Italian Cooking Techniques
Italian cooking is synonymous with pizza and pasta, but there is actually great diversity in Italian food across the country. Italian methods of cooking are all based on the basic principle of using fresh, seasonal produce wherever possible and cooking it simply. Italian cooking methods are mainly simple and easy to understand, so anyone should be able to present a fantastic Italian menu with a little effort.
Vegetables
Vegetables such as artichoke hearts, eggplant, sweet peppers and zucchini are frequently roasted with garlic and herbs to be served as appetizers, along with small slices of toasted bread called "crostini." Crostini are often served with toppings such as olives, anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes and cured meats. Fresh vegetables such as spinach, potatoes and carrots are often simply boiled or steamed when served as an accompaniment to a main course.
Pasta
Fresh pasta is made by combining eggs with flour then kneading the dough until silky smooth. The dough is then rolled by hand or machine until the desired thickness is achieved. The pasta is then cut to get the desired shape or flat sheets are used for lasagna or to make stuffed pasta parcels such as ravioli or tortellini.
Many varieties of dried pasta such as spaghetti, rigatoni and fusilli are widely available in supermarkets and delicatessens. Fresh pasta is cooked for only 2 to 3 minutes in plenty of vigorously boiling, salted water with dried pasta taking up to 12 minutes.
Pasta Sauces
Many sauces are started by first sautéing chopped onions and garlic in a saucepan then adding chopped tomatoes and herbs. Sometimes celery and sweet peppers are used, as in Cajun cooking. The sauce is gently simmered until the flavors have combined and it has thickened. A rich tomato sauce is a base for many different sauces. Puttanesca is made by adding black olives, capers and anchovies while Bolognese is made by adding minced beef to the sautéed onion before tomatoes and herbs are added.
Other pasta sauces take advantage of the residual heat in freshly boiled spaghetti to cook. Carbonara for example, is made by first quickly frying lardons of bacon then adding them along with eggs, cream and Parmesan to hot, drained spaghetti. The sauce cooks in less than a minute in the hot spaghetti.
Rice (Risotto)
Rice (risotto) is a staple of the north, where it has been cultivated for centuries. Risotto is prepared by first frying-off some onion, then adding rice. Meat or vegetable stock is slowly added to the rice, along with other ingredients such as fresh spring vegetables or mushrooms, until the rice is “al dente,” meaning literally “to the bite." Finally, parmesan is stirred in to the cooked rice just before serving.
Pizza
Pizzas are traditionally cooked for 1 to 2 minutes in a high-temperature wood-fired pizza oven. The dough is prepared with flour, water and yeast. Italian pizzas are rolled out thinly to produce a crispy base when cooked. The classic Margarita Pizza features a topping of chopped, seasoned tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves to replicate the colors of the Italian flag. Many Italian households have a wood-fired pizza oven in their garden which is also used for roasting meat, fish, game and poultry.
Cooking Meats
Cuts of meat such as beef and veal are often simply roasted, grilled or pan-fried using olive oil and fresh herbs to add flavor. Occasionally larger cuts of meat are marinated first before cooking. Beef can be prepared by marinating in barolo wine with carrots, onion, celery and herbs and spices for up to seven hours before simmering in the marinating liquid for 1 1/2 hours until tender.
Coastal areas take advantage of the abundance of excellent seafood in the Mediterranean. Fish is usually roasted or pan-fried with fresh herbs. In Sicily, whole fish are placed in a baking dish and covered in sea salt before roasting whole in the oven. This method retains more of the natural flavors.
Game such as pheasant and rabbit are common in the north of Italy. Pheasant can be prepared by marinating in wine for at least 24 hours before being diced and stewed with herbs and spices.
Italian Desserts
Cannoli and cassata are both examples of pastry-based desserts. Cannoli is stuffed with sweetened ricotta while cassata is laced with liqueur and filled with ricotta, pistachios and fruit peel.
Tiramisu is an Italian classic made with coffee-soaked sponge fingers, mascarpone and cream. Zabaglione is a custard dessert made from eggs and cream.
Italy is also famous for its ice-cream and sorbets which come in a vast range of flavors
Alasdair Smith - Scottish-based education, travel, family-history and food writer with a passion for all things French and Italian.
