The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Italian Foods. If you manage to be in an Italian restaurant or you are visiting Italy, I recommend the following:
1. Pizza
It is believed that pizza comes from bread, as in ancient Rome it was made round and cut into conical portions, to which they added a tomato-based sauce with shavings of mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top. This combination was the first existing version of pizza and is known as pizza Margherita, a gastronomic symbol of the city of Naples. It is prepared from a dough made from wheat flour, which is kneaded, flattened and stretched into a circular shape, to which tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese are added and then baked in a wood-fired oven. As ingredients you can choose from vegetables, meat, fish, seafood and/or fruit. There is no limit to creativity. The most common pizza styles are four season, four cheese, vegetarian, funghi (mushroom), pepperoni and Hawaiian.
2. Bottarga
Spaghetti alla bottarga is exactly the dish to rely on. A fairly simple preparation, the kind where the sauce is prepared while the pasta is cooking, but capable of giving a great flavour to the dish. Spaghetti alla bottarga is a Sardinian culinary excellence. The name could come from the Greek obtarikhon, dried and salted fish roe, or from the Arabic butarich, very similar in sound to the Sardinian name buttariga. To prepare bottarga, the ovarian sac is carefully removed and salted for several days. Once this process is completed, it is pressed to remove any liquid and left in the sun to dry thoroughly.
3. Focaccia
Focaccia is one of the country’s most popular culinary traditions. A kind of bread similar to pizza, but much spongier and thicker and usually without tomato sauce. The original, simpler and more popular version only contains rosemary, olive oil and salt. But like all bread, it can be combined with aromatic herbs, vegetables, vegetables, meats and sausages of choice. Among the most popular focaccias are roast beef with rocket and pepper sauce; onion-only or olive-only.
4. Ossobuco
Ossobuco is a traditional Milanese dish made from bone-in veal, prepared as a shank stew. Also known as veal shank or ossobuco alla Milanese, it is cooked by stewing the meat with tomatoes, onions and carrots; it is seasoned with garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, pepper and salt. The final touch is a little white wine. In its region of origin it is accompanied by white rice or risotto, while in other regions of the country it is served with pasta and stewed potatoes.
5. Lasagna
Lasagne is not only a typical Italian dish, but also a symbol of world gastronomy. Lasagne is prepared with raw or precooked square pasta sheets, which are layered one on top of the other and between which seasoned and cooked ground beef is added. Grated mozzarella cheese and béchamel sauce are added on top of the beds of meat between the layers to add flavour and make it more compact. An Italian lasagne is served with bread or, even better, a traditional caesar or watercress salad. There are many different versions of lasagne, some with tuna and cheese, others with chicken, and even vegetarian versions.
6. Fiorentina Steak
Bistecca alla Fiorentina is part of the Italian gastronomic tradition, mainly in central Italy. It is a 2 cm thick fillet of beef or veal with the bone of the meat prepared on the grill. Although it is known in other regions of the country, steak alla Fiorentina is typical of Tuscany. Its name comes from the celebrations of the feast of San Lorenzo in Florence. The steak is accompanied by Tuscan broad beans or fresh slices of lemon. It is best served with a red wine, especially Chianti.
7. Truffles
These truffles have a round, very Italian taste. It’s a finger-licking treat. Amaretti and mascarpone truffles are not overly sweet. The sweetness comes from amaretti (almond biscuits), saboiardi (typical Italian biscuits), sultanas (natural sweet) and a spoonful of icing sugar for all truffles.
8. Risotto
Risotto or rice combined with different ingredients is another typical Italian dish that will surprise you with the different ways of preparation that you will find in the country, being one of the most favourite ones the risotto a la milanesa, risotto a la marinera or risotto a la parmesana, three different versions with excellent flavour. It is served either as a main dish or as a very complete side dish with veal (a local speciality in Lombardy), chicken or vegetables such as pumpkin or spinach.
9. Ribollita
Ribollita is nothing more than a soup made with few ingredients but full of flavour. Its name comes from the Italian phrase “bollita di nuovo”, which means to boil again, so ribollita means to reheat. The food can be reheated several times without losing its flavour, but gains a stronger flavour each time it is reheated. This soup is made with very simple ingredients: unsalted Tuscan bread, seasonal vegetables and beans. It is usually made in winter to warm up the body to face the colder months, but it can be made at any time.
10. Polenta
Its preparation is simple but time-consuming. It is a dish that can be eaten alone or accompanied by fish, mushrooms, stew, seafood, salami, vegetables, tomato or cheese. It is a very versatile food, to the point that it can be prepared as a kind of pizza. Polenta dates back to Greek times, when it was prepared with barley. It was also part of the diet of the Roman people where it was known as pullenta. In Italy, depending on the region, a different style of polenta is prepared.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional European Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.