7 Famous Italian Dishes
You Never Heard Of
Italy’s cuisine is renowned world over, so much so that it is considered to be one of the world’s food capitals. It’s no wonder then that no matter what part of the world you visit, you can pop in for a pizza or pasta. But that’s also where many of our knowledge of Italian food cedes. Italian food is much more than your regular pizza, pasta, lasagna or risotto. In fact, its regional food has so much soul and love that you will keep going back for more. Here are some Italian dishes worth trying out.
Arancini
Popular in Sicily and southern Italy, these delicious morsels - very similar in look to our beloved cutlet - can be found anywhere you look. Arancini are stuffed balls of rice, comprising ragù, mozzarella cheese, and peas, which are then coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried. Travelling through southern Italy, you are bound to come across varieties of arancini that include different shapes and fillings.
Maritozzi
These yeasty buns studded with raisins and filled with cream are a popular breakfast in Rome. Fans of the Maritozzi claim it is utterly delicious, charming, and even more delightful to eat! ‘The name translates to ‘almost husband’, after the tradition of grooms giving them to their fiancées’.
Carciofi alla Romana
A simple dish, Carciofi alla Romana, or Roman artichokes, are one of Rome’s most famous local dishes. In season during spring the dish is made by cleaning, cutting and preparing the artichokes in such a way that makes as much use of the plant as possible without the hard leaves and thorns. They’re soaked in lemon juice, then stuffed with herbs, garlic, salt and pepper before being braised in a deep pan with water and white wine until the liquids evaporate. The soft, succulent artichokes are then drizzled with olive oil and herbs again before being served.
Ribollita
A classic cucina povera, or ‘poor man’s food’, from the medieval period, this soup made with leftover bread, beans, and any vegetables that can be found, this dish was said to be created by servants using the leftovers of their masters’ meal. In Tuscany, the dish is considered a special treat in the autumn, when the taste of the harvest vegetables is at its most vibrant.
Bottarga
Describe as “Sicilian Caviar” Bottarga is a southern Italian “ingredient” comprising roe from grey mullets that are salted, pressed, and then left to air dry for six months. Though essentially a poor man’s answer to preserving seafood in the days before refrigeration, it is now considered one of the most sought after and luxurious foodstuffs in Italy. Because of its rich, briny, salty flavour, it’s used in many Southern Italian dishes: grated over linguine, shaved atop bitter greens, or sliced with buttered bread or crostini.
Osso buco alla Milanese
The osso bucco is a dish of veal shanks braised slowly in white wine and vegetables, served with a tangy, garlicky gremolata. Much of the fun bits of this dish is scooping out the rich, buttery marrow from inside the veal bones.
Torrone
The torrone is a creamy, sticky, nougat-like candy made with honey, egg whites, toasted nuts, and citrus zest, sold in thick slabs at cafes and sweet shops across Italy. This yummy candy is supposedly made in a variety of ways, and one of them is dipped in chocolate!