Pasta is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Pasta was traditionally only made with durum, although the definition has been expanded to include alternatives for a gluten-free diet, such as rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils. While Asian noodles originated in China, pasta is believed to have developed independently in Italy and is a staple food of Italian cuisine, with evidence of Etruscans making pasta as early as 400 BCE in Italy.
Gnocchi are a varied family of dumplings in Italian cuisine. They are made of small lumps of dough, such as those composed of a simple combination of wheat flour, potato, egg, and salt. Variations of the dish supplement the simple recipe with flavour additives, such as semolina flour, cheese, breadcrumbs, cornmeal or similar ingredients, and possibly including herbs, vegetables, and other ingredients. Base ingredients may be substituted with alternatives such as sweet potatoes for potatoes or rice flour for wheat flour. Such variations are often considered to be non-traditional.
Lasagna, also known as lasagne, is a type of pasta, possibly one of the oldest types, made in very wide, flat sheets. The same-named Italian dish is made of stacked layers of lasagna alternating with fillings such as ragù, béchamel sauce, vegetables, cheeses, and seasonings and spices. The dish may be topped with grated cheese, which becomes melted during baking. Typically cooked pasta is assembled with the other ingredients and then baked in an oven. The resulting baked pasta is cut into single-serving square or rectangular portions.
Carbonara is a pasta dish made with fatty cured pork, hard cheese, eggs, salt, and black pepper. It is typical of the Lazio region of Italy. The dish took its modern form and name in the middle of the 20th century.
Tagliatelle are a traditional type of pasta from the Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche. Individual pieces of tagliatelle are long, flat ribbons that are similar in shape to fettuccine and are traditionally about 6 mm wide. Tagliatelle can be served with a variety of sauces, though the classic is a meat sauce or Bolognese sauce.
Fettuccine Alfredo is a pasta dish made with fettuccine, butter, and Parmesan cheese. As the cheese is mixed with freshly cooked, warm fettuccine and ample butter, it melts and emulsifies to form a smooth, rich cheese sauce coating the pasta. Originating in Rome in the early 20th century, it is now popular in the United States and other countries. Cream is sometimes added to versions outside of Italy, where it may be served as a main course with optional chicken, shrimp, salmon or other ingredients on top or on the side.
Pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta dish with ground meat and béchamel sauce, with variations of the dish found in other countries of the Mediterranean Sea.
In Italian cuisine, ragù is a meat sauce that is commonly served with pasta. An Italian gastronomic society, Accademia Italiana della Cucina, documented several ragù recipes. The recipes' common characteristics are the presence of meat and the fact that all are sauces for pasta. The most typical is ragù alla bolognese. Other types are ragù alla napoletana, ragù alla barese, ragù alla veneta, and so on.
Arrabbiata sauce, known in Italian as sugo all'arrabbiata, is a spicy sauce for pasta made from garlic, tomatoes, and dried red chili peppers cooked in olive oil. The sauce originates from the Lazio region of Italy, and particularly from the city of Rome.
Amatriciana sauce, known in Italian as sugo all'amatriciana or as salsa all'amatriciana, is a pasta sauce made with tomatoes, guanciale, pecorino romano cheese, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, dry white wine, and salt. Originating in the comune (municipality) of Amatrice, the amatriciana is one of the best known pasta sauces in present-day Roman and Italian cuisine. The Italian government has named it a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale (PAT) of Lazio, and amatriciana tradizionale is registered as a traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) in the EU and the UK.
Spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian-American pasta dish consisting of spaghetti, tomato sauce, and meatballs.
Supplì are Italian snacks consisting of a ball of rice with tomato sauce, typical of Roman cuisine. Some believe that they derive from the French croquettes and were introduced to Rome by the French troops of Napoleon at the beginning of the 19th century.
Neapolitan cuisine has ancient historical roots that date back to the Greco-Roman period, which was enriched over the centuries by the influence of the different cultures that controlled Naples and its kingdoms, such as that of Aragon and France.
Roman cuisine comes from the Italian city of Rome. It features fresh, seasonal and simply-prepared ingredients from the Roman Campagna. These include peas, globe artichokes and fava beans, shellfish, milk-fed lamb and goat, and cheeses such as pecorino romano and ricotta. Olive oil is used mostly to dress raw vegetables, while strutto and fat from prosciutto are preferred for frying. The most popular sweets in Rome are small individual pastries called pasticcini, gelato and handmade chocolates and candies. Special dishes are often reserved for different days of the week; for example, gnocchi is eaten on Thursdays, baccalà on Fridays, and trippa on Saturdays.
Bolognese sauce, known in Italian as ragù alla bolognese or ragù bolognese, is a meat-based sauce in Italian cuisine, typical of the city of Bologna. It is customarily used to dress tagliatelle al ragù and to prepare lasagne alla bolognese.
The traditional cuisine of Abruzzo is eclectic, drawing on pastoral, mountain, and coastal cuisine. Staples of Abruzzo cuisine include bread, pasta, meat, fish, cheese, and wine. The isolation which has characterized the region for centuries has ensured the independence of its culinary tradition from those of nearby regions. Local cuisine was widely appreciated in a 2013 survey among foreign tourists.
Vincisgrassi, also spelled vincesgrassi, is a typical Marche pasta dish similar to lasagna, considered one of the gastronomic emblems of the Marche cuisine.
Alfredo alla Scrofa is an Italian restaurant in Rome, Italy, which opened in 1914 and is known as the birthplace of fettuccine Alfredo.
Cappelletti are ring-shaped stuffed pasta so called for the characteristic shape that resembles a hat. Compared to tortellini, they have a different shape, larger size, thicker dough and different filling.
