List of Italian foods and drinks

List of Italian Foods and Drinks

Italy is renowned for its rich culinary tradition, which varies greatly from region to region. Italian cuisine is characterized by its simplicity, focusing on high-quality ingredients and traditional methods of preparation. This article provides an overview of some of the most iconic Italian foods and drinks, categorized by type.

Appetizers

• Bruschetta - Grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil, salt, and various toppings such as tomatoes, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese.
• Caponata - A Sicilian eggplant dish consisting of chopped fried eggplant and celery seasoned with sweetened vinegar and capers in a sweet and sour sauce.
• Antipasto - A starter dish including a variety of cold foods such as cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses, and peperone (marinated small green bell peppers).

Pasta Dishes

• Spaghetti Carbonara - A pasta dish from Rome made with egg, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper.
• Lasagna - A layered pasta dish made with alternating layers of pasta sheets, cheese, sauce, and meat.
• Ravioli - A type of pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce.

Main Courses

• Osso Buco - A Milanese specialty of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine, and broth.
• Saltimbocca - A dish made of veal lined or wrapped with prosciutto and sage, marinated in wine, oil, or saltwater depending on the region or one's own preference.

Side Dishes

• Polenta - A dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it can be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled.
• Caprese Salad - A simple Italian salad, made of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil, seasoned with salt and olive oil.

Desserts

• Tiramisu - A coffee-flavoured Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa.
• Gelato - The Italian version of ice cream, made with a base of milk, cream, and sugar, and flavored with fruit and nut purees and other flavorings.

Cheeses

• Parmigiano Reggiano - A hard, granular cheese that is cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and Bologna.
• Mozzarella - A traditionally southern Italian cheese made from Italian buffalo's milk by the pasta filata method.

Breads

• Ciabatta - An Italian white bread made from wheat flour, water, salt, olive oil, and yeast, created in 1982 by a baker in Adria, Veneto, Italy.
• Focaccia - A flat oven-baked Italian bread product similar in style and texture to pizza doughs.

Drinks

• Espresso - A concentrated form of coffee served in small, strong shots and is the base for many other coffee drinks.
• Chianti - A red wine from Tuscany, made primarily with Sangiovese grapes.

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