Italian cuisine is one of the most famous and loved all over the world. It is characterized by the use of Mediterranean spices, pastries, aromatic cheeses, fish, seafood and meat. It is colorful, aromatic, fascinating.
A lot can be said about it and it will never be enough because it has to be tried. Let's see what are the ten most famous Italian dishes. Dive into this delicious ranking and get ideas for your next lunch or dinner!
10. Nougat
One of the oldest types of confectionery with varieties in Italy, Spain, France, the Balkans and the Middle East. Although each region has its own distinctive look, most nougat is made from beaten egg white mixed with roasted chopped nuts such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts. The result is a sweet treat with a chewy consistency. The exact origins of nougat are difficult to trace, but the first recipe for a white nougat-like dessert called natif was recorded in a 10th-century book found in Baghdad.
9. Bruschetta
Bruschetta is a traditional Italian appetizer that is popular all over the world today. In its simplest form, known as fettunta, this classic appetizer consists of a grilled slice of bread, grated with garlic and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Nowadays we can find many varieties of bruschetta - with tomatoes, pesto, different Italian cheeses, olives.
The history of bruschetta dates back to ancient Rome – its name derives from the Old Latin bruscare (meaning "grilling over coals").
8. Pizza Napoletana
Italy's most iconic culinary creation, the real pizza Napoletana is made with just a few simple ingredients and comes in just two flavors - marinara - covered with a tomato sauce flavored with garlic and oregano and Margherita, which is covered with tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. A delicious combination whose colors are believed to represent the Italian flag.
The crust is very thin at the base and the dough puffs out on the sides, resulting in an airy crust that should have the typical charred 'leopard spots' if baked correctly.
7. Tiramisu
Although tiramisu is a relatively newly discovered dessert, it enjoys iconic status among Italian pastry chefs. It's coffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with mascarpone cream.. Its name comes from the phrase tirami sù, an Italian expression that literally means lift me up, a reference to the invigorating effects of sugar, alcohol and coffee.
It is believed that the first tiramisu was made in Veneto in the early 1960s. The earliest documented recipe for tiramisu (interestingly alcohol-free! ) was printed in the spring 1981 issue of Vin Veneto magazine.
6. Ravioli
Ravioli are different types of pasta made by sandwiching a filling between two thin layers of dough. The paste used is usually based on wheat flour and eggs and acts as a coating.
Ravioli are usually served cooked with a sauce or broth. Ravioli fillings include different varieties of meat, cheese and vegetables and vary from region to region. There are also sweet ravioli, which are usually fried.
5. Gnocchi
This is the traditional Italian form of dumplings. Today, the word gnocchi usually refers to dumplings made from a potato-based dough, bite-sized pieces and a characteristic imprint that helps the sauce to stay on each ball.
They are usually boiled in large quantities of salted water or fried in butter, a technique specific to some Italian regions. Gnocchi is thought to have been the forerunner of pasta.
4. Carbonara
Carbonara as we know it today is made simply - spaghetti, egg yolks and Pecorino Romano cheese, meat. Despite its simplicity, this dish remains one of Rome's favorites, equally popular throughout the country.
Interestingly, the first Carbonara recipes did not include cream or milk, only egg yolks.
3. Tagliatelle with Ragout and Bolognese
It is a traditional Italian dish originating in Bologna, consisting of pasta tagliatelle and a rich ragout made with beef (and sometimes pork) and tomatoes. One of the characteristic dishes of Bologna known all over the world as Spaghetti Bolognese.
In fact, the world-famous Italian meat bolognese sauce is never served with spaghetti in Bologna. Instead, when not served over fresh tagliatelle, you'll most often find it over fettuccine or pappardelle.
2. Risotto
This famous Italian dish has many variations, but basically consists of rice and broth. Butter, saffron and parmesan are some of the ingredients most often combined with the base to make different variations. Rice was first introduced to Italy by the Arabs in the Middle Ages.
As the Mediterranean climate is ideal for growing short-grain rice, huge quantities of it begin to be sold - mostly in Venice, Genoa and the surrounding is areas.
1. Pizza
The story of the invention of this most popular Italian dish changes depending on how you define it. If you think of pizza as an oven-baked flatbread, its origins are in the ancient Middle East. If pizza needs to have toppings, its origins date back to the ancient Romans and Greeks, who baked flatbreads and covered them with available local spices and olive oil.
But the pizza we all know today, made with tomato sauce, cheese and numerous toppings, originated in Italy. It became popular in Naples in the 18th century as a cheap, nutritious food that was consumed mostly by the peasants. Nowadays, pizza is a universal favorite. The modern pizza, evolved from early Neapolitan flatbread covered with lard, salt and garlic.
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