The kitchen has always been the mirror of Italian life and culture.
Italian cuisine developed as early as the ancient Romans, with Greek, Arab, Byzantine and American influences. It is a simple and balanced cuisine, which relies on the quality of products, rather than quantity: many dishes require less than five ingredients.
In Italy there are four types of meals that the Italian people cannot give up: breakfast, lunch, snacktime and dinner.
The main foods that make Italy unique are: pizza, pasta, rice, polenta, desserts and even some drinks such as wine and coffee. Each Italian region has in its own culinary heritage: one or more foods that can rarely be eaten elsewhere, and each of these regions has typical products and dishes for which many tourists are willing to spend time and a lot of money to taste.
We therefore offer our readers some of the most important and famous recipes in Italian cuisine …
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
One of the most important Italian dishes is Spaghetti alla Carbonara and it has Roman origins.
INGREDIENTS
-1 Tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
-1/2 pound pancetta or thick cut bacon, diced
-1-2 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 teaspoon
-3-4 whole eggs
-1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
-1 pound spaghetti pasta
-Salt and black pepper to taste
METHOD
-1 Heat pasta water
-2 Sauté pancetta/bacon and garlic
-3 Beat eggs and half of the cheese
-4 Cook pasta
-5 Toss pasta with pancetta/bacon
-6 Add the beaten egg mixture
Homemade Pasta with Truffles
A famous typical Italian dish is homemade pasta with truffles. This dish is mainly prepared in the central regions of Italy, particularly in Umbria.
INGREDIENTS
-8 oz of homemade pasta
-½ cup Parmesan cheese
-1/2 stick salted butter
-1 oz fresh black truffle
-salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Heat the oil in a pan and add the butter and the garlic clove. In the meantime, slice the truffle into thin slices: as soon as the garlic has become golden, remove it and add some truffle flakes to the pan, keeping the others aside to decorate the dish. Season the sauce over a low heat and in the meantime cook the tagliatelle in abundantly salted water. Drain al dente and let it season in the pan with the sauce, add a little pepper and stir, adding, if necessary, a little cooking water to tie the pasta. Serve immediately with flakes of black truffle.
TIRAMISU’
One of the most popular Italian desserts in the world is definitely tiramisu, originally from Siena (Tuscany).
INGREDIENTS
-400 gr Italian mascarpone cheese
-4 eggs
-120 gr sugar + 3 tablespoon for espresso coffee
-400 gr oro saiwa or Italian savoiardi cookies
-1 double shot or 2 ounces espresso or extra strong coffee
-2 tablespoon cream whisky
-unsweetened cocoa
METHOD
In a bowl, whisk, egg yolks, sugar and half of the whisky cream. Whip fast to thicken. Then, spoon by spoon, fold in mascarpone. Mixture should be a little softer than the consistency of mayonnaise. If mixture isn’t thick enough and comes out runny, use a hand blender with whipping blades to thicken. Whip the egg whites and add them to the mascarpone cream, stirring from bottom to top. On a small plate, mix espresso plus the rest of the brandy. Quickly dip each side of the biscuits (do not completely soak), then add a layer to the bottom of your serving dish. Top with mascarpone mixture, then repeat three times and top with the rest of the mixture. Cover and rest in fridge for 4 hours or overnight. Sprinkle cocoa on top before serving.
Total Time: 20-30 minutes (plus 4 hours or overnight in refrigerator)
This article about italian food is interesting. It explains some of the most important and famous recipes in Italian cuisine.
The article is well kept and gives to the reader the possibility to know everything about these recipes and the opportunity to cook some traditional italian food. I will try to cook these recipes!