the capital, but the Romans believe that the idea of ​​dipping artichokes in water with mint and garlic first came to them. There are many versions of this national dish of Italy: with parsley, with the addition of white wine and other things, but even in the "basic configuration" it is very tasty.

Carpaccio is a popular Italian dish.

Ingredients: Beef, parmesan, olive oil.

Corpaccio was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani, who opened the best hotel in Venice in 1956. The name is in honor of the painter Carpaccio, in whose paintings a thick red color dominated, reminiscent of the thinnest slices of frozen beef. Today, carpaccio is called anything, as long as it is thinly sliced, but Venetian carpaccio is still beef tenderloin.

Traditional Italian dish: Venetian liver

Ingredients: Veal liver, onion, red wine, balsamic vinegar.

Not only aristocrats live in Venice, but the folk Venetian cuisine has a certain nobility. In Venetian liver, it manifests itself in the addition of the best balsamic vinegar available to veal liver and onions stewed in red wine.

Italian fonduta

Ingredients: Fontina cheese, milk, yolks, butter.

Swiss fondue has many relatives, and northern Italian fondue is one of them. There are many ways to use this traditional Italian dish: on its own with bread, as an addition to pasta, or as a sauce for steaks, mushrooms or vegetables. Sometimes it is made from a mixture of fontina and talejo, and white truffles are added in season.

Dish from Italy: costoletta alla milanese

Ingredients: veal, milk, eggs, bread crumbs.

Costoletta alla Milanese in Milan is the most tender. The milk veal steak is beaten off, soaked in milk and fried in breadcrumbs in butter.

Pay attention to one more photo: this dish from Italy, unlike the Wiener schnitzel, the Milanese chop is prepared on the bone, and is often served with Milanese risotto.

Popular Italian dish ossobuco with gremolata

Ingredients: beef knuckle, white wine, broth, lemon, garlic, parsley.

beef shank chopped with thick washers with a bone in the middle, quickly fried, and then stewed for a long time in broth with wine until soft. In the classic version, ossobuco is served with gremolata - a seasoning of parsley, lemon zest, rosemary and garlic.

Italian risotto alla milanese

Ingredients: arborio rice, white wine, butter, saffron, parmesan, onion.

sunny milanese- not without reason the most famous type: there are few dishes where simple ingredients (rice, broth, onions and cheese), a simple recipe and a couple of saffron stamens would give such an excellent result. To make risotto alla milanese completely dazzling, it must be cooked with butter and marrow bone.

A popular Italian dish: bresaola from Valtellina

Dried meat in Italy was learned long before the world knew about Romulus and Remus. Today, in various provinces, it is mostly pork that is salted and cured, but there are places where beef or even veal is preferred.

beef jerky- this is the famous purple bresaola from Valtellina.

Famous italian dish stew bolognese

Ingredients: pancetta, ground beef, vegetables, red wine, broth, cream.

The key to the success of bolognese stew is a good pancetta, lots of vegetables, minced fresh beef and a long stew with broth and wine. This one of the most famous Italian dishes can be served on its own with fresh vegetables and added to pasta (such as tagliatelle) and used for lasagna.

Italian dish tortellini in brodo

Ingredients: pork, prosciutto, mortadella, parmesan, broth.

Theoretically, this is a Christmas dish of the province, in practice, the inhabitants of Bologna, Modena and Ferrara eat tortellini in a strong broth all year round. What separates tortellini in bordeaux from other types of stuffed pasta is not the shape, but the filling: a complex mixture of several types of meat, flavored with parmesan and nutmeg.

Also from Emilia-Romagna:

Prosciutto from Parma, real parmesan Parmigiano Reggiano.

Very thick boiled sausage mortadella.

The best balsamic vinegar in the world Modena (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena) and many more things.

Italian polenta

The easiest Italian polenta recipe is corn grits and water. But on the basis of this elemental mixture in Italy, hundreds of dishes were invented. Polenta is almost always seasoned with cheese (Parmesan or other), and then it's only up to the chef's imagination: he can add meat, vegetables, mushrooms, fish, seafood, etc.

Cuisine of Italy: Sardinian lamb

The Sardis have always preferred meat to fish and have long learned to raise the best lambs in Italy. Sardinian lambs feed only on mother's milk, but since the sheep graze in wild mountainous areas, the meat of the lambs acquires a slight shade of game, while maintaining the tenderness characteristic of dairy lambs.

Popular Italian dish bottarga

Dried salted tuna caviar or mullet is known throughout the Mediterranean, but it was most likely invented in Sicily. The reddish-brown bars of bottarga are pounded to spice up pasta or simply to sprinkle on salad instead of salt.

Traditional Italian pizza Margherita

Ever since in 1889 the agile pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito has come up with a pizza in the colors of the royal family (red like tomatoes, white like mozzarella, green like basil), smartly adapting a variant that existed long before that to the needs of the monarchy. The best pizza Margherita, dedicated to Margherita of Savoy, is baked in Naples.

National dish of Italy: spaghetti with vongole

This supposedly simple recipe can serve as an exam for the position of chef in any restaurant. One must be able to choose from four varieties of vongole shells - "cockerels" (ruditapes decussatus) are the only true ones, hand-picked on a sandy bottom - the rest are not so fragrant. To be able to choose pasta - necessarily from durum wheat, and even passed through copper molds. And to be able to boil it in the manner of risotto so that it absorbs the delicate aroma of fresh shellfish.

Also native to Campania is mozzarella, including dibuffala, sanmarzano tomatoes, lemons from Amalfi, and more.

Italian Pasta Arabiata

The cuisine of Basilicata gave Italy the recipe for the most "evil" of all pastas - penne all arrabiata. Pasta Arabiata is prepared with brisket, tomato sauce, peppers and sheep's cheese. What becomes unsurprising as soon as you get acquainted with the whole variety of local hot peppers - from small, incredibly sharp "devils" (diavolocci) to long, as if carved from coral "cigarettes" (sigarette). The best honey in Italy (millefiori) is also found here, collected from hundreds of species of various flowers.