Popular Italian Dishes

Italy is not only famous for its secret pyramids, but also for its authentic food. The Italian dishes have gained worldwide popularity due to their lip-smacking taste. Several delicious Italian dishes are served in a number of hotels and restaurants all over the world. Pizzas and pastas have given a unique identity to Italy. Italian cuisine is quite varied. The ingredients and dishes vary by region to region in Italy.

A formal Italian meal includes a succession of courses, without the main course. It starts with an antipasto, followed by a primo (first course) of soup, risotto or pasta, a secondo (second course) including poultry, meat or fish, accompanied by one or two vegetables side dishes, known as contorni. There is also a salad (insalata) or sometimes cheese. The meals end with a dessert (dolce) or fruits or both. A delicious Italian dessert is a favorite dish of most of the food lovers throughout the world.

Some of the popular Italian dishes include the antipasti such as Braciole, Prosciutto e melone, Olive ascolane, Tartine, Peperoni imbottiti; soups and sauces such as Banga Cauda, Risi e bisi, Grine Sauce, Minestrone; Italian breads such as Panino, Pane casareccio, Piadina, Tigella; pizza varieties such as Pizza marinara, Pizza siciliana, Pizza romana, and pasta dishes including Ciceri e Tria, Penne all’arrabbiata, Spaghetti alla Carraettiera, Spaghetti indiavolati, etc.

Toasted Ravioli

This Italian appetizer is delicious and crunchy, dipped in a warm marinara sauce.

Ingredients
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 dozen frozen meat filled or cheese ravioli
Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
Marinara sauce (for dipping)
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Preparation
Cook ravioli in salted, boiling water until they float on the top. Then remove them from water and drain. Keep them aside for cooling. Heat the vegetable oil in the fryer to a temperature of about 375 degrees. Dip ravioli in the beaten egg and cover in breadcrumbs. Fry them in hot oil for about 5 minutes, until they turn golden brown and then drain. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the hot ravioli. Heat marinara sauce and keep it in the serving bowl. Serve ravioli with the dipping sauce.

Traditional Pizza

Pizza is one of the most popular traditional Italian dishes. This sumptuous dish can be easily prepared at home.

Ingredients
3 pizza breads 6" diameter
½ cup onions, finely chopped
1 cup tomato puree
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
½ tbsp sugar
8-10 flakes garlic
½ tsp red chili crushed
¼ tsp cinnamon clove powder
¼ tsp omam (oregano) seeds
2 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp butter
Salt to taste

For topping
1 capsicum
2 onions
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
4-5 tbsp cooking cheese, grated
1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

Preparation
Slice the capsicum and onions into thin round slices for topping and keep aside. Add chopped onions in the heated butter. Stir-fry it for about 2-3 minutes. Add a cupful of tomato puree in it and bring it to boil. Mix together chili powder, garlic, clove-cinnamon powder and salt. Add all the ingredients except corn flour and boil it for about 5 minutes. Mix the corn flour in ½ cup of water and make a smooth paste. Add it to the boiling sauce. Stir it continuously to avoid a formation of lumps. Cook it with continuous stirring. Make it thick enough to spread over the pizza bread. Allow it to cool, with occasional stirring in order to avoid a surface drying.

Spread a ladleful of pizza sauce on bread. Place slices of capsicum and onions over the sauce. Sprinkle coriander over it and cover with grated cheese. Bake it in a hot oven for about 5 minutes or till the cheese melts and the base becomes crispy. Cut the pizza into triangles and serve it hot.

Calzone

Ingredients
1 ball of basic pizza dough
Salt and white pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup roasted garlic
½ cup thick, sun-dried tomato pesto
1 red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and julienned
1 cup diced Italian sausage, cooked
2 tbsp chiffonade of basil
1 egg, beaten
4 slices of Mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp chopped green onions or scallions (garnish)
1 cup spicy tomato sauce or Ro-tel sauce (hot)
2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (garnish)
1 roasted red bell pepper (garnish)

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the pizza dough on the floured surface. Roll it to form a 12-inch circle. Spread the pesto over one half of the dough. Then place the alternate layers of sausage, garlic, pepper and basil over the pesto. Place the Mozzarella cheese over the basil layer. Fold the other side of the dough over the filling and pinch its edges to seal the calzone. Make two slashes across the top of the calzone. Keep the calzone on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip the calzone in the beaten egg. Bake it for about 20-25 minutes until it turns golden. Place a spoonful of sauce at the center of the plate. Cut the calzone into half and place it at the center of the sauce. Garnish it with scallions, grated cheese and sliced roasted peppers.