The best Italian cuisine recipes. Italian dinner with or without rules: Ligurian evening at La Prima. Chili pepper appetizer

Italian Cuisine is the most widespread and used in the world. It gained its championship primarily thanks to such dishes as pasta and pizza. Various variations of these dishes are prepared in almost all countries of the world. Getting closer to the gastronomy of Italy, you discover many unique regional recipes, the main components of which are pasta, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, olive oil, cheeses, wine and herbs (especially basil).

Let's remember the dishes of Italian cuisine in more detail...

The Roman Empire was famous for its feasts, which included a huge variety of dishes. Since those times, the tradition of cooking meat in Italy has been preserved. in kind. For example, if Italians prepare a meat stew, they quite often do not cut the meat into small pieces, but stew the entire piece.

During the Middle Ages, Italian cuisine became more refined. The fish table has become more varied. In addition to Mediterranean fish, Italian residents began to use crabs, shellfish, cuttlefish, shrimp, lobsters and lobsters in cooking.

During the Renaissance, cooking in Italy was elevated to the rank of art. In the 16th century, a complex cookbook was published by Vatican librarian Bartolomeo Sacchi entitled On True Pleasures and Well-Being. The publication was reprinted 6 times, it was very popular among the people of Italy. Subsequently, schools teaching culinary skills began to open in Florence.

Much of what the world knows as Italian food comes from the southern part of Italy. Northern Italy was wealthier than the rest of the country. Because of this, great differences arose between the northern and southern cuisines of Italy. South part The country was poor, so people had to use nutritious and inexpensive products in cooking. While in the north they created fresh pasta from cream and eggs, in the south they perfected the craft of making dry pasta and pasta.

Italian cuisine is considered one of the best in the world, but, for example, unlike French, it is more specific. One of its main advantages is the seasonality of the products used.

The main ingredients of Italian dishes are dough, tomatoes, garlic, capsicum, olive oil, cabbage, carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, salads, asparagus, herbs and a large number of cheese. Rice is also popular, served with meat, shrimp, oysters, mushrooms and so on.

Italy is the birthplace of Parmesan, Gorgonzola, mozzarella, mascarpone and others. Cheese is the most important component of an Italian dish; it is added grated or cut into small pieces.

Without olive oil it costs almost nothing Italian dish. It is used for frying, preparing various seasonings, and also adding to salads. It's interesting that they don't use it in Italian cuisine. sunflower oil: Either extra virgin olive oil or lard.

Tomato sauce is very popular in Italy. It is usually simmered over low heat for a long time, and then seasonings such as basil and marjoram are added. In general, a lot of different spices are used in Italian cooking: rosemary, oregano, sage, cumin and others. Thanks to them, dishes acquire a unique taste.

Each region of Italy has its own customs that shape the culture of cooking. Some of the main factors influencing the cuisine of a particular region of the country are climate, lifestyle and products produced by local residents.

The regions of Molise and Abruzzo are famous for their cheese and smoked meats. Basilicata's cuisine includes beef dishes, rich soups and other hearty dishes. Calabrian, Ligurian and Apulian dishes are based on fish and seafood. In addition, a huge amount of vegetables and fruits grow in Calibria.

The birthplace of the world famous Italian dish - pizza - is the capital of Campania - Naples. Hearty, seasoned stews and fruit desserts are also popular here.

Parmesan, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar and mortadella come from Emilia Romagna. And the cuisine of the Lazio region, of which Rome is the capital, is characterized by the consumption of veal and lamb.

The cuisines of the Lombardy and Piedmont regions are typically characterized by the use of rice, polenta and gnocchi dishes. Piedmont is also known to produce the best white truffles.

Tuscan fertile lands provide excellent fruits and vegetables, as well as pasture for livestock. Beef, pork and game dishes are popular here.

The main role in the cuisine of Sardinia goes to eel, tuna, lobster, and the traditional holiday dish is a young pig roasted on a spit. Dishes of Sicily combine elements of Italian, Arabic, Greek and Spanish cuisines. And if you briefly describe Sicilian cuisine, it would be three words: pasta, fish, sweets. Traditional dishes The region of Trentino - Alto Adige are dumplings and smoked sausages. Winemaking is also done here.

Umbria supplies quality olive oil and black truffles. Dishes in this region are prepared from pork, lamb, game and river fish. Veneto and Friuli are famous for their fish dishes, as well as polenta and risotto, while the main products of the Marche region are pork, pasta and olives.

In first place in popularity in Italy are a variety of pasta dishes, which differ in shape, quality and taste. These dishes are called in one word - pasta. It is usually seasoned with one of the many Italian sauces. There are long “spaghetti”, medium-sized “Maccheroni”, short “bucatini”, thin “vermicelli” and very thin “cappellini”. Real pasta is made from durum wheat.

“Pasta” includes dishes such as pasta, gnoczi (small dumplings), spaghetti, ravioli, tagliatelle (a type of noodle). All these dishes are very tasty and are eaten with tomato sauce. Fritto de pesce (fish fried in oil) is considered the most delicious and at the same time uncomplicated fish dish.

Pizza is also very popular, not only in Italy, but all over the world. Pizza is prepared in special restaurants - pizzerias, but it can also be ordered in a regular restaurant.

Another traditional Italian dish is risotto - rice pilaf with ham, cheese, onions, mushrooms and shrimp. But the composition may vary.

Italians eat wheat bread. It is prepared and sold in small private bakeries called paneficcio.

No less famous is carpaccio, which is pieces of beef fillet cooked with herbs and spices and seasoned with olive oil. This dish is served either as an appetizer or as a main course.

The French traveler de Brosse, traveling through Italy, wrote to his friends about chicken fricassis in 1739. He outlined the recipe for this dish in some detail: “first prepare the onion broth in a large flat bowl, then add the cream sauce and immerse the young stewed chickens in it. This dish is topped with water prepared from an infusion of orange flowers and served hot.” De Brosse goes on to describe the extraordinary taste of this dish. Admiring this dish, he advises you to try cooking it to see for yourself the unique taste. It should be noted that there were other travelers who specifically traveled around Italy in search of unusual recipes.

Soups are also popular in Italy. The word soup itself has Italian roots. The most unusual soups include “Pavesa” and “Neapolitan offal”. Pavesa soup is prepared from roasted white bread and eggs. They are filled with broth and sprinkled with grated cheese on top. “Neapolitan giblets” are made from giblets, various vegetables and cheese. The soup turns out very tasty and satisfying. Undoubtedly, there are many more dishes in Italian cuisine. Above, only a few of them were briefly described, which seemed interesting to us, and at the same time, they are not difficult to prepare at home. Along with its unusual cuisine, Italy has very interesting story. And often it is connected with cooking. Unusual cases and Interesting Facts about the history of Italian cooking.

Determining when and in which house a holiday in a poor Sicilian village is not at all difficult. As you know, on a holiday, all the best that the family has is put on the table. And the Sicilian poor peasant always fries schnitzel on holiday, the aroma of which quickly spreads throughout the village and means that the holiday will be successful and fun. Pork schnitzel is rubbed with salt, pepper, finely chopped onion and other seasonings and fried. Then the tomatoes are fried separately and the schnitzel is placed on them. The side dish is usually fluffy rice.

There are many versions about the origin of pasta. According to one of them, the name of this dish was given by a cardinal. When he first saw and tasted pasta, he exclaimed: “Oh, ma caroni!” - which translated from Italian means “Oh, how sweet!” According to another version, the name belongs to the Greeks, who, when encountering something unusual in the cities of Southern Italy, called it “maccherone”. In literature, pasta is mentioned for the first time in the Decameron. Cooking pasta is a real art. They should only be immersed in boiling water. You need to discard the pasta in a colander when it is still a little hard. After this, pour HOT water over it. Let the water drain and place on plates. The pasta is ready. The best pasta sauce is real italian sauce"Salsa di pomodoro."

Cooking in Italy was elevated to the rank of art during the Renaissance. Bartolomeo Sacchi (Platinum), the Vatican librarian, compiled an elaborate cookbook entitled De Honesta Valuptate ac Valetudine (On True Pleasures and Well-Being); over three decades, the book went through six editions. Florentine merchants spent large sums establishing schools of culinary arts.

When Catherine de Medici, a great gourmet, married the French king Henry II, she took an Italian chef with her. Before this, French cuisine did not exist. Even the gastronomic encyclopedia (Larousse Gastronomique) calls Italy the birthplace of national cuisine.

The first victims of Italian cuisine were the French, so convinced of their influence on the cuisine of Northern Italy bordering France that traditional Italian pastas managed to find a place on the menu almost unnoticed by them. huge amount French restaurants. The United States has added the fastest-to-cook Italian dish to its universal fast food repertoire: pizza. It must be admitted that the Italians themselves are no longer happy about this: it took the Americans only a few years to disfigure a century-old recipe with mayonnaise. Say that the pastes are recognized business card Italian cuisine is like saying nothing. Archaeologists found the first tools for producing and cooking pastes in Etruscan graves. And in 1000 AD, the patriarchal chef Martin Corno had already written the book “Culinary Art of Sicilian Vermicelli and Pasta.” It is enough to know what pasta is Italian not only the name of pasta, but also a synonym for the word “food” in general. So asking someone to cook something to eat at the same time sounds like “give me some pasta”!

I want to have dinner in Italian! Basil, tomatoes, cheese are already in the basket, there is rice in the cupboard at home... Many tourists who want to visit Italy cite the desire to taste the unique local cuisine as one of the main reasons guiding them. Indeed, Italian dishes are extremely popular far beyond the country’s borders. And culinary traditions are no less important for Italians than, say, architecture or art! We invite you to take a culinary journey without leaving the confines of your cozy kitchen and prepare dinner in the best traditions of Italian housewives. No hard-to-find ingredients or special skills, anyone can handle these recipes!

Italian food recipes

Minestrone

A classic vegetable soup must certainly be thick and rich, so that, as they say, “the spoon will stand.” The more different vegetables, the better! Traditionally, legumes are added to minestrone. Young beans and peas will cook quickly, but if you use dry ones, keep in mind that they will need to be soaked first.

2 liters of water
1 stack green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 stack beans
0.5 heads of cabbage (small head)
4 tomatoes
2 potatoes
2 zucchini
1 carrot
1 onion
0.5 stack. rice
olive oil for frying
salt, pepper, aromatic herbs (basil, marjoram, oregano)

Shred the cabbage thinly. Cut the zucchini, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes into cubes, and the onion into thin half rings. Fry the onion in olive oil until golden brown, add the carrots and cook for a few more minutes.
Boil water, add beans and cook until soft. Add all the vegetables and green peas to the pan and simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add the washed rice and cook over low heat for another 15 minutes. Before serving, season the soup with aromatic herbs.

Bruschetta

Bruschetta is usually served as an appetizer before the main course. The basis is usually ciabatta or other crispy breads. They are fried, rubbed with garlic, and a juicy filling is placed on top.

1 ciabatta
300 g tomatoes
1 bundle basilica
2 teeth garlic
salt to taste
olive oil
0.5 tsp. lemon juice
hard cheese (parmesan is ideal)

Cut the bread into slices and dry on the grill or in a dry frying pan. Rub warm croutons with garlic.
Cut the tomatoes into cubes, chop the basil, add salt to taste, season with olive oil and lemon juice, stir. Place tomatoes on toasted bread and sprinkle with grated cheese if desired.

Caprese

This salad is a unique symbol of Italy, because its color scheme embodies the Italian flag!

3-4 tomatoes
150 g mozzarella
0.5 bunch. basilica
salt, pepper to taste
olive oil
dried oregano

Cut the cheese and tomatoes into slices approximately 0.5 centimeters thick.
Lay out one at a time on a plate, interspersed with basil leaves. Salt, pepper, sprinkle with olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped dried oregano.

Risotto with mushrooms

There are many recipes for risotto, but one thing remains important: the rice should be round, of certain varieties (“Arborio”, “Vialone Nano”, “Carnaroli”) and under no circumstances should it be washed! The consistency of the dish should be almost creamy, but the grains of rice should remain al dente (“to the tooth” in our opinion). They also say that risotto turns out tastier the more people you cook for. Below are the ingredients for 2 servings.

150 g rice (Arborio)
80 ml white vermouth (can be white semi-sweet)
400 ml chicken broth
200 g champignons
2 teeth garlic
1 onion
20 g butter
30 g parmesan
100 ml cream 20% fat
salt, black pepper, parsley
olive oil for frying

Chop the onion as finely as possible, fry in olive oil, add chopped garlic and coarsely chopped mushrooms.
Fry for a few minutes.
Grate Parmesan, mix with cream and finely chopped parsley.
Melt in a separate pan butter. Fry the rice until it becomes translucent (when stirring, the sound will resemble the sound of sand being poured).
Pour in vermouth or wine and simmer for a few minutes. After this, pour chicken broth into the pan (it should cover the rice by 1 centimeter). Cook with constant stirring for about 15 minutes.
2 minutes before readiness, add the mushrooms, stir, then add the creamy mixture, keep on the fire for another minute, remembering to stir. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and remove from heat. After 2 minutes, the dish can be placed on plates.

Panna cotta

The name of the dish is translated from Italian as “boiled cream”. The simplicity of the dessert in no way detracts from its charm. It is prepared with various fruit additives, sauces from berries, coffee, chocolate, alcohol... And don’t think that this is ordinary milk jelly! Panna cotta, cooked correctly, is tender with a velvety cut.

8 g instant gelatin
50 ml ice water for gelatin
50 ml water for syrup
250 ml cream 35% fat
125 ml milk 3% fat
110 g sugar
2-3 drops natural vanilla extract
2 lemons

Pour ice water over the gelatin, stir and wait until it soaks.
Pour cream, milk into a saucepan, add 60 g of sugar and vanilla extract. Place on the fire and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cool to approximately 80 degrees.
Add gelatin into the creamy mixture, mix gently, not being too zealous, so as not to form bubbles. Pour into molds, glasses or bowls. Refrigerate for 5-6 hours.
To make the lemon syrup, zest the lemons and place in a small saucepan. Add 50 g sugar and water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook for a minute, remove from heat. Serve dessert with lemon syrup.

But we don’t say goodbye to you here, come back again!

Dinner in Italian

Celery in cream sauce

Ingredients

Celery stalks – 300 g, lemon – 1 pc., cream – 100 ml, flour – 1 tbsp. spoon, butter - 1 tbsp. spoon, garlic - 1 clove, green pepper - 5 peas, celery - 1 sprig, salt.

Cooking method

Celery is washed, cut into pieces 7-8 cm long and blanched in salted water for 7-10 minutes. The garlic is crushed and sautéed together with flour in butter until golden brown. Then add cream and crushed green pepper and cook with constant stirring until thickened. Squeeze the juice out of half the lemon, cut the remaining half into slices.

The finished celery is placed on a dish, sprinkled with lemon juice, poured over with creamy sauce, decorated with lemon slices and herb leaves and served.

Spaghetti with seafood and tomatoes

Ingredients

Spaghetti – 200 g, frozen peeled shrimp – 200 g, frozen mussel meat – 100 g, tomatoes – 2 pcs., garlic – 1 clove, olive oil – 2 tbsp. spoons, basil greens - 2 sprigs, salt, ground red and black pepper to taste.

Cooking method

Boil the spaghetti in salted water until tender and drain in a colander. The garlic is peeled and finely chopped, sautéed in a frying pan in vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes, then shrimp, mussels, peeled and diced tomatoes are placed in the frying pan and cooked for another 5-7 minutes.

At the end of cooking, add salt, red and black pepper.

Spaghetti is laid out on plates, shrimp and tomatoes are placed on top, garnished with basil leaves and served.

Pizza with ham and salami

Ingredients

Ready dough – 300 g, cheese – 200 g, ham – 150 g, salami – 100 g, tomatoes – 2 pcs., ketchup – 2 tbsp. spoons, oregano - 1 teaspoon.

Cooking method

The tomatoes are washed and cut into slices, the cheese is grated, the ham is cut into strips, and the salami is cut into thin slices. Roll out the dough thinly, brush with ketchup, lay out ham, salami and tomatoes, sprinkle with cheese and oregano and place in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Fruits in glaze

Ingredients

Strawberries – 200 g, bananas – 2 pcs., orange – 1 pc., kiwi – 2 pcs., black chocolate – 100 g, white chocolate – 100 g, powdered sugar – 2 tbsp. spoons, mint - 1 sprig.

Cooking method

Strawberries and fruits are washed. Kiwis, bananas, oranges are peeled. Kiwi and banana are cut into slices, the orange is divided into slices. Melt black and white chocolate separately in a water bath. Strawberries and kiwi slices are dipped in white chocolate, banana slices and orange slices are dipped in black. Then place the fruit on a wire rack or parchment paper. When the glaze has hardened, transfer the fruit to a plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar, garnish with mint leaves and serve.

From the book 500 dinners for the whole family author Maskaeva Yulia Vladimirovna

Dinner in Italian Celery in cream sauce Ingredients Celery stalks - 300 g, lemon - 1 pc., cream - 100 ml, flour - 1 tbsp. spoon, butter - 1 tbsp. spoon, garlic - 1 clove, green pepper - 5 peas, celery - 1 sprig, salt. Method of cooking Celery

From the book Your Dumpling House author

“Italian style” Required: 550 g flour, 1/2 cup water, egg, pinch of salt. For filling: 500 g veal, 100 g lard, egg, salt, pepper. For the sauce: 2 cups red sauce, 150 g tomato puree, 100 g champignons, 60 g ham, 80 g onions, 50 g ghee, 1/2 cup

From the book Your Pizzeria author Maslyakova Elena Vladimirovna

In Italian All the lucky people who have visited Italy, admiring the beauty of this country, do not miss the opportunity to brag about what delicious dishes they have tried. Italian cuisine is famous not only for long spaghetti and juicy lasagna, but for any dough product. For example,

From the book Pressure Cooker Dishes author Krasichkova Anastasia Gennadievna

Italian style Required: 200 g flour, 60 g vegetable oil, 120 g milk, 1 egg, 15 g fresh yeast, salt. For the filling: 200 g cheese, 500 g tomatoes, 5 sausages, 40-60 g vegetable oil, black and red pepper, salt. Method of preparation: Dissolve the yeast and heat milk and leave

From the book Dishes in Clay Pots author

Italian soup Ingredients: 1.5 l beef broth, 100 ml cream, 400 g boiled beef tongue, 100 g cheese, 20 g tomato paste, 1 onion, 50 g butter, 10 g mustard, 40 g flour, nutmeg on the tip of a knife, salt. Method of preparation: Peel the onion, wash it finely

From the book I Don't Eat Nobody author Zelenkova O K

Italian duck soup Ingredients 300 g duck meat, 50 g spaghetti, 1 bunch of rosemary and basil, 2 potato tubers, 1 carrot, 1 tomato, pepper, salt. Method of preparation Wash the potatoes and carrots, peel them, cut into strips. Wash the tomato, cut into cubes. Greenery

From the book Salads. Tradition and fashion author author unknown

Veal Italian style Ingredients 700 g veal, 800 g canned peeled tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, 60 ml olive oil, 60 ml dry red wine, 60 ml cream, ground nutmeg, pepper, salt. Method of preparation Veal Rinse,

From the book Steam Cooking author Babenko Lyudmila Vladimirovna

Italian Rice Boil the rice and brown it in a frying pan in boiling oil. Serve with grated cheese. 300 g rice, butter, grated cheese,

From the book 800 dishes for fasting days author Gagarina Arina

Italian salad 50 min 4 servings 100 g ham, 250 g cabbage, 50 g pasta, 50 g carrots, 50 g celery, herbs, sugar, salt. For the sauce: 25 g butter, 25 g. wheat flour, milk, 1 yolk, vegetable oil, vinegar, mustard, salt.1. Cut the cabbage into strips and sprinkle

From the book Cookbook of a Russian experienced housewife. Dough and cereal dishes author Avdeeva Ekaterina Alekseevna

Italian Casserole Peel the zucchini and eggplant and cut into small cubes. Wash the pepper, cut off the top, remove the seeds and cut into thin strips lengthwise. Mix vegetables with raw egg(you can use a mixer for this purpose), combine with grated on a fine grater

From the book Cooking in Pots author Kozhemyakin R. N.

Italian Rice What you will need: 1? cups rice, 180 g cheese, 600 ml broth, 6 tbsp. l. butter, salt to taste And start cooking: Sort the rice, rinse, add part of the broth and cook, stirring occasionally and gradually adding the rest

From the book of 1000 recipes for a quick fix author Mikhailova Irina Anatolyevna

Italian Rice: Completely boil 400 g of rice, thoroughly washed. Grate 200 g of ham lard and cauliflower and mix them together, adding chopped parsley, garlic, pepper, salt and a few of the youngest dill. When the cabbage has stood for a while

From the book Dishes from the Oven author Nesterova Daria Vladimirovna

Italian rice Components Rice – 200 g Water – 400 g Tomatoes – 200 g Green pea canned – 300 g Grated cheese – 60 g Salt – to taste Method of preparation: Pour rice into an oiled ceramic pot and pour hot water, salt. Cover the pot and

From the book Potato Dishes author Kashin Sergey Pavlovich

Italian rice 50 g rice, 20 g butter, 30 g cheese. Place the sorted and washed rice in a saucepan and pour in a small amount of broth. Cook, stirring with a spoon and gradually pouring in the broth. When the rice is cooked, add salt, butter and grated cheese and

From the author's book

Italian pasta Ingredients 3–4 tomatoes, 200 g pasta, 200 g fresh green peas, 150 ml cream, 50 g cheese, 1 egg, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/2 bunch of basil, pepper, salt. Method of preparation Boil pasta in

From the author's book

“Italian Dinner” Ingredients 10 potatoes, 5 eggs, 6 tomatoes, 2 onions, 40 g cheese (any), 70 g vegetable oil, pepper, salt. Method of preparation Boil the washed potatoes until partially cooked. Then peel and cut into cubes. Pour into the pan

Ricotta – Italian specialty, traditional Italian cream cheese. Without it, it is impossible to imagine almost any Italian dish - ravioli, lasagna, vegetables and desserts. There are several types of ricotta: Ricotta fresca - fresh soft cheese white, used for toppings, salads, desserts, pizza, pasta dishes; Ricotta salata - mature, salty cheese, used grated instead of Parmesan; Ricotta affumicata is a smoked mature cheese, used alone or in grated form. In the assortment of cheeses offered by stores in our city, I only find fresh ricotta (fresca). This is what I suggest preparing at home. No lemon juice!!! (as in only two recipes offered on the site), with the addition of cream, through natural ripening, I got, I’m not afraid of this word, GREAT, natural, tasty, delicate creamy ricotta, a hundred times tastier than store-bought (even Italian, which costs a lot of money) ! Besides the obvious savings, my ricotta has a much creamier texture and mild flavor! I invite you, dear cooks, to enjoy it!!!

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, no desserts and fish dishes, but there are three classic recipe pastas 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!

Generally speaking, Genoese pesto is a brilliant invention and one of those things that, when you try it for the first time, is quite shocking, so pesto doesn’t need any fancy names. She is perfect without them, in and of herself. When choosing pasta, opt for spaghetti or, like me, tagliatelle. I think they pair best with pesto. And if you have pesto sauce left over, don’t worry, you can eat it not only with spaghetti, but even just with bread.