What Italian Dishes You Should Definitely Try (and Cook!)

In this article, learn more about What Italian Dishes You Should Definitely Try (and Cook!). You won't surprise anyone with pizza and lasagna..

You won't surprise anyone with pizza and lasagna. These Italian dishes have a lot of fans and everyone can boast of a family recipe for cooking any of them. We want to present dishes that are no less familiar in Italy, but not so popular with us, which you should definitely try. And not only try somewhere in a restaurant, but also cook it yourself at home and please friends and relatives.

The evening meal of Italians, as a rule, consists of the following parts: antipasto (snacks), primo (first course - soup or pasta), secondo plus contorno (meat and vegetables), dolce (sweets - crostata, ice cream or fruit). The dinner ends with a cup of strong espresso. By the way, for breakfast, Italians usually drink coffee with yummy, and then just have a snack until seven in the evening and no "serious" food. But dinner is long and plentiful, seasoned with wine and incessant conversation.

 

We offer you recipes for appetizers - rice arancini croquettes, fried zucchini flowers with ricotta, as well as bruschetta with homemade pesto, cheese and tomatoes.

Drunk pasta or spaghetti with putanesca sauce, as well as a thick and tender soup of porcini mushrooms, serve after appetizers, as a first course.

On the second choice - beef shank-ossobuco and oxtail stew, assisted by caramelized fennel.

Let the sweet table please you with a crostata with apricot jam or Sicilian cannoli with soft cheese and pistachios.

Antipasti 

Antipasto or antipasti are appetizers served before the main course. It can be a plate of olives or a huge salad with bruschetta. Harmoniously and beautifully laid out appetizers, which can be either hot or cold, are usually served on a large platter or cutting board. 

 

Rice croquettes (Arancini)

4 cups vegetable broth 2 tbsp. butter 1/2 white onion, minced 2 stalks celery, finely chopped 1 cup Arborio rice Salt and black pepper 1/2 cup white wine 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese bunch parsley, finely chopped 1/2 cup 2 cups ham, finely chopped 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated or cut into a cup of flour breadcrumbs vegetable oil for frying

Bring the vegetable broth to a low boil. Saute onion and celery in butter in a skillet until soft. Add rice, salt and pepper and cook for another minute. Add wine and stir until rice absorbs it. Then add the broth one ladle at a time and stir until the rice absorbs the next portion. This process will take about 20 minutes. Then add half a glass of grated Parmesan. Cool, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, add the egg yolk, 1/3 cup parmesan, ham, mozzarella, parsley to the cooled rice. Mix well. Prepare a bowl with two beaten eggs, a bowl of flour, and a bowl of breadcrumbs. Roll the rice mass into balls, roll in flour, then in egg mass and breadcrumbs. In a tall frying pan, heat 1.5 cups of vegetable oil well. Fry the croquettes in batches and lay out on a paper towel. Do not worry if the mozzarella climbs out, this will not affect the taste of the arancini in any way. And it’s better to fry arancini in small portions - four each, and do not forget which croquette hit the oil first - take it out first!

 

Fried zucchini flowers with ricotta

The recipe is definitely seasonal. But be sure to give it a try!

12 zucchini flowers 1 cup ricotta cheese 1 egg green onion 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg salt and pepper 3-4 tomatoes (yellow, red or cherry) 1/2 cup olive oil for frying and 2 tbsp. spoons - a bunch of fresh basil in the sauce

Flowers must be clean and without bugs! Look carefully. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, chopped onion, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Using a teaspoon (a spoon and a half per bud), stuff the flowers. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and put in a blender along with olive oil, basil and salt to taste, beat. Heat oil in a tall skillet until it starts to smoke. Fry four stuffed buds in oil on both sides until golden brown. Place on a plate, drizzle with sauce and serve immediately.

 

Bruschetta with homemade pesto, tomatoes and feta

baguette, sliced ​​fresh mozzarella bun (200-250 g), chop 10 cherry tomatoes, halve a bunch of fresh basil, tear off the leaves salt, pepper olive oil

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Make toast from the baguette and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. In a bowl, mix mozzarella and tomatoes, season with oil, salt and pepper. Put on toast and put in the oven. After 10 minutes or as soon as the cheese begins to melt and change color to golden, pull it out. Cool slightly, pepper, garnish with a fresh basil leaf and serve. 

 

Primo

For the first hot dish, Italians serve soup, pasta, gnocchi, rice or polenta. Yes, a portion of pasta with sauce is the first course, followed by the second - meat! If you're short on time, make the Roman pasta Cacho e Pepe. It is "cheese and pepper" with pasta - usually thin spaghetti or linguini. Grated pecorino romano cheese, freshly ground black pepper and a little water in which the pasta was cooked - almost everything you need. The hot water will help bind the ingredients together and melt the cheese. So, cook the pasta until al dente. While the spaghetti is cooking, in another saucepan, mix the cheese, pepper and a glass of cold water to make a thick mass. Put the finished pasta with a slotted spoon to the cheese, add the water in which the pasta was cooked - a glass or more, you need the sauce to stick to the spaghetti, Sprinkle with olive oil and shake vigorously. Sprinkle with grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper before serving. You can go beyond pecorino and add grated parmesan.

 

Cream soup of white mushrooms (Porcini)

4 tbsp. tablespoons olive oil 30 g butter a pinch of dried ground mint or oregano 4 large porcini mushrooms, chopped (dried will need to be soaked first) 5 cups vegetable broth salt and pepper 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 eggs

Heat a mixture of butter and olive oil in a saucepan. Add mint or oregano, then mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms on all sides for a minute. Add a ladleful of broth and cook for another minute. Salt, pepper and add the remaining broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes. Before serving, stir in the parmesan and two egg yolks. Stir.

 

drunken spaghetti

Spaghetti got its name because two glasses of red wine are added to the pasta during cooking. Let's reassure by saying that alcohol evaporates, leaving only a wine color and a pleasant taste.

450 g spaghetti salt

For sauce:

4 tbsp. spoons of olive masa 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 3-4 anchovy fillets, chopped (or salt to taste) 2-3 dried chili peppers, chopped 2 cups dry red wine bunch of parsley, chopped 1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese (you can replace with other hard cheese)

Boil spaghetti in salted water until tender (6-7 minutes). Pour olive oil into a deep frying pan and heat, put garlic, anchovies and chili, fry, stirring, for two minutes. Add spaghetti, mix well. Pour in the wine, stir again and cook over medium heat until the wine has evaporated and the spaghetti is cooked through. Add parsley and cheese, stir. Remove from heat and serve immediately. 

 

Pasta "Putanesca"

400 g spaghetti olive oil 3 anchovy fillets grated Parmesan 4 garlic cloves, minced 6 pitted olives, pitted with hands 10-12 cherry tomatoes, cut into 3 pieces 2 chopped chili (dried or fresh) 5-6 capers fresh basil, chopped a pinch of cinnamon

Boil spaghetti according to package instructions. In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat two tablespoons of oil. Sauté garlic until golden brown with chili, olives, capers and anchovies, add cinnamon. Put in the tomatoes and a ladle of spaghetti water. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Put the basil and pasta into the sauce with a slotted spoon, mix. Add more spaghetti water if needed. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and grated cheese before serving. Serve immediately.

Secondo

The second or secondo is served with a piece of meat, chicken or fish, usually without sauce. They are supposed to be a contorto - a companion to the main dish, often - seasonal vegetables.

 

Ossobuco

Prepare Braised Veal Shank with Brain - Osso Buco. 

3 veal shanks (400-450g each) sprig of fresh rosemary and thyme bay leaf 2-3 clove buds salt, pepper flour 1/2 cup vegetable oil one onion, diced carrot, diced celery stalk, diced 1 tbsp . spoon of tomato paste 1 cup of dry white wine 3 cups of chicken broth a bunch of parsley, chopped 1 tbsp. a spoonful of lemon zest 

Rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and cloves put in cheesecloth and tie. Dry the meat with paper towels. Salt and pepper the meat on all sides. Roll in flour and shake off. Heat the olive oil in a deep, thick saucepan until it begins to smoke. Fry the meat on all sides for three minutes, set aside. In the same saucepan, sauté the onion, celery, and carrots for eight minutes. Salt. Add tomato paste and stir. Return the meat and pour in the wine, simmer for five minutes until the wine has reduced by half. Put cheesecloth with herbs and pour in two cups of broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 1.5 hours or until the meat comes off the bone. Check every 15 minutes if there is enough liquid, turn the meat periodically. Add broth if needed. Put the finished meat on a plate, pour over the sauce in which it was cooked. Sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest. 

 

Oxtail stew

The Italians still joke that the meat went to the Vatican, and all that was left was for the people. Oxtail stew or "coda alla vaccinara" originated in the Testaccio region of Rome, where the slaughterhouses were located. Initially considered a plebeian dish, today you will find it in many restaurants around the world. The stew turns out delicious, and the meat just melts!

1.5 kg oxtail onion, chopped stalk of celery, chopped head of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped 150 g bacon or pancetta, coarsely chopped olive oil 1.5 kg chopped tomatoes or 650-700 g tomato paste (you can scroll canned tomatoes in a blender in own juice) 2 cups dry white wine salt, black pepper 4 cloves raisins - to taste cocoa powder - to taste pine nuts - to taste

Бычьи хвосты порубите на кусочки, лучше всего попросить это сделать у мясника. Промойте и просушите бумажным полотенцем. В большой толстостенной кастрюле прогрейте масло и обжарьте бекон, затем обжарьте хвосты со всех сторон до коричневого цвета. Добавьте лук, чеснок и гвоздику. Посолите и поперчите по вкусу. 

Влейте вино и готовьте в течение 15 минут на средне-высоком огне. Добавьте помидоры или пассату и готовьте в течение трех часов на средне-медленном огне под крышкой. Следите за тем, чтобы мясо было покрыто соусом, если жидкости мало, добавьте кипяченой горячей воды.

Под конец приготовления бланшируйте порезанный сельдерей, затем выложите сельдерей шумовкой в сотейник, добавьте половник соуса из кастрюлю с бычьими хвостами. Тушите сельдерей в соусе с изюмом, орешками и какао на среднем огне в течение 3-4 минут, затем добавьте к хвостам. Готово!

 

caramelized fennel

2 fennel heads, cut into 8 pieces across 5 tbsp. tablespoons olive oil Salt, black pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the chopped fennel in boiling salted water for 7 minutes or until the fork comes out easily. Remove the fennel with a slotted spoon and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add your favorite spices if you like. Sprinkle with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Dolce

At the end of the dinner, they serve dolce or sweet - biscotti or fruit, as well as crostata with various fillings. Biscotti is a double-baked cookie: a dough of flour, sugar, butter, eggs and almonds is formed into a loaf and baked. Then cut into slices and baked again. This pechente comes out dry and has a long shelf life. We offer to cook you juicy pastries with jam - crostat.

 

Crostata with apricot jam

You can use any jam you like, homemade is best.

250 g flour 110 g sugar 125 g butter from the fridge, chopped into pieces 2 eggs (reserve the white of one egg to brush the surface of the crosta) zest of one lemon 3/4 cup apricot jam

In a large bowl mix flour and sugar. Add butter and beat with a mixer or knead with your hands until a smooth, homogeneous dough. Beat in one egg and add the yolk of the second egg (leave the white). Form a ball, wrap with cling film and refrigerate for half an hour. By the way, you can make the dough the day before and store it in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Divide the dough into two parts, one slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger one to a thickness of 3 mm and put it in a round form covered with parchment, not forgetting to form the sides. Roll out the smaller part and cut into strips, 2 cm wide. Fill the form with the dough with jam, and lay the strips on top with a lattice. Brush pastry with beaten egg white and bake in hot oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling jam.  

 

Cannoli with pistachios

Sicilian cannoli are crispy wafer rolls with ricotta. In the filling, in addition to cheese, chocolate, syrups, wine or rose water are kneaded. Dessert can also be supplemented with nuts, berries or fruits. 

To prepare the tubes, you will need special metal cylinders - cannoli molds. They are usually included in a set of cannoli and croissant baking dishes. They can be purchased at cookware stores or online. The dough for cannoli needs to be rolled out very thinly, for this purpose it is convenient to use a pasta machine, namely lasagna leaves. Or very responsibly work with a rolling pin.

For stuffing:

620 g riccotta cheese 3/4 teaspoon orange zest 2-3 drops lemon juice 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For decoration:

half cup chopped pistachios

 For tubes:

2 cups flour 30 g butter 1 tsp sugar a pinch of salt 3/4 cup marsala (can be substituted with Madeira, dry sherry, port, or boil one part brandy with two parts grape juice, brown sugar and a pinch of salt) vegetable oil for frying

Ricotta should be placed in a cheesecloth or sieve over a bowl and allowed to drain. It is best to leave the cheese to drain in the refrigerator overnight. If this is not possible, let the cheese drain for at least half an hour. When we get rid of excess liquid, beat the ricotta with the remaining ingredients with a mixer at medium speed and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the dough, use a mixer to mix flour, butter, sugar and salt. Then gradually add the wine, continuing to beat at medium speed. When all the wine has been added, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. Wrap in cling film and leave at room temperature for half an hour. Then divide the dough into 4 parts and roll out thinly with a rolling pin or through a pasta machine. The thickness of the dough should be 0.5 cm. Cut out squares or circles with a diameter of 9 cm. 

So, we wrap the metal cylinder for baking cannoli with dough, grease the edges with whipped protein so that they stick together well. Pour vegetable oil into the pan (depth with oil - 10 cm) and heat to 190 degrees. Drop in 2-3 cylinders of batter and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Choose with a slotted spoon on a paper towel. Cool the finished tubes.

When the tubes have cooled, fill them with cheese filling using a pastry bag or a bag in which a corner is cut off. Sprinkle the edges with pistachios. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until serving.