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Italian Recipes

50 recipes

Italian cooking is better described as dozens of regional cuisines that share a few habits: good ingredients, short ingredient lists and respect for the season. Italy was only unified in 1861, which is why local identity still runs strong, and tomatoes, potatoes and corn from the Americas slowly reshaped the kitchen. The north cooks with butter, rice, polenta, cured meats and hard cheeses, while the south leans on olive oil, tomatoes, durum wheat pasta, vegetables and seafood. Pasta comes in hundreds of shapes, each matched to a sauce, and bread, olive oil and cheese appear at almost every table. A full meal follows a set order: antipasto, a first course of pasta, rice or soup, a second course of meat or fish with a side dish, then fruit, a sweet and coffee. Sunday lunch is the big family meal. Festive tables bring tortellini in broth, roast meats, panettone and struffoli at Christmas and savory pies and lamb at Easter, and many specialties still belong to a single town or valley.

Staple ingredients

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Common questions

What is Italian food known for?

Pasta, pizza, risotto, cured meats and cheeses, plus regional classics such as lasagne, ossobuco and arancini. Italian cooking is known for simple recipes built on a few good ingredients, and for desserts like tiramisu, cannoli and panna cotta.

What is the national dish of Italy?

There is no official one. Pizza Margherita, ragù with tagliatelle, spaghetti with tomato sauce and lasagne are the most common answers, and most Italians would name their own regional favorite first.

Is Italian food spicy?

Mostly no. Chili (peperoncino) is used in the south, especially in Calabria, and in dishes such as arrabbiata and aglio e olio, but most Italian food relies on herbs, garlic, olive oil and good cheese for flavor.