True Italian Cooking
True Italian cooking implements fresh ingredients grown regionally in simple dishes with rich textures and bold flavors. Traditional Italian cooking allows for family-style representations of cultural recipes that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Does this Spark an idea?
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Significance
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Italian cuisine is versatile, allowing for variations in dishes based on seasonal vegetables, herbs, cheeses, meats and fish that are available at different times of the year, allowing for extensive menus and pairings.
Benefits
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Traditional Italian cooking combines food and wine of the same region, using the natural flavors of crops that were cultivated together to prepare sauces, consommés, bouillabaisses, stews and desserts, resulting in savory aromas and tastes that pay homage to local agriculture.
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Function
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Considered peasant food, dough is cheap, filling and simply prepared. Pastas, breads and pastries are primary components featured in multiple Italian entrees.
Types
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Raviolis are shaped as thin pockets to retain the essence of a ricotta cheese filling. Ditalini is a tiny, circular pasta used to absorb the hearty broth and canellini beans of pasta e fagioli. Thinner pastas such as spaghetti and linguini grip light sauces and seasonings without overpowering a delicate dish. Thick pastas such as lasagna, ziti and shells are baked in robust sauces and heavy cheeses.
Identification
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Local Italian cooking styles differ by region. Coastal areas of Italy base dishes around fresh seafood. Northern Italian specialties include dairy-rich dishes prepared using butter, cheese, prosciutto, wine, polenta and risotto. Southern Italian cooking is known for rustic dishes abundant in vegetables, fruits, olive oil, cheese and herbs.
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