Italy is rich not only in history and culture, but also in traditional Italian recipes. As a matter of fact, aside from the all-time authentic Italian recipes such as pasta dishes and pizza, which are cooked and served throughout the country, each region has its own special dishes as well.
Another factor you may encounter with regards to Italian cooking is that the same classic authentic Italian recipes may have different spellings or altogether different names in different locales. They may have the same main ingredients, cooking methods, presentations, and all. But don’t be too shocked if you encounter basically the same dish but with a different name when you’re in another town, commune, city, or region. Not only that, but even traditional Italian recipes handed down for several generations may vary from family to family, too!
To begin with, Italian cuisine has its roots way back in the ancient world, particularly in the 4th century BC. On top of that, there were significant influences indelibly left by several ancient civilizations, namely the following:
A civilization in ancient Italy that settled in the areas that are now Tuscany, northern Lazio, and western Umbria. What has been discovered about Etruscan cuisine did not come from ancient cookbooks but on domestic items and decorations discovered in their ancient cities. Based on historical findings, Etruscans were not fond of eating meat. They preferred cheese, garlic, legumes, and onion. They also liked soup. However, historians do believe they raised pigs.
An influential ancient civilization in the Mediterranean that played a huge part in the development of many European civilizations. Historians also believe they had a major role in the foundation of the modern Western culture, as we know it today. Its cuisine basically revolved around three major ingredients: wheat, wine, and olive oil. Other common foodstuff you could find in an ancient Greek household were bread, fruits and vegetables, eggs, and dairy products. Meat consumption depended on location and social status. Wild birds and hare were usually hunted in the countryside. In farms, it was usually domesticated fowls such as chickens and geese. Meanwhile, bigger domesticated animals such as pigs, goats, and sheep were common in the cities.
A politically powerful world power in ancient world history, it is also heavily influenced by the ancient Greeks. Among the major foodstuff in ancient Roman households were grains, legumes, leafy vegetables, some root crops, herbs, wild mushrooms, citrus and dried fruits, berries and nuts, olive oil, meat and dairy products, seasonings, and sweeteners. Grains were often made into breads and was a common fare for the military and people living in urban areas.
Aside from the major influences in the past, another determining factor in authentic Italian recipes is the location. The entire Italian peninsula has quite a diverse landscape and Italian cooking has always been about using good quality and fresh ingredients. So families or households simply use whatever food items that can be easily found in the market, according to location.
In coastal areas, you will often find various kinds of seafood in many of their traditional Italian recipes. For mountainous areas, usual fares will be ones with heavy meat dishes, as well as cured or preserved fish. Pasta ingredients may also have differences, since dried pasta made of semolina is typical in the south while soft fresh pasta made with egg is the usual in the north.
Other characteristics of classic Italian recipes are its simplicity and seasonal ingredients. In fact, many traditional dishes can be considered easy Italian recipes, from their ingredients to their method to their presentation.
Anelletti al Forno. From the city of Trapani in Sicily comes this delicious baked pasta dish, similar to a Baked Ziti, but with a smaller pasta shape. I switched out the usual meat sauce of pork and beef and used ground turkey, which is lighter and perfect for the hotter days of Summer. I sent […]
When my grandmother was preparing the dish every Sunday in Italy, no one in the family was late for lunch! I can still remember the aroma of the ragu that was cooking all morning. In my house we strictly respected the Bolognese tradition in the making of this dish, but during the years she adapted […]
Soup is a wonderful meal to serve as a starter, a light or not-so-light lunch and for any supper. Tomatoes lend themselves to soup and are used as an ingredient in almost all soups to give color, to add flavor and zest. Tomato soup was fashionable in the sixties and then it was canned – […]
There’s no doubt that my favorite panettone is the Poli and and the best spumante I can think of is the Giulio Ferrari, Riserva del Fondatore which is why, if you can get hold it, it’s the Christmas gift to give any Italian. And me. If anyone needs to know where to deliver mine, just […]
This Italian cheese bread is a traditional Easter bread from two bordering regions of Italy: Umbria and Marche. In Umbria is called “Pizza di Pasqua”, while “Crescia al Formaggio” in the Marche region. Regardless of its name, it’s delicious!
A frico is a cheese pancake that isn’t really a pancake because it has no eggs. Fried until it’s firm and crisp, it’s typical of Carnia, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. Potatoes are usually added but the variations are endless and each village and mountain valley has their own interpretation or recipe. Nowadays […]
Lombardians have far too often been unfairly accused of failing to contribute to the Italian cuisine – and that because they were the ones building the economic hub driving the Italian economy so that the South can indulge in a few extra long and lazy lunches! It is forgotten, all too soon, that Italian blood […]
Even though I always believed that this well loved sweet was originally the brainchild of Apicius who lovingly described nucatum (also based on honey, walnuts and eggs) in his writings, it was probably the romantic in me and it does seem that nougat, in it’s current form was invented in Marseilles during the 16th century and was probably the result […]
I don’t know whether it’s a kick back from the childhood days or whether it’s just a thing with me but I love beans – especially cannellini beans and Tuscan bean soup leaves me weak at the knees. There’s no single recipe for it and I’ve come across dozens in my life, eventually settling for […]
This classic Tuscan cake has been exported all over the world and there are a myriad of recipes in existence. It’s delicious and always worth the effort but it’s terrible when it’s made badly, as is everything else. Everyone needs to have a recipe for this to be able to make it quickly and this […]
Tiella pugliese is a hearty layered casserole similar to potato gratin or paella. The name “tiella” refers to the cooking vessel as well as to the food inside it. Typically, a tiella is made of terracotta, but a cast iron skillet also works well for this recipe. One of the tricks to making a good […]
Vitello Tonnato first began appearing in cook books in the 19th century because Piedmont was allied with Liguria where tuna was canned along the coast. At this time, also, lemons and capers from Sicily and a variety of olive oils from the rest of Italy started to arrive in Piedmont and the tonnato sauce was […]
Creamy yellow Gorgonzola, abundantly veined with a blue green mold, can also be produced as an unaged paler, creamier version. Traditionally the cheese is made with raw cow’s milk and even sheep’s milk cheese varieties are available today. It’s been made outside Milano since the eighth century, when it was hung in huge caves to ripen. Nobody knows when […]
There is no certainty about the origin of the word “Tarallo”, indeed there is considerable disagreement about where the word came from. The origins are inspired by different languages and the most accredited suggestions are the four listed below: – from the Greek daratos, a kind of bread – from the Latin torrere, to toast […]
The Pastiera is the emblematic and legendary traditional Neapolitan Easter pie. Made with traditional ingredients like, ricotta, cooked wheat and orange blossom water, is an Italian dessert to absolutely prepare it at least once in a lifetime!
Print Recipe 5 from 1 vote Easy Chocolate Pudding Recipe with Sexy Filling This delicious dessert recipe is perfect for your romantic dinner! Prep Time20 minsCook Time15 minsTotal Time35 mins Course: DessertCuisine: ItalianKeyword: cacao, dessert, pudding Servings: 4 Calories: 1266kcal Author: Nonna Box Ingredients240 g dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids240 g butter8 egg yolks4 […]
I love the flavors and colors of vegetables in the Summer! Just seeing all the fresh and brightly-colored vegetables at the farmer’s market makes me want to create beautiful recipes. Roasting red peppers with the sweet cherry tomatoes, brings out their creaminess and flavor in a different way than just sautéing them. It becomes a colorful […]
For this recipe it’s imperative that you use the best quality chocolate that you can find – ordinary milk chocolate simply won’t do the job and if that’s all you have, make something else – ah! Print Recipe 5 from 1 vote Easy Chocolate Truffles Recipe This recipe for chocolate truffles is quick and simple […]
Zabaglione is traditionally served with fresh, ripe figs and, in Italy, is known as zabaione or zabajone – the name varies depending on the country. It may have originated in Venice where honey was used instead of sugar, but most likely Piedmont is the Italian region of origin. Some say the Italian dessert dates back to 1471, […]
Prosciutto and peas are meant to go together, there is even a famous pasta sauce that adds cream to these two ingredients. I was in an inventive mood, and instead of making the basic ricotta and spinach stuffed pasta shells, which you can easily find in the frozen section at your local grocery store, I […]
The Italian region of Bologna is the home of fresh and filled pastas. They have the most unique shapes and each pasta shape compliments specific dishes to hold up to the different sauces. Garganelli looks similar to penne but it has a small flap and holds cream sauces perfectly. You can find it at your […]
Summertime in the Mediterranean brings back so many memories from when I was young. The freshest seafood prepared simply and elegantly. Not a long time ago at the fish market, I saw these beautiful squid and thought about creating a recipe that mixed up many regions and flavors from Italy: from Tuscany, handmade Strozzapreti pasta, which translated […]
In many Italian street food markets you can find little booths with usually a person selling porchetta by the cut. But have you ever wondered how is it made? Find out here!
Fresh pasta is probably the most important ingredient in Italian cuisine, and is actually much easier to make than most people think. I want to share with you the basics of making the perfect pasta dough, which you can translate into so many shapes and sizes (check out our guide). Bologna is the city in Italy that […]
This dish is one of the most iconic recipes from Bologna. I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to create a traditional meal from scratch, that took me back to my time in Bologna. I decided to make this popular dish following the exact recipe, so I made the pasta dough and hand made each little tortelloni filled with […]
