Antipasti are one of the typical culinary specialties of Italy. These little savory appetizers can be used as an appetizer or starter depending on the occasion and your desires. Generally, the antipasto consists of three types of products:fish or seafood, meat (cold cuts) and vegetables, occasionally combined with cheeses such as mozzarella or parmesan. In addition to tramezzini and other chichetti, many antipasti dishes offer all kinds of sandwiches (bruschetta, crostini, etc.) or omelettes (frittata or torta), but almost always contain cold cuts, which are very numerous in Italy (ham, coppa , soppressata, pancetta, salami…). With their combinations of color and aromas, antipasti dishes can very well be transformed into a dinner aperitif and serve as a meal.
The first courses highlight one of the most famous Italian specialties:pasta. As a starter or just after the antipasti and before the main course, the first course will delight you with its specialties based on pasta, risotto or braised rice, gnocchi or baked pasta. In Italy, pasta is king, there are a multitude of types and shapes, accompanied by so many Italian sauces to eat it every day without getting bored. Opposite, the lasagna, crespelle, polenta or cannelloni as well as the minestre (soups) represent a good compromise to vary the plates.
The second course is considered the main course in the Italian menu. You can eat meat or fish served with a contorno (garnish). Veal is widely cooked in Italy, as are tripe, lamb and horse in the south of the country. A good example of a typical Italian dish, Brasato al barolo is made with pieces of marinated and braised beef cooked in Piedmont red wine. The Italian meat pizza is also a culinary specialty worth noting.
Italians are not particularly fond of sweets at the end of meals. Meals that they often end with a fruit. On the other hand, they cook a lot of homemade cakes like the torta della nonna, the panettone or the famous tiramisu. And how can we talk about an Italian dessert without mentioning gelato (Italian ice cream), so famous, or even frullato (fruit puree with milk).
