Italy: Recipes and Cuisine

Roasting is an excellent way to prepare asparagus. This simple dish with a tasty Parmesan crust is a snap to throw together. Asparagi alla parmigiana is a springtime favorite in northern Italy. Read more »

This refreshing cocktail was first served in Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy, sometime in the 1930s or '40s. Named after the Renaissance artist Giovanni Bellini, this beautifully hued beverage is traditionally made with white peaches. If you can't find white peaches, regular peaches will do. Bellinis make the perfect beverage for brunches and New Year's or other celebrations. Read more »

Pizzaiola is an Italian word that means "pizza style." And it perfectly describes this dish of thinly pounded beef cutlets simmered briefly in a simple tomato sauce. Read more »

Brasato al Chianti is great Tuscan cold-weather food and goes well with polenta or potato gnocchi. Brasato, Italian for "braised," can also be made with Barolo or any other Italian red wine. Read more »

Bruschetta, at its most basic, is bread that is grilled and then rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. Topping these tasty toasts with fresh tomatoes makes a popular Roman antipasto, just perfect for the dog days of late summer. Read more »

This comforting dish originates in the Tuscan town of Siena. Fagioli all'uccelletto is traditionally served with pork liver, but these creamy, tomatoey beans go with a variety of boiled or braised meat dishes. Read more »

Gamberetti all'agro is a simple antipasto is popular all along the Italian coast. The simple flavors of the poached shrimp mingled with citrusy juice make a perfect finger food for a summer's evening get-together. Read more »

Gnocchi alla Romana are gnocchi, Roman-style. Unlike the more familiar potato gnocchi, these are made out of semolina and are baked with a cheese topping. Owing to its large Italian community, this dish is also found in Argentina. Read more »

This popular after-dinner liqueur from the south of Italy is classically made with lemons from the Isle of Capri. Families all along the Amalfi Coast make their own with lemons from backyard gardens. Read more »

Minestra di ceci is a simple and nourishing soup from the Tuscan region of Italy. It goes together quickly and is great for a rainy day. Serve it with a nice chunk of crusty bread for a full meal. Read more »

Marinated olives are a popular snack and antipasto in Italy. Olives are popular all around the Mediterranean coast. They make a great addition to any Spanish, Italian, North African, Greek or Provençal meal. Read more »

This simple recipe comes together quickly and is a great first course for any Italian meal or can serve as a light dinner on its own. Orecchiette, an ear-shaped pasta, is perfect for this dish, but you can substitute other shaped pasta like penne, fusilli or farfalle. Read more »

Panzanella is a classic summer salad from Tuscany and other regions of central Italy. Tuscans are known for the ingenious ways they use up old bread, and this salad is a perfect example. Be sure to use a good quality, crusty bread. Sometimes called panmolle. Read more »

Pappa al pomodoro comes from the Tuscan region of Italy and is an excellent and easy way to use up tomatoes from your garden in the late summer. Use a crusty, good quality, Italian-style bread for this dish. Read more »

Puttana is the Italian word for "whore," and legend has it that this dish was used by Neapolitan ladies of the night to entice potential clients to sample their other offerings. It's a simple, straightforward dish with bold Mediterannean flavors. The sauce should cook only a minimal amount of time so that each ingredient maintains its identity and the olives don't discolor it. And be careful with how much salt you add. The anchovies, capers and olives are all salty ingredients. Read more »

This is your basic dough for any Neapolitan-style pizza. Use all-purpose flour for a more authentic, cracker-like crust for your pizza. Bread flour will give the dough more of a chew. As with any yeast bread recipe, the exact amounts of flour, water and rising time are dependent on the day's weather. Follow your intuition. Read more »

This is a perfect late summer antipasto. For best flavor, let the peppers rest at room temperature for about 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Read more »

Pesto genovese is an ancient recipe and is the classic accompaniment to pasta in the Ligurian town of Genoa. The original method called for careful grinding of the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. The food processor is a little quicker. The exact proportions of the ingredients are much argued over. Follow your own taste. Read more »

Flatbreads baked with toppings date back to Roman times. But it wasn't until the 1800s that Italians added tomato sauce and cheese. The basic pizza in Naples must have three components: a thin crust, fresh tomato sauce and buffalo milk mozzarella. San Marzano tomatoes from the slopes of Vesuvius are the best if you can get them. Good mozzarella di bufala can be hard to find outside Campania. Fresh cow's milk mozzarella (fior di latte) is an acceptable stand-in. Read more »

Pollo alla cacciatora, or chicken cacciatore in English, is a simple dish that is popular not only in Italy but around the world. The word cacciatore means "hunter," and alla cacciatora means "hunter style." The ingredients vary wildly, but its essentials seem to be chicken, onions, tomatoes and wine. It is often made with rabbit, and many recipes call for mushrooms, both things an Italian hunter might come across in the woods. Read more »

This simple recipe puts the deep, rich, sweet flavor of balsamic vinegar to good use. The marinade not only flavors the chicken pieces but tenderizes them as well. Balsamic vinegar was first made in the city of Modena in the region of Emilia-Romagna. Read more »

Ragù bolognese is a good Sunday dinner dish. Its long simmering is perfect for a lazy day. Serve this rich meat sauce over tagliatelle, rigatoni or penne or as a lasagne filling. One thing the residents of Bologna never do is serve bolognese sauce over spaghetti. Read more »

Risi e bisi is favorite springtime dish in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is a thick soup, not a risotto, so you should add enough stock to keep its consistency somewhat loose. And try to use fresh peas if you can. They make a much more flavorful dish and give it a brighter green. Read more »

This amazing pasta dish is said by some to have originated at the end of World War II, when American soldiers in Rome yearned for a meal of bacon and eggs. The Romans, of course, added pasta and Parmesan, and a classic was born. In many Roman restaurants these days, the softer flavor of pancetta or salted pork jowl (guanciale) is substituted for smoky bacon. The choice is yours. Also known as spaghetti alla carbonara. Read more »

Spinaci con pignoli is such an easy dish to make, yet full of flavor and texture. The secret is to only cook it long enough to just wilt the spinach. Overcooking will destroy its fresh texture. Read more »

This rich and comforting potato gratin comes from the northern coastal region of Liguria. Serve it with a simple roast and side vegetable for a satisfying Sunday supper. Read more »

Torta di mele is a typical Tuscan dessert. Tuscans are known for finding all kinds of ways to use up leftover bread, and day-old bread is best for this recipe. Because this torte contains an egg custard, leftovers should be refrigerated. Read more »

Walnuts (noci) are a favorite of the Italians, and this simple, dense cake makes excellent use of their rich, round flavor. Serve with a capuccino or a hot cup of tea. Read more »

Zucchini con salvia is a simple dish and a great way to use up a late summer abundance of summer squashes. Pairs well with roast chicken or pork tenderloin. Read more »

Lentils are an ancient crop, nutritious and full of fiber. Lentil soup is an easy dish to throw together, and is hearty enough to make a full meal. Perfect for vegetarians, zuppa di lenticchie is the Italian version. Germans make Linsensuppe, the French soupe aux lentilles. The Greeks have fakis, and the Turks enjoy mercimek çorbasi. Read more »