Italian cuisine: pasta, pizza, cheeses, snacks. Photos, description

Today, antipasti is more than just a traditional Italian meat and vegetable appetizer “before pasta.” In our review, vitello tonnato, caprese, bruschetta, tartar and other appetizers from the chefs, which in their design and taste are ready to compete with any of the complex dishes of the main menu. For your taste - 8 antipasti recipes from capital restaurants.

Restaurant Bouchon

Ingredients:

• Boiled potatoes - 80 g
• Kenyan beans – 30 g
• Olives – 12 g
• Lettuce mix (frise, lettuce, radicchio, lollo rossa) – 80 g
• Cherry tomatoes – 120 gr
• Baked bell pepper – 30 g
• Tuna in spices – 80 gr
• Chicken egg - 1 pc.
• Radish -20 gr
• Greens - 12 g
• Pesto sauce - 10 g
• Salt, pepper, paprika, cumin
• Olive oil – 30 g
• Balsamic vinegar - 10 g

Preparation:

Marinate the tuna in a mixture of paprika, cumin and salt. Fry on each side in a dry Teflon frying pan without oil, so that the inside is completely raw. Cut into slices. Cut the boiled potatoes into cubes. Boil Kenyan beans in salted water, then quickly cool in ice water and cut. Bake the bell pepper, cool, remove the skin, cut into cubes. Wash the lettuce leaves, dry them and tear them coarsely. Boil the egg and cut into 4 pieces. Cut tomatoes and radishes into slices. Mix together tomatoes, radishes, lettuce, bell peppers, potatoes, olives. Season with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, add salt and pepper. Place on plates, add tuna slices and egg on top. Sprinkle the antipasti with finely chopped herbs and pour over the pesto sauce.

Restaurant Ah Beatrice, chef Igor Kotov

Ingredients:

• Eggplants – 1 kg
• Rice flour - 30 g
• Onions - 1 onion
• Bell pepper - ½ piece
• Garlic - 1 pc.
• Soy sauce - 20 g
• Sesame oil - 20 g
• Greens - 50 g
• Chevrou cheese – 50 g
• Sesame – 20 g

Preparation:

Peel the eggplants, cut into cubes, sprinkle with salt and drain in a colander for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle with rice flour and deep fry until fully cooked. Cut the onion into strips. Cut bell pepper (1/2 piece) into strips. Cut a clove of garlic into pieces. Fry all the vegetables in olive oil with soy sauce and sesame oil. Add fried eggplant, parsley, cilantro and finely chopped green onions. To stir thoroughly. Place on a plate, top with miso ice cream, chevre cheese and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Restobar “We’re not going anywhere”, chef Dmitry Shurshakov

Ingredients:

• Duck (smoked breast) – 80 g
• Korean cabbage - 80 g
• Hoisin sauce - 30 g
• Raspberry puree – 20 g
• Persimmon – 40 g

Preparation:

Thinly slice the cabbage and place it on a plate, then slice the duck and place it on top of the cabbage, top with hoisin sauce and raspberry puree. Garnish with greens and add persimmons.

Solux Club Restaurant, Chef Chen Yongjian

Ingredients:

• Tiger shrimps – 6 pieces
• Wasabi paste - 80 g
• Vegetable oil - 100 g
• Tobiko caviar (red) – 80 g
• Tobiko caviar (black) – 30 g
• Chicken egg - 1 piece
• Potato starch - 40 g
• Salt - 3 g

Preparation:

Take peeled tiger prawns, marinate in salt, Chinese rice wine, egg and starch, then deep fry. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and garnish with black and red tobiko caviar.

Restaurant "Rukola"

Ingredients:

• Truffle oil – 1 g
• Roast beef - 80 g
• Salt - 2 g
• Black pepper - 1 g
• Sun-dried tomatoes - 8 g
• Mix salad – 15 g
• Vitello sauce – 40 g

Preparation:

Place half of the salad mix on a plate, place thinly sliced ​​roast beef on top, pour Vitello tonato sauce on top, and place tomatoes cut into 4 pieces in a circle. We bring the remaining salad mix to taste, adding truffle oil, and place it on the roast beef.

Restaurant "Carlson"

Ingredients:

• Salad mix – 30 gr
• Baku/cherry tomatoes (8-9) – 65 gr
• Capers – 20 g
• Veal on vitela tonato – 50 g
• Tuna sauce – 30 g
• Sea salt - 2 g
• Basil - 2 g
• Olive oil – 15 g
• Ground black pepper (peas) - 1 g
• Extra virgin olive oil – 5 g

Preparation:

Place a salad mix with Baku tomatoes (seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper) and capers on a plate. Place veal, cut into thin slices, on a “pillow” of lettuce. Cook veal either in a vacuum at a low temperature of 65 degrees, or according to the “roast beef” principle. Fry the tenderloin and then simmer it at low temperature. Place tuna sauce on top. Garnished with capers with a tail.

Restaurant Christian, chef Christian Lorenzini

Ingredients (for 5 servings):

• Artichokes, canned in oil - 600 g
• Mayonnaise - 240 g
• Eggs - 3 pcs
• Cream 33% - 220 g
• Parmesan cheese - 50 g
• Salt and pepper - to taste
• Butter

Preparation:

Lightly beat artichokes, mayonnaise and cream in a blender (until smooth, but not puree), add salt and pepper. Add three yolks to the resulting mixture one at a time, stirring after each. Beat one egg white until stiff (cooks add a pinch of salt before beating to speed up the process). Connect with mass. Mix carefully. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Grease the ceramic molds with butter, put them in the refrigerator for a minute or two and then grease them again (thanks to the second layer of oil, the mass will definitely not stick and will rise well).

Fill the ceramic molds with the mixture, place them in a pan with water, which should reach half of the mold (this way the casserole will bake better and even boil to some extent). Bake for about 35 minutes at 170 degrees.

Restaurant Buono

Ingredients:

• Pagra – 1 fillet (130 g), cleaned, without skin
• Avocado – 35 gr
• Ground coriander - 1 g
• Mango – 30 gr
• Sibulet onion - 2 g
• Pink peppercorns - 1 g
• Sea salt - 1 g
• Mixed salads – 5 g
• Cress salad – 2 g
• Sun-dried cherry tomatoes – 5 g
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 15 ml
• Lemon juice - 5 ml
• Soy sauce - 5 g
• Worcestershire sauce - 2 g

Preparation:

Cut the Pagra fillet into small cubes using a knife. Peel the mango and cut into small cubes. Mix everything in a bowl, add chopped onion, sea salt and ground pink pepper. Then add olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce and Worcestershire. Mix. Take the avocado pulp, cut it into small cubes and add 2-3 drops of lemon juice so that the avocado does not turn black, salt and ground cumin. We put this mass in a round mold, apply it a little, then put it out of the mold onto a plate. On this bed of avocado we spread tartare from Pagras. Garnish with watercress leaves and finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

A typical dish of the Emilia-Romagna region (more precisely Bologna). A boiled sausage of large diameter (but served thinly sliced), to which ingredients such as olives, pistachios, etc. can be added. After our doctoral thesis for 2 rubles. 20k. - so-so.

Prosciutto crudo

Typical Italian appetizer. Thinly sliced ​​dry-cured pork ham. The most famous dry-cured ham is Prosciutto di Parma, in Russian Parma Ham. Aged for an average of 22 weeks, the salt content in the finished product should not exceed 5%.

Prosciutto e Melone (Ham with Melon)

An expanded version of the previous snack. Thinly sliced ​​raw smoked ham with melon slices. The Italian translator did not think that these two ingredients go together, but nevertheless they do. Definitely try it, but I recommend ordering in May-June-July, when melon season is in progress.

Speck

Basically the same as Prosciutto Crudo, but this raw smoked ham is made in the Alps, in the province of South Tyrol, where the Germans live. Therefore, the German word is literally translated as “spig”, although it is made from lean pork.

Tagliere di Salumi

Translated from Italian “Plate with Smoked Meats”. Same thing as .

Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And In contact with

Pasta and pizza are two of the most popular dishes around the world that sunny Italy gave us. In fact, the range of traditional dishes of this distinctive country is so rich and varied that it is difficult to fit it into one article.

However, the editors website I have chosen for you the 10 most famous and most delicious Italian dishes that you will definitely want to try.

Panini

A traditional Italian hot sandwich filled with ham, Parmesan, tomatoes and pesto sauce on wheat bread, it has become popular all over the world for its simple yet sophisticated taste.

You will need (for 4 servings):

• 8 slices white bread
• 2 tbsp. l. butter
• 200 g Mozzarella
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. l. pesto sauce
• fresh basil leaves to taste

Preparation:

1. Spread pesto on 4 slices of bread.
2. Cut the mozzarella and tomatoes into thin slices. Place tomato slices on halves of bread with pesto and top with Mozzarella.
3. Then, if desired, you can put basil leaves on top, and cover each sandwich with the other half of the bread.
4. Then heat the pan and fry the panini in butter for 3 minutes on each side.

Panna cotta

A real celebration of taste made from cream, sugar and vanilla. The name of this amazing dessert is translated from Italian as “boiled cream” and is prepared mainly in the north of the country.

You will need:

• 1 liter full fat unsweetened pastry cream
• 150 g grated raspberries (optional)
• 20 g gelatin
• 20 whole raspberries (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp. l. Sahara
• 1/2 tsp. vanillin

Preparation:

1. Pour the cream into a small saucepan, place over low heat, add sugar and vanilla.
2. Dilute the gelatin with a small amount of warm water, then pour it into the heated cream, mix everything well until smooth - the gelatin should dissolve. Pour dessert into bowls.
3. Place raspberries in each glass with buttercream.
4. Refrigerate the dessert for at least 4 hours, during which time it should harden well.
5. Pour grated raspberries (or any other berry sauce) over the dessert and serve.

Chicken Parmignana

One of the most popular dishes in the Campania region and Sicily has become widespread in the United States. Tender chicken fillet baked in tomato sauce with Parmesan is the perfect complement to spaghetti.

You will need:

• black pepper - 1/2 tsp.
• breadcrumbs - 2/3 cup
• salt - 1 tsp.
• red hot pepper - 1/2 pod
• Parmesan cheese - 50 g
• chicken (breast) - 1 pc.
• sifted flour - 1/2 cup
• basil - 1 bunch
• olive oil - 3-4 tbsp. l.
• Mozzarella cheese - 4 slices
• large egg - 1 pc.
• young garlic - 4 cloves
• large tomatoes - 3-4 pcs.
• small onion - 1-2 pcs.

Preparation:

1. Remove skin and bones from the chicken breast, wash and dry with a towel. Cut each half lengthwise into 2 parts. Salt, sprinkle with black pepper, chopped garlic and basil. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, stir and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Prepare the sauce. To do this, fry an onion cut into small cubes until transparent in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add chopped garlic, simmer for another 5 minutes. Then add grated or blended tomatoes and hot pepper flakes. Simmer for 10-15 minutes to evaporate excess liquid. Add chopped basil to the prepared sauce.
3. Prepare 3 containers for breading. Pour flour into the first, break a raw egg mixed with a little water into the second, and place a mixture of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, grated on a fine grater, into the third. Roll each piece of chicken fillet successively in flour, lezone and bread-cheese mixture and place on a greased baking sheet or in a baking dish. Place in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Remove the pan with the fillets from the oven and top each piece with a layer of tomato sauce and a slice of Mozzarella cheese. Return the pan with the fillets to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve garnished with a sprig of fresh basil.

Gelato

The taste of the original Italian dessert gelato cannot be compared with any other ice cream. It is rightfully considered the best sweet culinary masterpiece of this sunny country.

You will need:

• 250 ml whole milk
• 250 ml cream with a fat content of 33-35%
• 4 egg yolks
• 150 g sugar
• 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Pour milk into a deep non-stick bowl, add cream and half a portion of sugar. Heat over low heat and bring the mixture until small bubbles appear, stirring constantly. Don't boil! Remove from heat, add vanilla extract.
2. Separate the yolks from the whites. Lightly beat the yolks. You can beat it either manually (with a whisk) or using a mixer.
3. Add the second part of sugar and continue whisking continuously. Pour in a little more hot mixture and continue whisking for another 1-2 minutes. Pour the yolk-sugar mixture into the milk-cream mixture and continue whisking continuously. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly.
4. Using a thermometer, measure the temperature of the mixture. It is very important to prevent it from overheating. The custard is ready when it begins to thicken and reaches 185°F (85°C). You can determine the temperature without a thermometer by observing the cooking process. As soon as the mixture begins to bubble, the heating process must be completed. The custard is completely ready when it has become sufficiently thick and viscous. Just enough to completely cover the back of the spoon or spatula.
5. Strain the mixture through a sieve to avoid lumps into a deep bowl immersed in crushed ice. The ice bath will allow the hot custard to cool much faster so it can be cooked further immediately. Pour the well-cooled mixture into the bowl of an automatic ice cream maker. The freezing time in the ice cream maker is indicated in the instructions for your machine. Typically this time is from 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Then transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for another 30 minutes.

Risotto

Along with spaghetti, Italian risotto is considered one of the most common dishes. The rice base allows you to endlessly fantasize with fillings and add any ingredients to your taste.

You will need:

• chicken fillet (breast and thighs) - 1 kg
• celery stalk - 1 pc.
• onions - 2 pcs.
• carrots - 1 pc.
• butter - 100 g
• dry white wine - 200 ml
• Arborio rice - 200 g
• Parmesan cheese - 50 g
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut the chicken meat into cubes, do not throw away the bones. Place chicken bones, whole celery, carrots and 1 onion in a saucepan. Add 1.5 liters of water, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Strain the broth, pour 500ml of the broth into a clean pan and heat until it simmers gently.
2. Melt 65 grams of butter in a saucepan, add 1 finely chopped onion and chicken meat. Stir-fry over low heat for 10 minutes until the chicken is golden brown. Add wine, salt and pepper. Cook for another 12-15 minutes until the liquid has evaporated.
3. Add rice and cook, stirring, 2 minutes until rice is translucent. Add enough broth to cover all the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the broth has evaporated. Then add the broth again and continue cooking, stirring.
4. Continue until the risotto is cooked (about 20 minutes), then remove the pan from the heat and, while the risotto is hot, stir in the remaining butter and grated Parmesan. Cover with a lid and wait 5-7 minutes. The dish is ready!

Lasagna

A traditional dish from Bologna, made from layers of dough mixed with layers of filling, covered in a sauce (usually bechamel). Layers of filling can be made from meat stew or minced meat, tomatoes, spinach, other vegetables and, of course, Parmesan cheese.

You will need:

• minced beef - 400 g
• onion - 40 g
• carrots - 100 g
• celery stalks - 40 g
• tomato paste - 40 g
• water - 400 ml
• wheat flour - 40 g
• butter - 40 g
• milk 3.2% - 750 ml
• ground nutmeg - 1 pinch
• fresh basil - 4 sprigs
• salt - 2 pinches
• olive oil - 1 tbsp. l.
• Parmesan cheese - 80 g
• pasta dough for lasagna - 8 pcs.

Preparation:

1. Prepare bolognese sauce.
   Mix tomato paste with hot water. Cut onions, carrots and celery into small cubes. Place the vegetables and minced meat in a saucepan, pour in tomato sauce, add salt, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat under the lid for 30 minutes. 2-3 minutes before readiness, add finely chopped basil.
2. Prepare bechamel sauce.
   Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat without bringing to a boil. The milk should be hot. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add flour, fry for 2-3 minutes, then gradually add hot milk, stirring so that there are no lumps. Continue stirring and simmer over low heat, add salt and nutmeg. The sauce will be ready when it thickens and you can remove it from the heat.
3. We spread the lasagna.
   Grate the cheese. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Grease the bottom of the pan with oil, pour in a little bechamel sauce so that the bottom is completely covered, then follow the same principle with Bolognese sauce. Lay out 4 sheets of lasagna dough overlapping each other. Pour sauces on top, sprinkle with cheese, lay out sheets of dough again, pour sauces and sprinkle with cheese.
4. Place the mold in a hot oven for 20 minutes. Then turn off the oven, cover with foil and leave in the hot oven for another 10 minutes.

Tiramisu

A fabulously tender delicacy with a mild coffee flavor is traditionally prepared from Mascarpone cheese and special savoiardi cookies.

You will need:

• 500 g Mascarpone cream cheese
• 4 eggs
• powdered sugar - 5 tbsp. l.
• 300 ml cold strong espresso
• 1 glass of sweet wine Marsala (or cognac, or rum, or Amaretto - just not glasses, but a few spoons)
• 200 g prepared savoiardi (or lady fingers)
• bitter cocoa powder for dusting or dark dark chocolate

Preparation:

1. Beat the whites into a very strong foam. For greater foam strength, it is advisable to add a little powdered sugar at the end of whipping. The density of the whipped whites will determine whether the cream will spread or not.
2. Grind the yolks until white with powdered sugar.
3. Add Mascarpone and stir well (it’s easier to use a large fork).
4. Add egg whites to the cream by spoonfuls and mix gently.
5. Mix cold espresso with alcohol. Dip each cookie into the coffee mixture for 5 seconds and place in the mold.
6. Spread half the cream on the savoiardi. Place a second layer of coffee-soaked cookies on top.
7. Place the remaining cream on them. Decorate the top with cream from a pastry syringe.
8. Place the tiramisu in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours. During this time the cream will thicken.
9. Sprinkle with bitter cocoa powder or dark chocolate before serving.

Tortellini

Italian dumplings made from unleavened dough with meat, cheese or vegetables. The historical homeland of tortellini is the Emilia region.

You will need:
Dough:

• flour - 2 cups
• yolk - 1 pc.
• water (warm) - 100 ml

Filling:

• spinach (fresh or frozen) - 2 large bunches (200 g)
• cheese (ideally ricotta, but regular cottage cheese is fine) - 200 g
• onion - 1 pc.
• salt to taste (0.25 tsp)

Refueling:

• butter - 100 g
• garlic - 1-2 cloves
• Parmesan (can be replaced with any hard grated cheese) to taste

Preparation:

1. Let's prepare the filling. If the spinach is fresh, wash it thoroughly, dry it and chop it. If frozen, then defrost, drain, and chop. Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the spinach for about 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion. Transfer the prepared spinach to a separate bowl, add a little more vegetable oil (1 tbsp) to the frying pan and sauté the onion until soft for about 5 minutes. Add cheese (ricotta or cottage cheese) and sautéed onions to the spinach and mix - the filling is ready.
3. Fill a wide saucepan with water, add salt and place over medium heat until the water boils.
4. Knead the dough: to do this, combine all the components of the dough according to the recipe, knead it for a while (it is very convenient to first mix everything with a mixer, and then add it with your hands). Then divide the dough into 2 equal parts and wrap each in cling film so that it sits and does not dry out.
5. After 10-15 minutes (or better after half an hour), unroll the dough and roll it into long thin rectangular strips. The thinner the dough you can roll out, the better.
6. Place the filling on one layer of dough in such quantities and at such intervals that the size of the finished tortellini suits you. So, cover the filling placed on one layer of dough with another rolled out layer. Press down with your fingers where the layers of dough meet to form the contours of each dumpling.
7. As soon as the first part of the tortellini is ready, immediately place them in boiling salted water. As soon as they surface, continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, and then remove them to a plate with a slotted spoon.
8. To make the dressing, melt the butter and mix it with pressed garlic. Place the tortellini in a bowl (pour a little dressing in there so they don’t stick to the plate) and pour the dressing over it, sprinkle grated Parmesan on top, decorate with a leaf of any greenery and start enjoying.

1. Beat eggs with cream, salt and pepper. When the eggs and cream turn into a homogeneous mixture, add the herbs.
2. Heat a frying pan, pour a spoonful of olive oil. Fry the sausages on both sides. As soon as they become soft, use a wooden spatula to separate them into pieces. Continue frying until fully cooked.
3. Pour the remaining olive oil into the pan. We put half of our sausages on the bottom. Then pour in the egg-cream mixture. Lay out the tomato pieces and spoon the ricotta between them. Then lay out the remaining sausages.
4. Place the frittata in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
5. When the dish is ready, take it out and cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and eat.

ITALIAN CUISINE

Italian cuisine may well compete with museums and monuments for the title of the country's most attractive attraction. Moreover, it is protected no less than any museum value: there is even an Academy of Italian Cuisine, designed to preserve the culinary heritage of the country. Academics, of course, do not prepare flamingo tongues, which were served in the houses of nobles of Ancient Rome, but they carefully restore recipes for preparing dishes, for example, from game, which are valued throughout the peninsula. All its strength and charm lies in the simplicity of Italian cuisine: the products are only fresh and the best, and the cooking process is simple, and you can always determine exactly what is on your plate.

SNACKS IN ITALY

Snacks in Italy are called antipasti(antipasti) - and this is not at all because they have something against pasta, it translates as “before eating”. Most often these are large plates with slices of ham laid out on them prosciutto(prosciutto) or culatello(With ulatello) - in elegant variations of the dish, melon balls are placed on top; sausage mortadella(mortadella); smoked salmon, artichokes, grilled vegetables, pickled peppers ( peperoncini), anchovies, baked eggplants ( melanzane), mushrooms ( funghi) and a variety of cheeses - for example, mozzarella(mozzarella) And burrata(burrata). Sandwiches that are familiar to us can also serve as an antipasti: bruschetta(bruschetta) (a good slice of toasted bread, grated with garlic, with tomato paste, cheese and olive oil, plus whatever else your heart desires on top) or crostini(crostini) (smaller slice from a different type of bread - but the tasty essence is the same).

Bruschetta - an invariable component of Italian cuisine

Italian cheeses

ITALIAN DESSERTS

It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to end an Italian lunch with something light (except perhaps ordering a plate of fruit): what tiramisu(tiramisu), which, it seems, has long become a favorite dessert not only of Italians, but almost of the whole world, that Zabayon(zabaglione) (egg cream with liqueur), which crostata(crostata) (country pie with anything: from wild berries to lemon cream), what nougat Torrone(torrone) - These are very high-calorie sweets, but that’s probably why they’re so tasty.

There are regional sweets that are popular in a particular area. For example, you will be served traditional cannoli, which you are unlikely to find in other regions.

Italian ice cream, thick and sweet, is widely considered to be the best in the world! Ice cream gelato(gelato), which once appeared at Medici banquets, is cooked to perfection: from real cream in a variety of different flavors and colors. The variety with chocolate pieces is called stracciatella(stracciatella), a type of semi-frozen ice cream (no matter how strange it may sound) - semifreddo(semifreddo). Italian ice cream is much richer in taste and sweeter than the usual Russian ice cream. A ball usually costs 2 euros, give or take. The best ice cream comes from small artisan shops (the one near the central cathedral is simply divine, the best pistachio ice cream I've ever seen!)

ITALIAN PASTA

The main and most exported culinary pride of Italy is pasta. There are about two hundred species and forms here: and spaghetti(spaghetti), and similar to springs fusilli(fuzilli), and in the form of tubes, like cannelloni(сannelloni), and butterflies farfalle(farfalle). Italians also consider pasta tortellini(tortellini) And ravioli(ravioli) - similar to Russian dumplings, and gnocchi(gnocchi) - something like dumplings; All these types of pasta are prepared with different fillings: spinach, pumpkin, mushrooms, cheese and everything that the hostess’s imagination allows for.

Classic Italian cuisine - spaghetti bolognese

The choice of pasta shape depends on the sauce with which it will be served. The most popular pasta sauces are:

• pesto(pesto) (basil, olive oil and pine nuts),
• Bolognese(ragu alla bolognese) (beef, tomato paste, some vegetables, red wine),
• carbonara(pasta alla carbonara) (egg, cheese and pancetta - pork cheeks),
• Arabyatta(arrabbiata) (tomatoes, peppers and lard)
• and a French native bechamel(besciamella) (butter, milk, flour and spices).

Spaghetti is usually served with bolognese sauce. They are also prepared with pesto sauce and seafood ( Vongole pasta). With porcini mushrooms and cream sauce they will be more likely tagliatelle (tagliatelle) - exquisite pasta in the form of thin strips about 1 cm wide. Tagliatelle can also be found with shrimp and salmon (creamy sauce is the best addition to it). Farfalle is served with salmon.

They eat spaghetti with a fork and spoon: wrap a ball of pasta around the fork, resting the teeth on the surface of the spoon so that the pasta does not fly off. By the way, since Italian pasta is made from durum wheat, it is both filling and not as terribly harmful to the figure as one might think.

Dinner in Italian

Italians love to eat nourishingly, a lot and tasty. Typically, an Italian lunch consists of a first course, a second course, dessert and a glass of wine. Are you expecting a light salad for your first course? No, that's not Italian! First course ( primi ) Italians usually consider... lasagna, pasta and risotto. Yes, such a full portion, after which you already want to fall off the table and sleep sweetly. But for a true Italian this is just the beginning. Then comes a full second course ( secondi ), with a generous piece of meat or fish. And a sweet dessert ( dolci ) - polish off a hearty lunch. And finally - iced lemon liqueur ( Limoncello ). So you can forget about diet in Italy.

Caprese salad (tomato - mozzarella) - a hit of Italian cuisine

The most dietary options include salad caprese (caprese), or just tomato-mozzarella for starters. Especially tasty mozzarella buffalo (mozarella buffala) from buffalo milk. It is more expensive, but incredibly tender and more dietary. All this with pesto or thick balsamic, with a sprig of basil - very summery and relatively easy. How to take the main dish grilled fish, especially if you are in some coastal area, like: it will be simply magical, with a green salad and a jug of ice-cold white refreshing wine - the most perfect dinner in the summer heat.

Save...or not so much

In Italian restaurants, it is important to remember that there is a service fee (for sitting at a table and not standing, for example, at a bar), and EXTRAS are often included tips(immediately 10%, otherwise you suddenly change your mind about paying). So it’s not at all necessary to leave something on top, only if you really liked it.

The service fee varies depending on the location and can be up to 2 euros per person. You can save money here, for example, by drinking a cup of coffee not at a table, but at the bar. We are not used to it, but Italians love this and actively practice it.

In a restaurant, you can save on wine by buying homemade wine: it is brought in jugs for bottling. Depending on the location and the high cost of the restaurant, a liter of wine can be found for literally 7.5 euros (the most inexpensive thing you could find on the menu of Italian restaurants). Practice shows that red homemade wines are often tasteless (at least in simple restaurants you didn’t find tasty homemade wine, but in some of them there was quite a lot), but this depends on the region. But the white wines were wonderful - soft, dry, sometimes with light bubbles, and so pleasantly refreshing and icy...

In some cases, the price of homemade wine may be less than beer and cola, and comparable to mineral water.

Cheap food in Italy:

The cheapest options for a snack is to take a piece of pizza to go (there are simpler ones, with thick dough, square shape, and there are just pieces of normal regular pizza with a large diameter) - this is 2.5 - 3.5 euros. For about 3 - 3.5 euros you can buy Italian sandwiches - with local bread, ham and salad ( panini).

Traditional sandwiches in Italy - panini

If money is short, it is better to fill up at lunch (usually from 12 to 15 o'clock) with a set menu (first and second courses, dessert and water or coffee - from 9 euros, usually around 11-12 and above). After 15:00, many restaurants close until dinner, leaving the occasional pizzeria or kebab-type eatery (4 - 4.5 euros per kebab). Dinner starts at 18:00 - 18:30.

This is an article with photos about Italian dishes that you must definitely eat in Italy. Italian cuisine is considered some of the best in the world, but you need to know what to choose from the menu.

After a couple of days in Italy, stuffed with pizza, pasta and panini, I ran into a problem. What exactly should you order in Italian restaurants so as not to be disappointed (or God forbid you lose weight :)) during your 3 weeks of vacation?

My dear readers, friends and subscribers on social media came to the rescue. networks who generously shared their advice, for which we thank them very much. Below is a jointly compiled list of Italian dishes, as well as the average price of food in Italian establishments. I tried 90% of the list and left 10% for next time.

Seafood in Italy

• Tomato mussel soup(Zuppa di cozze al pomodoro) - the best thing I had the opportunity to eat in Italy. I also ate Sicilian-style mussels and was not delighted. It all depends on the restaurant. Price 8-13€

• King prawns grilled or in sauces (Gamberoni alla griglia). The most delicious shrimp were in. Price 10-15€

• Swordfish in Sicilian style with tomatoes (Pesce spada alla siciliana). Price 12-13€

• Swordfish Grilled(Pesce spada alla griglia). Price 12-13€

• Grilled Dorado(Dorado Griglio). Price 50-60€ for 1 kg. Dorado is worth on the market 15€ per kg .

• Octopus in different variations (Polpo). For example, Sicilian-style octopus with garlic and thyme. “Nothing tastier has yet been invented in Mediterranean cuisine,” is a quote from traveler and gourmet Sergei Kormilitsyn. 12-18€ for a hot dish

• Octopus with potatoes(Polpo con patate) is a specialty of the Amalfi Coast. Keep in mind that octopus is often served as a cold appetizer in Sicily and southern Italy. Price 7 —8€

• Shrimp cocktail(Сocktail di gamberi). Popular cold appetizer. Not for everybody. Served in a glass with shrimp mixed with salad and sauce. If you spread shrimp on bread, it turns out delicious. 7-10€

Tomato mussel soup
Shrimp cocktail and octopus with potatoes
Grilled swordfish

Other Italian dishes

• Eggplant, baked with tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan (Melanzane alla parmigiana)

• Grilled vegetables(Verdure alla griglia) - always delicious. Price 6€

• Lamb meat on skewers(Arrosticini di pecora). This dish is prepared only in the Abruzzo region and nowhere else. To prepare this lamb kebab in the Marche region, you had to order the meat online from Abruzzo. I haven't eaten the lamb, but the guys said it was delicious.

Lamb meat on a skewer

• Spaghetti with clams and parsley (Spaghetti con le vongole). Friends prepared this dish from shellfish collected on the seashore near their house. You need to collect shellfish early in the morning (at 6-7 o'clock) in order to get ahead of other fishermen. 12-15€

• Carne cruda(Сarne cruda) - raw beef of a certain breed of bulls, a minimum of spices. Originally from Piedmont. Have not tried. 15-20€

• Pizza(Pizza) - real pizza is cooked in a charcoal oven. We can talk about pizza for a long time. From 2€ for a piece in a street eatery up to 12€ for pizza with seafood in a restaurant.

• Paste(Pasta) is a traditional dish of Italian cuisine. Pasta with various sauces. For our taste, pasta in Italy is undercooked. They specially cook pasta for a very short time. The version of pasta that is served in our restaurants will be tasteless and overcooked for an Italian. 7-15€

Be sure to read mine, where I tell you how much a vacation in this delicious and warm country will cost

Pizza in Italy
Spaghetti with clams

• Minestroni(Minestrone) - vegetable soup

• Panini(Panini) - Italian sandwich made from flat white wheat bread, price 5€

• Risotto(Risotto) - a rice dish. Prepared with seafood, meat, vegetables. 8-13€

• Lasagna(Lasagne) - a popular Italian dish made from flat sheets of pasta with filling, 9-12€

• Ravioli(Ravioli) is an Italian analogue of dumplings made from filled pasta sheets. Restaurants often serve store-bought ravioli - they are mediocre. When you twist it by hand, it turns out very tasty.

• Polenta(Polenta) - porridge made from corn flour

• Caprese(Caprese) - Italian appetizer made from tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and olive oil

• Gnocchi(Gnocchi) - Italian dumplings

• Provola and Caciocavallo cheeses

Sicilian swordfish with tomatoes and peppers Grilled vegetables

Italian desserts

Desserts and sweets are usually sold in cafes or establishments called Pasticceria

• Tortuffa(Tortuffa) - a divinely delicious scoop of ice cream with chocolate inside. It's better not to order chocolate ice cream because the chocolate ice cream is too sweet. Costs 4-5€

• Granita(Granita) - Sicilian dessert. Crushed ice with sugar syrup of different colors and flavors. Price 3-4€

• Cannoli(Cannoli) is a Sicilian dessert. A waffle tube filled with mascarpone cheese, whipped cottage cheese or ricotta with the addition of syrups or wine. Sold everywhere

• Tiramisu(Tiramisù) is the cake of Italian students because it does not need to be baked. Made from savoiardi biscuits, mascarpone cheese, coffee, eggs and sugar. I thought that I had eaten Tiramisu many times, but it turned out that before my trip to Italy I had never tried Tiramisu.

• Ice cream(Gelate) sold at Gelateria - from 1€ per ball. On average - 2 € for a small box and 4-5€ for a big one. On tourist streets they ask for 4-5€ for one small ball.

• Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee! Even if you don't drink coffee, it's worth a try. 1-4€, average 2€

Ice cream in Italy. 2.5 euros for three different balls
Italian sweets

Where to eat in Italy?

Establishments in Italy are divided into several types:

• Ristorante— high prices and level of service.

• Trattoria- often this is a family establishment with a homely atmosphere, a regular clientele and a menu in Italian. Prices in trattorias are lower than in restaurants.

• Taverna is a tavern where you can not only drink, but also eat.

• Osteria- also a simpler establishment with food and wine.

• Pizzeria— usually there are only pizza and appetizers on the menu, and less often other dishes.

• Gelateria— they sell ice cream there

• Pasticceria— cakes, pastries and desserts are sold here

Italian restaurant

Where can I buy products in Italy?

There are many chain supermarkets in Italy: Lidl, Auchan, Carrefour and others. Also, in every town, even the smallest one, there will definitely be a small Supermercado, where essential and essential products are sold at inflated prices.

If you want to cook your own food, you can also buy food in Italy in special shops. I don’t know if they exist in the north, but they are still popular in the south of Italy. We mostly rented apartments with a kitchen and sometimes cooked our own meals.

• Macelleria- Butcher shop

• Pescheria or Mercato del pesce— a store or market with seafood. Markets are usually open in the morning

• Panificio- bakery

Dorado, bought in a store and prepared at home. The asking price is 10 euros for 2 fish.
Pasta in an Italian store

What do you need to know before going to an Italian restaurant in Italy?

• In Italy, expensive does not = tasty. More often it's the other way around. If possible, always ask locals where they eat and go to local establishments.

• If you want to have a normal tasty meal in Italy, it is better to learn the names of the main dishes and products in Italian.

• Cafes and restaurants that have menus in English or Russian are aimed at tourists. There's a good chance the food there is so-so.

• We encountered that the prices on the menu in Italian were lower than for the same dishes on the menu in English.

• Check the final invoice amount. There was a precedent when they added a couple of euros to the price indicated on the menu. When the error was pointed out to the waitress, the money was returned. It's a small thing, but still unpleasant.

• In some restaurants, the amount of the bill depends not only on what exactly you ate, but also on where exactly you sat: at the bar, at a table by the window, on the terrace. It's rather rare, but it may happen that breakfast will cost as much as a full lunch due to the fact that your table had a good view.

• If you are served palm oil sticks, popular in Italy, before eating, do not rush to eat them. This is not Mexico, where they give free tacos, or even Georgia with its pita bread at the expense of the establishment. Once, to celebrate, we ate one stick each, each cost 3€ .

• Bread is often served with meals. Sometimes they take money for it, sometimes they don’t. The Italians themselves pour olive oil on their bread (it is always present on the table) - it tastes better.

• Restaurants also charge for water 2-3€ , but they can bring it without asking.

• Drinks in restaurants cost 2-4€ for a small can of cola or beer, 2-3€ for a bottle of water.

• Tips in Italy are included in the bill in most restaurants and cafes and amount to 10% of the amount

• If you want to eat in a small town, be prepared for the fact that most establishments are open from 12.00 to 14.00, after which they close for a siesta from 14.30 to 18.00, then open until 21-22 hours. It is not easy to find an establishment that is open in the middle of the night. Italians have lunch strictly from 13.00 to 14.30, and have dinner only in the evening, so if the city is unpopular among tourists, restaurants and cafes will be closed for several hours during the day in 90% of cases.

• Italians drink coffee around the clock, but cappuccino only in the morning. If you plan to pretend to be a local, don’t drink cappuccino during the day and evening - sleep yourself off :)

Unsuccessful mussel soup with seaweed

Menu in Italian restaurants

The menu in Italian restaurants usually consists of several sections.